Plot Summary: Hoping to secure a future for his children, an aging Alaskan crime boss looks to retire and divide his empire amongst his three heirs. But when his idealistic son refuses the inheritance, the old man disowns him. This turns out to be a fatal mistake when he sees his cold-blooded daughters use their new-found power and influence against him.

Review: An aging patriarch at the head of a powerful enterprise wants to step aside, or will be forced to, and a power struggle among his children ensues. Not only is this a classic framework that goes back to King Lear, it’s also been explored before in crime fiction. After all, the classic story structures are always being used. They’re classics for a reason. From the movie The Godfather to the TV show The Straits to season 2 of Fargo we’ve even seen King Lear in crime fiction before. Family Ties steps into this space.

The aging patriarch of the family has dementia. This obviously poses a problem for a criminal organization This character is presented in a nuanced way with different parts of his personality emerging at different times and often changing up even mid scene. You can see the complex array of emotions that he goes through, often cycling through them quite quickly, but also the frustration in those around him. 

The art style throughout the entire book has a loose, squiggly, almost sketchbook quality. Is this looser line structure meant to evoke the slipping memory of the aging patriarch and the deterioration of his memory and, by extension, his organization? Where this style becomes more of an issue is in the second half of the book when shit starts to pop off. The plot is already complex given the amount of players and all of the moving parts but it can sometimes be tough to keep some characters straight. One last thing about the visuals, it’s also worth mentioning that, other than some general outdoor locations (woods and snow) there isn’t really much to make this feel like it’s actually set in Alaska. 

Family Ties mentions some interesting gender dynamics. In traditional King Lear fashion, the two power children vying for power are the patriarch’s daughters. The third child, a son, has left the family and become a nurse. He isn’t interested in the family business and only cares for his father’s well being, wanting to get him into a facility.This is an interesting subversion of societal norms as women are usually the caregivers for aging parents but Family Ties isn’t really interested in exploring that idea further.

Verdict: mixed positive/recommended

Availability: Amazon|Kindle|Publisher|Comics Plus

Pair With: Winterswim by Ryan Bradley, True Detective Night Country