Synopsis: After World War II, tensions rise in a Southern city ruled by organized crime, touching countless residents as they struggle to make sense of the new world. A sudden act of violence sets off a series of bloody events between the police and mafia as they lash out against one another. As the violence worsens, desperation grows to stop it, by any means necessary.

Review: Two Dead is a historical crime fiction by Van Jensen and Nate Powell published by Gallery 13 in 2019. It takes multiple elements rooted in fact and blends them together in a pressure cooker story.

Gideon Kemp is returning home at the behest of his politician uncle. Gideon is a war hero (though he rejects the honorific), an FBI academy graduate, and he’s studied law. He seems like the perfectly straight arrow John Q Law type brought to town to bring down the mob. Kevin Costner’s Elliot Ness in The Untouchables (1987) comes to mind. Except this introduction is the second scene in the book. The first scene in the book shows the reader his war experiences and why he rejects the war hero title. He’s done some bad shit and is haunted by it. 

No Man's Land by Szymon Kudranski (Image)

A high-stakes murder mystery perfect for fans of True Detective, Whiteout, and Insomnia.

Diomede Islands.

For three months each year, you can walk from the USA to Russia across an ice bridge—a frozen path known as the Ice Curtain.

In 1963, when the body of a young woman is discovered on this icy no-man’s land, the already fragile relationship between the superpowers threatens to collapse. With nuclear tensions rising, an FBI agent and a KGB operative must solve the murder—before the ice melts…and war ignites.

From SOMETHING EPIC and BLOOD COMMANDMENT creator SZYMON KUDRANSKI comes the must-read thriller of the year.

Collects NO MAN’S LAND #1-4.

Today’s shoulder wound is from November by Matt Fraction (review)

Synopsis: USA, 1970. Joe is driving his camper in the wide open spaces of the Wild West. He makes several acquaintances along the way: a small coyote, to start with, but also local thugs, F.B.I. agents, a U.S. Marshal, old friends who seem to be more or less trustworthy… But who is this good ol’ Joe? Those who cross his path tend to see their life expectancy dangerously decrease…

Review: The Coyote and the Snake by Matz and Xavier was first published in French in 2022 and was translated into English soon after (Europe Comics). We already covered Matz’s series The Killer as part of the introduction to European comics series and some of their differences compared to American and Japanese comics series.

The Coyote and the Snake is comprised of short chapters with titles like “Ride Lonesome”, Midnight Run”, “Hard Times”. It’s always clear to the reader where and when the story is taking place for that chapter. The story opens in Arizona in 1970. A man in a camper driving through the desert. In the next chapter he’s in Utah. Clearly he’s just driving the back desert roads of the Southwestern states. He picks up a pup in the desert and now he has someone to talk to! The monologuing of The Killer will feel familiar here.

Synopsis: 1990s. Russia. The USSR has ceased to exist. Its dimly remembered promises of utopia have dried up, and amongst the rubble, scavengers and looters abound.

Amongst the vast Russian tundra and decaying Soviet buildings, two such scavengers engage in a rather dubious pastime—getting their hands on all sorts of trinkets that might interest wealthy investors.

Slava, once a promising young painter, has abandoned his career and ideals to scrounge around with a pal from his school days, the consummate conman Lavrin. The future is up for grabs, and in this anything-goes, dog-eat-dog new world order, Lavrin assures Slava anything and everything can be bought and sold.

Soviet Land by by Pierre-Henry Gomont (Abrams Books) REVIEW

A must-read thriller at turns madcap and melancholy, about a down-on-their-luck duo of swindlers looting their way through the decaying remains of the USSR

"A rich and humane story of ordinary people navigating extraordinary historical upheaval in this tragicomic tale that will have strong appeal for readers of literary or international graphic fiction." (starred review, Library Journal)

1990s. Russia. The USSR has ceased to exist. Its dimly remembered promises of utopia have dried up, and amongst the rubble, scavengers and looters abound.

Amongst the vast Russian tundra and decaying Soviet buildings, two such scavengers engage in a rather dubious pastime—getting their hands on all sorts of trinkets that might interest wealthy investors.

Slava, once a promising young painter, has abandoned his career and ideals to scrounge around with a pal from his school days, the consummate conman Lavrin. The future is up for grabs, and in this anything-goes, dog-eat-dog new world order, Lavrin assures Slava anything and everything can be bought and sold.

