Triple Noir Theater #2

Posted: Tuesday, August 13, 2002
By: Darren Schroeder

Cover of Triple Noir Theater #2 Creator(s): Johnny Gonzales & Floyd Choat
Publishers: Self Published
From: USA
Price: $1:50 (US)

This collection keeps things in the hard boiled groove of the earlier issue, with hit men, marks, the mob, crooked Mayors and lots of gun play. Ernie Nails, pro hitman, finds that married life and the day job just don't mix well. Dinner and a Murder is a short two pager with a twist as a couples evening out goes off with a bang. Rounding off the book is Alibi, a detailed look at how even when all the bases seemed to covered, fate can throw you a serve ball that you completely fail to read and gets you sent back to the benches.

Johnny and Floyd function well as a creative team, their work handles all the genre cliches to their best advantage. Sure, the most development any of the characters gets is when someone pulls a gun, and their philosophical musing sound like they came off the back of a matchbook, but there is a certain pleasure in seeing what goes down on these mean streets. The added touch of a cameo appearance of Johnny almost getting caught using the office photocopier to print his latest small press creation is something this reviewer can relate to, and it adds a nice piece of original humour to the book.

As is to be expected, the artwork is crisp, detailed and well reproduced (Thank your employer for us Johnny). Nothing here will make you see life differently, but it is high calibre entertainment that hits the target.

In a Word: Solid.



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