WRITER: J. Michael Straczynski
ART: Ben Templesmith
Publication Date: May 2, 2013
Price: $2.99
Publisher: Image Comics
UPC: 70985301360000111
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J. Michael Straczynski (JMS) is responsible for one of the best sci-fi shows on television, prior to the Battlestar Galactica reboot, Babylon 5.
He has also upset fans with controversial runs on Amazing Spider-Man and Superman. The latter got him summarily dismissed from DC Comics and he handed the Grounded storyline over to Chris Roberson. Not many people were happy with a Superman ‘walking the country’.
He stays on the character with his equally controversial series of original graphic novels for DC, a grittier two volume Superman: Earth One hardcovers with the Shane Davis on art.
Not many books have graced the shelves since Superman: Earth One Volume Two written by JMS. This is likely because of his plan to revisit his Top Cow imprint Joe’s Comics with some creator owned series.
The first of this rebooted imprint’s titles is Ten Grand written by JMS with art by horror spooksmith Ben Templesmith. The story is based on the noir trope of having a dame walk into a private dick’s office, with an insolvable case. Here in issue #1, at the start we realize that former mob enforcer Joe Fitzgerald has touches with an angel figure, summoned by necromancy and demonology. Joe spends most of his days awaiting freelance assignments from a neighboring watering hole.
Joe is also entered into a deal with the demons haunting his world. His woman was killed in front of him, and to reconnect with his Laura, he has become an enforcer for the dark spiritual world.
This book is great, if a little heavy on the recurring themes. It is a successful matchup of noir, horror, gangster and necromantic genres. Though not a funny book, this draws similarities to Chew. This is also recommended for fans of Sandman, Lucifer and Death.
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