In this tragicomic thriller, author Pierre-Henry Gomont tells a gripping tale of average people caught up in the turmoil of history in the making. His deeply human characters fumble through a disorienting world—one where the promise of tomorrow has evaporated. They aspire to nothing more than to continue: to continue living, loving, and maybe someday even painting again.

Today’s shoulder wound is from Newburn by Chip Zdarsky & Jacob Phillips (review)

I had it on my mind to do a quick write up on Cat’s Eye and City Hunter by Tsukasa Hojo at some point. I was looking at something else on Amazon and saw that the omnibus Volume 1’s for both titles are currently on sale for $2.99 each, so I at least wanted to mention them.

I don’t have numbers on this but licensing of older manga seems to be a tough sell for Engligh audiences. Even popular titles or old flagship Shonen titles. Which is partly what made Abrams/Kana’s decision to reprint two of Tsukasa Hojo’s books such a pleasant surprise. But then again, new adaptations certainly help

Cat’s Eye ran from 1981-1985, originally collected in 18 tankobons, and is now being reissued in 3-in-1 omnibus editions. There was an anime series from 1983-1985, and a new anime series started last year.

Synopsis: "Locker is a nearly-blind sniper, and after losing his job, he joins a support group for unemployed assassins. All of the members were once feared, but now they're losers who help and hinder one another. After overhearing a conversation at a restaurant, Locker believes he's identified the man that took his sight. Finally, he has one shot at revenge -- hopefully this is one he doesn't miss"

Review: Most fiction advice relies on action. Situations escalate, characters do things to make their situation worse, out of the pan into the fire. Conflict is created until some resolution is reached. (Yes, I know, this is all very reductive). This can certainly be true for genre fiction which tends towards plot mechanics. Fiction presents moments in these characters lives that serve the larger story. What do these characters do on a day off? What do they do on a regular Tuesday? It can be these small side moments that offer the most rewarding moments.

There is a growing desire for fiction that holds space for these types of moments to occur.  These types of stories (eg: slice of life, cozy [not the mystery sub-genre]) are popular, sell well, and are influential. Shows like The Midnight Diner, novels like The Kamogawa Food Detectives and The Dallergut Dream Department Store. Manga and anime like The Way of the Househusband, Dorohedoro, Shimazaki in the Land of Peace, and even the earlier chapters of Sakamoto Days. (These examples aren't definitive, just some that I like).

The Voice Said Kill by Si Spurrier & Illustrated by Vanesa Del Rey from Image Comics (one of the best crime comics of 2025)

Fargo meets Deliverance in this trippy fever-dream thriller, juxtaposing gorgeously pastel sunsets and vibrant hues of the wilderness with shadowy nightmares and dark deeds.

The wet heat of the Louisiana bayou.

Alligator poachers prowl the mudbug mire.

A park ranger, heavily pregnant, raises a hateful mug of moonshine with a criminal matriarch.

And one deadly sonuvabitch, out of his mind on shrooms and retribution, loads his rifle for the human hunt and screams down the stars.

From award-winning creators Si Spurrier (Coda, X-Men, STEP BY BLOODY STEP) and Vanesa Del Rey (REDLANDS, The Creeping Below) comes a fever-dream Cajun crime thriller about murder, madness and motherhood.

Collects all 4 issues.

Death to Pachuco by Henry Barajas & Rachel Merrill and Lee Loughridge (Image Comics)

“A razor-sharp historical noir that doesn’t pull any punches." —Alex Segura, bestselling author of Alter Ego and Secret Identity

A Chicano noir retelling of the Sleepy Lagoon Murder Trial and the Zoot Suit Riots during 1943 wartime Los Angeles, Death to Pachuco is an untold story lost from the American history books.

During the summer of 1943, Los Angeles became a hotbed of tension and conflict as a series of fierce clashes erupted between U.S. Navy members and Mexican American youth stemming from the murder of Carlos Urbano. Private eye Ricardo "Ricky" Tellez needs to find the Sleep Lagoon Killer before the racist mob kills him in the Zoot Suit Riots.

The clock is ticking—and it’s a bad time to be a Mexican.

From the author of the critically acclaimed Latinx Top Cow series La Voz De M.A.Y.O, and Helm Greycastle returns with a thrilling graphic novel, perfect for fans of true crime noir.

