Violenzia

Checking in at 50 breath-taking pages, Violenzia was the first digital-only release from Fantagraphics, a storied publisher of alternative comics. The narrative is full of great pulp genre elements, including human sacrifices, a creepy cult with its tendrils in local police and politics, hill-billy meth dealers, and an action heroine whose methods are swift and deadly.

She is a woman of few words.

There is not so much a plot as there are extended action sequences where the titular heroine dispenses justice from the barrels of her guns. Still, it is an exhilarating and fun read. The artwork is classic Richard Sala style, with plenty of cheesecake, monsters, wretched villains, shocking moments, and excellent, clear storytelling. He is a well established comics creator with decades of works that meld mystery, horror, and action to his credit. He speaks more about his work on this book in this interview.

Reviews I have read about this comic have been mostly positive. The anonymous reviewer at HTMLGIANT wrote that this book smacks of white, male privilege but that it also "evokes the joy of action comics with lush colors and retro pencilings." Rich Barrett called it "a light read and a nice low cost entry into discovering Sala's work." Jason Sacks wrote, "I had so much fun reading this book and Violenzia's bloody adventures that I can't wait to see what comes next."

This book was published by Fantagraphics, and you can view a preview and purchase it at Comixology.