(Series review) I stuck with this series for four trade paperbacks. There's no doubting the aesthetic quality of the series: tightly written stories of crime and violence, with a distinctive and appropriate artistic style to match the mood and pacing of the writing. In some ways, it's like a smarter, more ambitious version of the mood behind the Grand Theft Auto games.

The central thematic hook introduced in the first trade paperback is this: if you were given a gun and the consequences of its use could under no circumstances be traced back to you by the authorities, what would you do with it? It didn't take long for the series to go beyond that trick premise and develop its own complicated backstory and mythology.

In the end, strictly for reasons of personal preference, I don't rate the series highly: the setting and mood are just too consistently ugly and gritty for my tastes. But if you like true crime stories, or the meaner end of the thriller genre, you might well enjoy this series. ( )