Ten Grand #7

Published by: Image comics / Joe's Comics
Released on: Feb 12, 2014
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Artist: C.P. Smith
Cover: C.P. Smith
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Former mob hit man Joe Fitzgerald was killed along with the love of his life Laura. An angel brought him back to life but under a condition. If he dies in a righteous manner, he can see Laura for five minutes. He'll still feel the pain of death, but he can have five minutes and then he'll get put back into his body on Earth to do it again. As a means to do righteous things, he hires himself out to those willing to pay him 10 grand to do a job. A young woman tasks him with finding her sister, who turns out to be dead and at the hands of a cult leader who happens to be the same man who killed Joe and Laura. The same man was killed by Joe himself, two years earlier.

In issue #7, Joe is on his way to the gates of hell with an angel in tow, and he means to get back Laura and the sister of the woman who hired him. He was led to believe Laura was in Heaven, but her being in Hell opens up a whole new can of questions for him. Questions he intends to find answers too and save his precious Laura's soul. Once arriving at the gates, they are met with resistance from other winged entities, and a battle ensues. Once the smoke clears, Joe makes his way for the gate. Any more info than that will just spoil the book.

It should be no surprise to hear how great of a story is being told by J. Michael Straczynski. The man has proven his talent time and again, and Ten Grand is nothing short of epic. This issue marks the start of the second half of the story (hopefully not the last of the stories with Joe Fitzgerald) which looks like it will be quite different from the first six issues. Aside from the story changing gears, the artist also was changed. Well, that happened last issue, but still…the story is engaging no matter who illustrates it. But for my money, C.P. Smith's art contributions make for a far better read than the previous artist's work on the book. With the line work at a minimum, his colors really bring out the beauty of his artistry. Shading is done with color rather than black ink and he creates an image that is both cartoonish and realistic at the same time. It tough to describe, at least in layman terms, but it's a welcome change from the traditional artwork that is so prevalent in comics.

Ten Grand #7 was sent to me to read and write about, and I loved it so much I went and bought the six issues that preceded it. It is an absolute must read for those who like edgier comics with more to offer than muscle bound dudes in tights. Someone mentioned to me that it was reminiscent of Hellblazer, and that is a decent enough comparison, but it is in a league all its own. It deserves the high praise it gets and hopefully it will continue past 12 issues in one way or another.