Rat Catcher

There were a lot of little things I liked about this latest Vertigo Crime graphic novel from writer Andy Diggle and artist Victor Ibanez.  As the writer of “The Losers,” Diggle knows how to write an effective action comic, and you can see his skill in the way that the book opens, the amusing details such as the cattle shipping/dope-running operation, and the witty one-liners that the characters toss out every so often.  This time out, he’s paired up with a very capable artist in Ibanez.  The man’s art probably won’t win any awards, but it’s clear and expressive in just the way I like and expect art from a Vertigo title to be.  I’m also impressed that the art doesn’t suffer for the fact that it’s clearly designed to be in color.  You’ll notice that bit right off the bat; but afterwards, the man’s work just draws you in.

Unfortunately the book is fairly predictable in its twists.  Most readers will realize that something is up from the first few pages, and will subsequently fail to be surprised when the big reveal comes.  There’s also an odd problem in terms of the story’s scope.  The title character is supposedly a legendary assassin who kills mob informants… who turns out to be in the employ of a regional Texas mob.  With what we’re told about him and the way he has infiltrated the FBI, I kept expecting a bigger story than what was ultimately delivered.  This is certainly not the worst Vertigo Crime book that I’ve read; however, like most in the line, it’s just “okay.”