The Killer: Modus Vivendi #3

Written by Matz
Art by Luc Jacamon

If there's one thing that I feel is lacking in most of the comics that I read, it's a nice learned explanation of things like Western cultural hegemony, and the way in which such things are viewed from the smaller, forgotten corners of the world.

In this issue, our Killer is in Cuba, where his next assignment for his mysterious employers, who he now believes to be CIA, is to assassinate the special commissioner in charge of negotiating oil deals.  Having walked around Havana for a few days, and having reflected on the effects of a half-century of embargoes, and the nature of genocide and the types of excuses it engenders in partner nations, he decides that he doesn't want to kill this man, and turns to the Cuban government for assistance.

This is, as always, an interestingly paced book.  It is both languorous and terse, as the Killer has long periods of downtime before arranging his next hit, yet there is always a sense of urgency in his actions.  The lengthy essay (for want of a better term) doesn't slow down the book at all, but it does make it very dense with information, which is something I appreciate.

Jacamon's art is typically beautiful, and he makes interesting use of digital backgrounds, inserting his characters into the Havana skyline, or using other manipulated photos for establishing shots.