My maternal grandfather, a World War II veteran, was a huge movie buff and he loved all the tough guy movies from Charles Bronson, Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin. Needless to say, I became a huge fan as well as I watched these same movies with him from when I was 7 years old through to my teenage years. Those movies epitomized an era of what the world believed a man should be and how should one act. I often associate my grandfather with these movies and him with these movies, as they gave me an example of what I should aspire to.

When I first heard of Christopher Mills and Rick Burchett series, I was more than intrigued at the concept, as it reminded me of those old 60s and 70s movies I used to watch with my Grandfather. I saw the cover, and it just so happens that the main character, Gravedigger McCrae, has more than a passing resemblance to Lee Marvin, who starred in so many of those movies I loved. The creators in interviews have said this was purely intentional, as this series was created with him in mind, and would have been the movie he should have made when he was alive. The press release described the story as:

Framed for the murder of a mob boss’s daughter, “Gravedigger” McCrae is on the run in a South Florida paradise, pursued by a relentless crew of killers. His pursuers think tracking him down will be easy, but Digger McCrae is particularly dangerous prey.

This story was definitely up my alley, as this was a story about tough men in impossible situations in difficult worlds.

The comic opens up with the murder of the mob boss’s daughter and Mccrae, contemplating on his situation and how will he handle it. The art is primarily in black and white, which gives it a pure crime pulp feel. The narration, feels very Robert Parker, and definitely reminds me of the old Spencer for Hire novels. The end of the first issue lends enough of a twist to keep the reader yearning for the second issue.

This was a solid first issue, from the choice of style, the choice to go purely black and white, and the dialogue, it all comes together to create an atmosphere as if you were in a 60s crime movie. The narration and dialogue by Mills are definitely throwback to that era. The art by Burchett, although shows flash of Alex Simmons, has a knack for drawing this time period. Overall, if you loved those old tough guy movies, you will appreciate and enjoy this series.

Story: Christopher Mills Art: Rick Burchett
Story: 10 Art: 9 Overall: 9.6 Recommendation: Buy

Action Lab Entertainment provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review