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A review by mattquann
The Sheriff of Babylon, Volume 2: Pow. Pow. Pow. by Mitch Gerads, Tom King, John Paul Leon, Travis Lanham, Saida Temofonte
5.0
My review here is for both the first and second volumes of King's The Sheriff of Babylon as I consider them a single story (obnoxiously) separated over two collections.
Tom King has been the most consistently enjoyable new mainstream comics author I've read this year. His Vision series was a welcome departure from classic superhero tropes and structure, while The Omega Men was a much appreciated adventure into the horrors of war as seen through space opera. There's no doubt that King has lofty aspirations, and so far he's got a perfect batting average! I decided to try The Sheriff of Babylon just to get a hold of more King, but this early Vertigo series is perhaps his most accomplished.
From the get-go, you know that King has a great sense of pacing, structure, and doesn't mind messing around with how panels are laid out. The story, set in 2004 Baghdad after the American invasion, follows US consultant Chris Henry as he tries to train the new Baghdadi police force. When one of his trainees is found murdered in the "green zone", Henry becomes involved in the web of parties potentially involved. In his quest joins local cop Nassir and political mover-and-shaker, Sofia.
All of the details within the book are bolstered by King's credentials as former CIA operative. The small details in the story's telling give it a realistic depth that I've found many of these narratives often lack. There's as much time given to the populace of Baghdad in small moments as there is to the larger mystery. Mitch Gerards is also a terrific choice as artist as his realist lines and colouring help to bring Baghdad to life.
One of the things I love about King's plots is that they rarely offer easy answers. Characters are irrevocably changed by the narrative's end, and the challenges throughout the story have brought them toward that core alteration. I really enjoyed the moral ambiguity presented in the final chapter and the rest of the tangly bits of questionable decision making on the way to the end. Overall, this one gets a thumbs up!
Tom King has been the most consistently enjoyable new mainstream comics author I've read this year. His Vision series was a welcome departure from classic superhero tropes and structure, while The Omega Men was a much appreciated adventure into the horrors of war as seen through space opera. There's no doubt that King has lofty aspirations, and so far he's got a perfect batting average! I decided to try The Sheriff of Babylon just to get a hold of more King, but this early Vertigo series is perhaps his most accomplished.
From the get-go, you know that King has a great sense of pacing, structure, and doesn't mind messing around with how panels are laid out. The story, set in 2004 Baghdad after the American invasion, follows US consultant Chris Henry as he tries to train the new Baghdadi police force. When one of his trainees is found murdered in the "green zone", Henry becomes involved in the web of parties potentially involved. In his quest joins local cop Nassir and political mover-and-shaker, Sofia.
All of the details within the book are bolstered by King's credentials as former CIA operative. The small details in the story's telling give it a realistic depth that I've found many of these narratives often lack. There's as much time given to the populace of Baghdad in small moments as there is to the larger mystery. Mitch Gerards is also a terrific choice as artist as his realist lines and colouring help to bring Baghdad to life.
One of the things I love about King's plots is that they rarely offer easy answers. Characters are irrevocably changed by the narrative's end, and the challenges throughout the story have brought them toward that core alteration. I really enjoyed the moral ambiguity presented in the final chapter and the rest of the tangly bits of questionable decision making on the way to the end. Overall, this one gets a thumbs up!