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Parker: The Outfit HC
by Darwyn Cooke



I loved the first book in this series, as it was a blast of fresh air in superhero-ridden realm of modern comicdom, and I was really looking forward to the sequel. I have to admit the wait didn’t seem that long and was pleasantly surprised when book 2 turned up in my monthly shipment.

While reading it I kept thinking; “why do I even bother with superhero comics anymore with material like this around”. Not for the first time in recent months, I thought crime comics could really save the moribund American comics industry. Of course, predictably inconsistent as I am, immediately after shelving this volume I reached for the top issue on my to-read Superman pile. Sigh, once a junkie, always….

Anyways, as much as I enjoyed this volume, I gotta I didn’t like it quite as much as the first one but for good reasons. Instead of just dishing up more of the same, Cooke took some story-telling chances and not all the experimentation was successful but I applaud him for his gutsiness. I mean, it would’ve been easy for him to just regurgitate volume one.

For instance, I didn’t like the inclusion of a long piece of prose. Not that I’m opposed to reading pose but it sort of ripped the guts out of the momentum out of the story, which was a pity.

Another major difference in this volume is that Parker is much more cunning in this story in contrast to the almost force of nature he was in volume 1. This too is a nice change of pace because a steam-rolling, remorseless Parker could quickly become boring and clichéd, even if it is a mainstay of noir fiction.

What I did like is that everything is pervaded with a sense of the inevitable, people seem locked in a grim play, which they have to play out until the grim end. This pure 100% unadulterated hardboiled and it puts Sin City to shame.

I love the design and I love Cooke’s unique pacing and staging, the little things he brings into the foreground to accentuate the action. Savvy, ballsy storytelling. His dramatic feel is quite amazing and there is one scene, which almost caused a physical chill to run down my spine. There aren’t many comics creators in comics nowadays who can evoke that kind of gut reaction. This is that moment:

And I love the monotonal colour scheme, which conjures up just the right mood and period feel. This stuff wouldn’t be half as effective in colour. And even the organic lettering adds to the visceral feel of the comic.

The writing is also a joy with great “stark” dialogue and I loved the insight into the syndicate’s (petty) criminal activities, which lent everything an even greater sense of authenticity. It also features a real rat bastard called Justin Fairfax ;-). What's in a name, right? Definitely one of the highlights of this comic year.