Now I'm a sucker for old-school Hollywood setups, books, movies, collectibles so it came as no surprise that I enjoyed the first issues of this noir Hollywood comic from legendary writer-illustrator combo Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. Down-on-his-luck film writer? Check. Wild Hollywood parties? Check. Blackmail? Check. A murder mystery with femme fatales populating the pages? Double check.
As I draw closer to the end, however, it was the decision by two hard-pressed writers to solve a murder when they know they are going up against a mountain of trouble.
The fact the two writers, Charlie and Gil, are so messed up with women, alcohol, their careers, and are at the point of trying to take down the powerful players of Hollywood is the moment I've been waiting for. They are playing the role of detective, a staple of noir.
When I was a little kid, my dream was to become a detective. It was probably the allure of being a tough guy who had all the wise-cracking comebacks and who all the beautiful women on screen or in the books fell for. With a magnifying glass in hand, I would snoop around the neighborhood pretending I was Sherlock Holmes, Mike Hammer, Sam Spade, and so on.
Gil has been a suicidal character for most of the series that I'm loving this change of direction for his character to turn the tables on his oppressors even if it costs him his life. It's his act of penance that finally has me rooting for him.
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