I got to read Rebirth of the Gangster, a cool comic created by CJ Standal and Juan Romera. Rebirth has an art style that’s a mixture of noir and an interesting cartoonish type of style. It’s definitely it’s own style, but the art makes me think of a Tintin meets Batman: The Animated Series, dark deco type of style. I love it. With simple, thin lines and the traditional shadows of a noir work, the comic art is clean overall. The backgrounds are done in a cool way, and I’m not sure if Manga Studio was used or some other digital program, but many chosen grey-tone patterns add to the art for walls, windows, and even shadows shimmering on polished floors.
The title page has regular font with no graphics, and I was thinking the title page would look better if they stylized it, either by adding some art or making better letters. It’s a small suggestion, though, since the comic itself is good. A flashier title page would just look cooler with it.
The story is fun for fans of gangster and mob crime fiction. There’s some interesting looks at not only criminals and gangs, but the criminal justice system as well, along with homelessness, racism, and people who work hard to chase the American dream in both moral and amoral ways. In the plot, we follow the son of a lawyer dealing with the pressures of having a successful father. His father has done everything he can to provide a good life for his son and his wife, so there is an expectation that his son will follow in his path. The son, however, is also struggling with issues from their inner-city environment, while trying to fill the shoes his father wants him to fill.
As the story continues, however, we get more of a feel that the father’s life isn’t as “perfect” as the son believes it to be.
Rebirth of the Gangster, Book 1, was a great read. Loved the story, and the cliffhanger makes me want to read more. I can’t wait until Book 2 comes out. The comic is available on Amazon.
