I Like This Comic: COBB

I don't buy any new comics. I'm currently living far from any decent comic book stores, and, as a struggling freelancer, I have very little money to spend on non-necessities. For a while, a comics retailing buddy was sending me books, but I owe him so much money that I asked him to stop.

So, since I don't buy any new comics, I don't read any new comics.

But... Chris Ryall, the high muckety-muck over at IDW is a pal, and he recently took pity on me and sent me a package of IDW books. In that package were the first two issues of Beau Smith and Eduardo Barreto's Cobb.

From everything I knew about this going in, I knew that I would probably like the book. Eduardo, besides being a pal and one of the coolest creators I've ever worked with (I've got one of his Mike Danger originals on my wall) is also, for my money, the best comic book artist alive, and Beau well, he's Beau. I've been aware of him since he was filling lettercols with missives and signing all twenty of his names to 'em, and I became a fan when he showed up kicking ass in Scout. I haven't liked all the comics he's done, but he's generally good at the two-fisted, action/adventure stuff.

But both these guys exceeded my expectations. Two issues in (I've yet to get my grubby hands on the third and final issue, but I will), and Cobb is my favorite comic book in years. (Well, aside from Gravedigger, of course.)

No "decompression," no navel-gazing, just contemporary hardboiled storytelling and deftly-defined characters of the type I strive for in my own work. Straight-forward, well-drawn artwork that serves the story and not the artist's original art sales (although I'd gladly buy any page of this).

Great stuff.

Eagerly looking forward to the concluding issue.

If you liked what Rick Burchett and I did on Gravedigger: The Scavengers, you'll like this, too.