Writer – Steve Niles
Art – Tony Harris with Color Assists by Matt Cahill
Letterer – Bill Tortolini
Created by – Niles and Harris
Published by- Image Comics
Chin Music is kinda hard to explain to someone who hasn’t read it. It’s a story set during Prohibition with the usual cast of characters, Elliot Ness, Al Capone and so on…the twist? Supernatural forces and mysticism.
This comic delivers on almost every level. The incredible artwork by the amazing Tony Harris with some color assists by Matt Cahill is like eye candy. I could stare at this book all day. I am a fairly recent fan of Harris, having not known much of his previous work, but was completely blown away by his turn on JSA Liberty Files: The Whistling Skull miniseries and decided to give Chin Music a chance just for his name being on the cover. I have not been disappointed. Two issues in and I absolutely cannot wait for a third installment.
Writer Steve Niles weaves a dark, supernatural, detective noir-style tale using Ness, Capone and dark times in American history as his setting.
Issue #2 opens with Ness trying to figure out who made Capone’s head go all explode-y. That’s right, Capone is dead and THE FEDS gotta make sure nobody finds out before an all out gang war breaks out across the city. Ness closes off the crime scene even from the cops and orders his men to keep the body hidden and on ice until he can bring in the killer. He interviews some of the gangsters who were with Capone when he bought the farm and doesn’t get much but a guarantee they won’t spill the secret of Capone’s death.
He follows up some leads and finally finds a man named Shaw. I can’t reveal who Shaw is at this point or what is said between the two, but let’s just say Shaw is more than a regular mobster!
I gotta say this book is certainly original and Niles and Harris put story and art together so flawlessly that it definitely leaves you wanting more. If you’re a fan of dark, gritty detective noir or supernatural stories or both, then this book is for you. I give Chin Music a very solid rating of…
5 out of 5 nerds
Irwin Fletcher
I'm an LA journalist who really lives for his profession. I have also published work as Jane Doe in various mags and newspapers across the globe. I normally write articles that can cause trouble but now I write for FTN because Nerds are never angry, so I feel safe.
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