Grifter #2 – Review

By: Nathan Edmondson (writer), Cafu (penciller), Jason Gorder (inker), Andrew Dalhouse (colorist)

The Story: He fought the law, and the law got sent on fire.

The Review: If you have any familiarity with the Wildstorm universe, or if you’re even a big fan of that publisher, one thing you should realize as you read this series that this isn’t the Grifter you used to know and love.  He has many things in common with the Cole Cash of times past, but within the context of the new DCU, he should be considered a new character, and like any new character, he must build up his exploits, background, and world from scratch.

And as this issue shows us, what Edmondson builds up for Grifter is The Bourne Identity with a sci-fi spin.  If there’s one thing this title doesn’t lack, it’s action; you have Cole swinging flour and fire together to detonate a cop’s face, a military man sniping the tire out of a stolen police car and sending it flipping into the air, shootouts in a New Orleans diner…  As you might imagine, you’re never in want for excitement.

All action and no exposition makes a flashy husk of a comic, though, so it’s a good thing Edmondson takes care to introduce some new plot and character elements into the mix.  One of the biggest wrinkles has to be Cole’s admission of his former military ties.  It sure explains his magnificent martial ability, and it throws his previous lifestyle as a common con-man into a new light.  You have to wonder what went down to cause this major career change.