Dark Corridor

I am a big fan of Rich Tommaso's comics, from his noir, historical, and horror comics under his Recoil imprint to his more mundane, character-driven works like Pete and Miriam. I have always liked his art style, character designs, and the architecture he draws in his stories, not to mention his gripping storytelling, inventive layouts, and interesting plots. Dark Corridor is his latest collection and it follows the exploits of a motley array of characters. The short, episodic chapters ping-pong back and forth, focusing alternatively on some crooked grifters:

and a league of female assassins out for revenge against organized crime families:

I hope I am not spoiling too much by revealing that eventually all their paths converge, resulting in violence, death, mayhem, car chases, and lots of drama. The characters are all boldly depicted, and although they might be considered stock types, I felt they were all very well employed in telling a strong and satisfying story. I really enjoyed how those different narrative strands were woven together, and I feel that fans of crime comics, detective stories, or just plain good old fashioned adventure yards will really enjoy this book.

The reviews I have read for this book have been mixed, some lukewarm and others more positive. Matthew Garcia called it "a thrilling and intense book delivered through some excellent cartooning." Ross Johnson included this "unique crime drama" in Barnes & Noble's Best Comics & Graphic Novels for June, 2016. Rob McMonigal praised the "top-notch noir storytelling from a fan of the genre who understands that there's more to that part of the crime world than just making it dark" and called it a "must-read for anyone who enjoys reading about terrible people."

This collection contains all 7 issues of the series and was published by Image Comics. They have previews and more information here. The book does contain some nudity, profanity, and violence, so it is suggested for readers mature enough to handle those things.

I just saw Rich Tommaso at HeroesCon in June and learned that we have growing up in a family that owns a pizzeria in common. He also drew a commission sketch for me of a character from his newest work, She-Wolf, a horror series about werewolves and the people they attack and change. I think he is a great guy and a great artist, and I hope y'all go out and get some of his works.