By: John C. Mayberry
I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again…I love, LOVE, reading good comic book crime stories! Recently I’ve had the sincere pleasure of reading a rather unique work of crime fiction from Comixology in the form of Nice Jewish Boys. A completely unexpected and pleasant surprise, the first issue alone has everything that a great crime story should start off with, which will keep you compelled to continue to the story’s very end.
The first issue alone…all I have to say (in the best way possible) is HOLY CRAP! From the first panel you are completely sucked in to the story’s events, with the creative team immediately placing you in the middle of a shocking situation from which you won’t be able to turn away. The artwork by John Broglia is clean, crisp, and very pleasing to the eyes, perfectly complimented by Ellie Wright’s coloring, which works very well in setting the perfect tone for not only the story’s events in this first issue, but for the rest of the series, too. Together with the visual art presented, the panel placement in every page is very well done. From a visual standpoint, the panels really do move the story along at the most even of paces, ensuring that you all get the full scope of the story.
However, as visually stunning as it is to behold, equal credit has to be given to a masterfully written tale that will pull you in just as deep as the artwork will. The story written by Neil Kleid starts off fast and does slightly maintain that feeling throughout to give you something that doesn’t feel rushed, but moves along perfectly, leaving you wanting to finish the remaining four issues to see where the story goes, what happens, and how it ends up for everyone involved. And I for one cannot wait to see this series through to its end.
In all, Nice Jewish Boys is something that definitely deserves to be added to your growing collection. Reading it will certainly be one of those moments of comic book euphoria when the perfect visual representation comes together with a perfectly written story to produce something that may not be as mainstream as other big-name publishers but leaves just as much of a deeply lasting mark. So once you’re done reading this, go get your copy of this first issue of Nice Jewish Boys, then be sure to keep up with the remaining issues of the series. I swear to you guys, on my geekdom, you will enjoy the hell out of it.
