Turf #4

Written by Jonathan Ross
Art by Tommy Lee Edwards

Regardless of how late it may be, this is one book that just keeps getting better with each new issue.  From the beginning, Edwards's artwork has been wonderful (one would expect nothing less), but Ross's writing was a little rough at the start, and has only improved with each new installment.

Almost this whole chapter is devoted to lining up the various interested parties in this sprawling gangster/vampire/alien Depression-era turf war, so that the next issue can wrap up the various sub-plots and character arcs properly.  Ross has managed to compress a lot in this series, and this issue in particular.  It would be easy, with so many characters running around, to spend the issue simply moving chess pieces around on the board, but he works in some nice character development, like at the end of the book when Susie, the reporter who has gotten involved in events, takes a moment to phone her mother to say good-bye, knowing that her chances of surviving are not good.

I'm very interested in seeing if Ross can pull off an ending that can be as good as the middle of this series has been.  I also hope that the book comes out sooner rather than later...