Nevada McPherson Comic Reviews

Savor Bullet Gal #11 and visit the present version of Heropa while you can; theres only one more to go!

Bullet Gal #12 is a visually stunning conclusion to the series, and the narrative closes on a satisfying note that still leaves the door open to the imagination. Even if you arent usually the type to remain in your seat watching the credits of a film to the bitter end (if you are, I probably wouldnt need to tell you this), stay and read Bergens end-notes and final word on Bullet Galits definitely worth it!

Hope is the operative word here. True noir doesnt usually end happily and this is true noir to the bone, so buckle your seatbelts, mates, this promises to be a bumpy night of the soul. The final and most serious threat facing our heroine Trista comes from somewhere I never expected and from someone Id already thought whacked — in the sense of the gangster vernacular — so trust no one and beware everyone, including close relatives and friends with benefits.

Trista, our fabulous heroine, is an incredibly tough young woman; still, since the death of her friend and mentor Governal and the sudden marriage of Issy to another woman (the last person one would possibly expect), shes surrounded by duplicitous and treacherous individuals wholl stop at nothing to further their own aims. Add the dimension of passionate romance to this hard-bitten yarn and youre left with the bitterest of love stories with barely enough room to hope it might sweeten with age. If togetherness means anything and if you really believe in true love for better or for worse, youll find some shred of hope in the way things turn out. If you dont, add an extra maraschino cherry to that Manhattan before you settle down to read this final chapter. It might make it go down just a little easier.

If youre a fan of noir, this is a must-read and youll be addicted immediately; and if youre not a noir fan but you love new and innovative forms of story-telling, you have to check this out.

Trista & Holt is epic neo-noir: hardcore gangster, dark and Byzantine, with flashes of humor and well-placed pop-culture references that cut through the dim shadows like afternoon sun through the slats of a Venetian blind. Check out Trista & Holt #4 but be careful; it's seductive and highly addictive.

If you're already a fan of noir, you'll be swept away by this series and recognize the savvy neo-noir and pop-culture gems to be discovered in the imagery and narrative, and if you're new to the genre/mood of noir but curious about its proud tradition in literature (up from its pulp-fiction roots) and film, check this out and you'll learn something"like why guns don't always beat knives, and '70's muscle cars still rule.

The artwork Bergen chooses to show the crime scene at the bar along with the traumatic aftermath is haunting, and cinematic effects such as stark lighting and varying levels of focus make Trista & Holt a rich visual and narrative experience. It doesnt hurt that screen idols of the era surface frequently, such as when Paul Newman portrays Issy, adding 70s gloss and glamour to the urban grittiness of the proceedings. There are some significant twists and turns in this issue, and some very striking imagery sets the stage for more to follow as the plot thickens considerably and the tantalizing entanglement between Issy and Trista grows ever more complicatedand dangerous.

Trista & Holt #7 takes a step back in time while making a leap forward in character development regarding Trista, Governal and even Marcella, whos a tad more nuanced here, prior to the bloody chaos shes set in motion in earlier issues. Bergens collaboration with Renee Asher Pickup in this double issue makes for a most refreshing and unusual summer reading experience: a Warholian fantasy where Philip Marlowe holds court at a table in the back of Studio 54, black & white home movies of a very young Edie Sedgewick flickering in the background. Then again, reading Trista & Holt in general (and this issue in particular) is like buying candy from a kind, handsome stranger at a nightclub. You wont know what itll do to your mind til you try it.

Issue 8 shows that theres much more going on with Anguish than we ever realized before. Hes earned his name and then some, and Alaina should definitely NOT underestimate him!

Bergen is adept at weaving a most compelling yarn and his clever and artful juxtaposition of words and delicious, provocative images makes for a visual feast. Time spent in the world of Trista & Holt is like time spent in the cool dimness of an exclusive disco club, a shadowy noir realm populated by beautiful people glimpsed in the flash of strobe lights, neon, and yes, the occasional flash of gunfire.

As we near the end of the fabulous ride that is Trista & Holt, Bergen continues to weave a tale of love and revenge, darkness and deathand theres wicked humor, too! What more could a fan of all things noir ask for?

If you want to get into a romantic mood for Valentine's Day, give Ares & Aphrodite a whirl around the dance floor. Also, if you happen to be a Cinderella fan, theres a lovely glass slipper image here just for you!