Collects DEATH TO PACHUCO #1-5, a facsimile of THE SLEEPY LAGOON CASE rare pamphlet published in 1943 with a foreword by the legendary Orson Welles, and an afterword by award-winning journalist Jazmine Ulloa (El Paso).

Today’s shoulder wound is from Newburn by Chip Zdarsky & Jacob Phillips (review)

Synopsis: Aspiring investigative reporter Marilyn witnesses one of the greatest money heists in history…but will she be able to collect enough evidence for anyone to believe what she saw? For fans of I Survived and Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales but with a true crime twist, read about the Great Train Robbery of 1963 in this I Witnessed graphic novel.

Marilyn is in for an unforgettable trip when she sneaks aboard a Royal Mail train from Glasgow to London on the night of August 7, 1963. While Marilyn’s focused on her writing portfolio and convincing Dad not to ship her to boarding school, the night takes a turn when she witnesses more than a dozen masked men board the train. What Marilyn didn’t know when she snuck aboard was that this Mail Train was transporting over £2 million in cash. The robbers detain the crewmen, seize control of the train, and then abscond into the night with their bounty…but thanks to Marilyn, they won’t make it out scot-free.

Inspired the true events, Marilyn’s story offers a fictional kid POV rooted in historical facts about the heist and the subsequent trial. Case fact sidebars offer additional nonfiction elements to the story.

Synopsis: In a not-so-distant future where society has changed considerably but the problems often remain the same, a young policewoman from Paris is dragged into a difficult, dangerous investigation that could impact the very future of mankind.

Review: The Mermaid Project is a French language near-future, espionage/detective story, with science fiction elements. It's published by Cinebook and is a complete story is 5 volumes (albums). It was written by Leo and Corine Jamar, art by Fred Simon, and translated by Jerome Saincantin. 

Today’s shoulder wound is from A Righteous Thirst for Vengeance by Rick Remender & André Lima Araújo

Lonely Deaths Lie Thick as Snow by Hajime Inoryū and illustrated by Shota Itō (Kodansha)

Synopsis: A routine call regarding a burglary at an empty mansion leads cocky young police detective Jin Saeki to a gruesome and shocking discovery. The corpses of 13 children, along with the presence of a strange symbol, spur a manhunt for Juzo Haikawa, the mysterious absentee owner of the house. So begins an investigation (and an obsession) that will take Jin all over Japan and into the darkest recesses of both the past and the human soul.

This week’s shoulder Wound is from Biotope by Appollo & Brüno

The Roots of Chaos Vol. 1 - Lux & The Roots of Chaos Vol. 2 - Umbra by Felipe Hernández Cava & Bartolomé Segui (Europe Comics)

Synopsis: “March 1953. Alexander is walking through the streets of London with a bomb in his hand. It is destined for Marshal Tito, during his controversial visit to Great Britain. Alexander's story began several months earlier, when his mother was struck by a car and instantly killed. Trying to understand why and how his mother, who was in an institution for senile elderly people, wound up so far from her home, Alexander finds himself caught up in a spiral of terror involving the British secret service, strange Serbian nationalists, and the island of Majorca... all of which culminate, several months later, with Alexander finding himself on the bank of the Thames, holding a bag with a bomb in it”

Dark & Twisted: Dead Flowers by Duane Swierczynski & Andrea Mutti

Synopsis: “LANEY GENNAWAY takes a true crime tour to get to know her new town. The location: the notorious Aztec Hotel, built during Prohibition to cater to gamblers, drinkers, and sexual libertines. There she meets an elderly man named PRESTON BAILEY, who is friendly but clearly lonely.

The tour is focused on a famous unsolved case from 1949—the so-called “FLOWER ARRANGER” who mixed and matched the body parts of his three victims (Violet, Rose, and Lily) at the Aztec Hotel before vanishing into thin air. The husband-and-wife tour guides claim to have finally discovered the Flower Arranger’s identity and promise to lay out their case over the three-hour tour, ending with the big reveal.

There was an old book blog/site that kept a running list of quotes when characters got “hit in the solar plexus”. Whenever they found an example, they would add it. It was a tongue slightly in cheek way of recognizing a cliche but I think done from a place of love. In that spirit, I’m starting a series called Shoulder Wound Sunday, which playfully acknowledges a favorite cliche while highlighting the crime comics they appear in.

This weeks shoulder wound is from Mugshots by Jordan Thomas & Chris Matthews