Written by Michael Oeming & Ivan Brandon
Art by Michael Oeming
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New York City is no stranger in being referred to as ‘the mean city’. Life is quick paced and cruel in areas with such a high populace. It is easy to blend into the crowd and even easier to be removed from it. When a couple of gangsters from Reyes are found dead in a non-gang related manner with a weapon of cop who died 15 years ago, Detective Rafael, a man with many emotional and spiritual struggles, has many questions and in search of answers questions the late officers wife, now witch, who brings him upon the harsh reality that his presence at her home regarding her husband is ill-mannered considering her daughters recent rape and paraplegic causing beat down. He should be hunting for her attackers, not wasting his time hunting down a ghost. Just in case he didn’t get the point, however, she threatens him with a curse that would also spread to those he loves.
Meanwhile, a group of Reyes are out on a vengeance run when the same eerie moth that was hovering the original attacks appears in the car. Suddenly the world lights up and every panel is covered in a splatter of bullets that looks similar to the craziest Light Bright design you’ve ever seen! The woman wielding the gun is dark and unclear but, as proven in the last two killing sprees: She kicks some major ass. Whether she is human or of supernatural origin has yet to be clarified. Considering the moth recurrence and her great speed and agility; I’m thinking the latter.
Oeming does a great job all around! This is a great follow up to his work on Powers and reads similarly despite it’s obvious differences.
It is a well paced, enticing mystery that can lead absolutely anywhere considering it’s super natural essence. The art is free flowing, dark, gritty and just about everything else you expect of a great noir styling. The colours are chosen with a conscientiousness of where the reader should focus, which I’m glad he agrees is the gore. He also uses distance to his advantage, having many scenes zoom out rather than in forcing them to carry a chilling ominous tone that screams of a great story to come!
The writing he and Brandon bring to this issue is unusually clear and understandable for a first issue; while still covering a ton of back story, plot and character development. My curiosity regarding Rafael’s distancing from religion and his wife in strong even with very little detail put toward it. They have created a character in him that strikes my curiosity in a way none has recently. I want to know why this guy’s messed up, I already kind of pity the man.
I cannot wait to tear through the next three instalments of this mysterious and eerie tale. This is a prime example of how to introduce a mini-series on it’s first issue in a way that the reader feels as though they’ve read several. A gut-wrenching paranormal tale with an added bit of wit and humour, Cross Bronx is likely to make any Powers or noir fan alike very happy.
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