The United States of Murder Inc. #1
Imagine a world in which the mob has gained total control of the way things run and there is no government, just the family business of money, blood, power, and control. The United States of Murder Inc. doesn’t quite extend to the entire world being run by the mob, just the East Coast of America, but the idea is still there. And it’s pretty exhilarating to see how this world unfolds.
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artists: Michael Avon Oeming & Taki Soma
Cover: Oeming & Soma
Publisher: Icon
As a Powers fan, I was pretty excited for the coming of The United States of Murder Inc.; Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Oeming make a formidable team in the comic industry, creating a style that’s uniquely their own and creating worlds that one can easily submerse into, realistic but still fantastical. What really sold me though was when I got the chance to actually talk to Oeming about it, his passion and belief in the story that he and Bendis were sharing is what truly is going to make this series stand out.
It’s easy to want a noir mob story. They’re cool and full of intrigue and sex and murder and kind of indulgent in that sense. The hard part is getting a story that hasn’t already been done with the mob. So in the hands of Bendis and Oeming the mob gets what they want. Sort of. They get total control of the East Coast.
This double sized first issue is our first exploratory dip into this world that they’ve created. It starts out with your usual mob induction, there’s blood and talk of family bonds, smart mouthed family members and copious amounts of foul language, but the beats are already different. It’s mentioned that in the past, a ceremony of that caliber would have been done in the past but now it’s a public ceremony and there’s a huge party afterwards. What’s immediately noticeable about this scene as well is Oeming’s art. It’s less detailed than what we’re typically used to seeing in Powers or his other works, which was a conscious decision on his part to let the colouring (Taki Soma) kind of bring out more of that noir elemental flair to it, and we focus more on the world around them as opposed to just the characters. In The United States of Murder Inc., everything will play a significant part it seems. Also with noir inspired coloring and simple line-work it makes certain characters stick out a little more, easily casting them as someone to pay attention to. Jagger Rose for instance who will come off immediately as a fan favourite, her red colouring making her stand out significantly, giving readers a visual cue that she’s someone we want to pay attention to, but it she gets even better as soon as she opens her mouth and starts speaking. She’s smart and witty and guaranteed will give the other boys a run for her money.
While it starts out as your regular mob story, it quickly spirals into something else. It’s evident that there’s a lot more that meets the eye, questions are raised about liabilities within the mob group itself, and of course a reveal at the end that sets the whole story into motion moving forward.
It’s absolutely gripping and exciting, definitely a high point for both Bendis and Oeming. They’ve created intriguing characters, and developed a world completely unique. The United States of Murder Inc., is definitely going to be a hit and I genuinely can’t wait see what comes from it.
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artists: Michael Avon Oeming & Taki Soma
Cover: Oeming & Soma
Publisher: Icon
As a Powers fan, I was pretty excited for the coming of The United States of Murder Inc.; Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Oeming make a formidable team in the comic industry, creating a style that’s uniquely their own and creating worlds that one can easily submerse into, realistic but still fantastical. What really sold me though was when I got the chance to actually talk to Oeming about it, his passion and belief in the story that he and Bendis were sharing is what truly is going to make this series stand out.
It’s easy to want a noir mob story. They’re cool and full of intrigue and sex and murder and kind of indulgent in that sense. The hard part is getting a story that hasn’t already been done with the mob. So in the hands of Bendis and Oeming the mob gets what they want. Sort of. They get total control of the East Coast.
This double sized first issue is our first exploratory dip into this world that they’ve created. It starts out with your usual mob induction, there’s blood and talk of family bonds, smart mouthed family members and copious amounts of foul language, but the beats are already different. It’s mentioned that in the past, a ceremony of that caliber would have been done in the past but now it’s a public ceremony and there’s a huge party afterwards. What’s immediately noticeable about this scene as well is Oeming’s art. It’s less detailed than what we’re typically used to seeing in Powers or his other works, which was a conscious decision on his part to let the colouring (Taki Soma) kind of bring out more of that noir elemental flair to it, and we focus more on the world around them as opposed to just the characters. In The United States of Murder Inc., everything will play a significant part it seems. Also with noir inspired coloring and simple line-work it makes certain characters stick out a little more, easily casting them as someone to pay attention to. Jagger Rose for instance who will come off immediately as a fan favourite, her red colouring making her stand out significantly, giving readers a visual cue that she’s someone we want to pay attention to, but it she gets even better as soon as she opens her mouth and starts speaking. She’s smart and witty and guaranteed will give the other boys a run for her money.
While it starts out as your regular mob story, it quickly spirals into something else. It’s evident that there’s a lot more that meets the eye, questions are raised about liabilities within the mob group itself, and of course a reveal at the end that sets the whole story into motion moving forward.
It’s absolutely gripping and exciting, definitely a high point for both Bendis and Oeming. They’ve created intriguing characters, and developed a world completely unique. The United States of Murder Inc., is definitely going to be a hit and I genuinely can’t wait see what comes from it.
A Look Inside
