KEEP ME IN MIND, SWEETHEART

Andrea Speed over at Comixtreme recommends as part of Captain Andy's Graphic Novel Funkapus #3.

You Have Killed Me (Oni Press)
By Jamie S. Rich & Joëlle Jones

This is a piece of '30's style noir mystery, with private eye Mercer hired by the sister of an old flame to find her. It seems she was about to get married and disappeared in an improbable, suspicious manner. Although reluctant to do so, he takes the case, and discovers that his ex-flame's fiance was an inveterate gambler and had ties to a mobster named Memory. There's also a black jazz trumpeter that his ex-flame, Julie, might have been having a clandestine affair with, and may have a very wicked temper. But the more he looks, the more complicated things get, and the more suspicious the sister, Jennie, acts. Mercer could be a relative of Sam Spade or Phillip Marlowe, which is both a good and a bad thing. Good because you can instantly grasp the character and his motives, but bad because he never stands out as his own character very much. Also, Jennie was suspicious right away; she pours on the whole sexy femme fatale thing too much way too early, and by the end I honestly hadn't grasped a single of her motives. Oh, Mercer explains them, but they don't make much sense. Still, it's a solid genre story, and the art by Jones is fantastic. Lots of bold lines and delicate penciling, with a good use of space and artful shading. It's so good that I'd like to see more of her work more often. Anybody hankering for an atmospheric crime noir tale between releases of Criminal will find this a satisfying treat to tide you over. Rating: 4/5 --Andrea Speed

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