Rat Catcher, the latest graphic novel in the Vertigo Crime line-up, goes on sale January 25 in major book stores, but eager readers can find it now on the shelves of their local comic shop (that’s LCS, if you’re interested in the lingo).
Andy Diggle, writer behind the big screen-adapted The Losers, has turned his pen to the gritty world of washed-up detectives, snitches, and cop crime. Partnered with Victor Ibañez—whose black and white illustrations capture the hyper-exaggerated, still frame drama of the common crime thriller—Diggle plots a conspiracy full of twists and plenty of backstabbing.
The story takes thirty pages or so to get moving, and even longer than that to get its facts straight. In order to keep readers guessing, Diggle only reveals the identities of his characters halfway through the book. It’s a tired old trick, but one that Diggle manages to shake some life out of through meticulous attention to character. At least his premise is straight-up honest: A myth among do-gooders, the elusive Rat Catcher has been picking off mob informants for years, fooling the police and the Witness Protection Program alike. Now, with dead cops smoldering in a safe-house outside El Paso, one stubborn FBI agent may finally scrounge up enough evidence to stop him.
Diggle may very well leave readers frustrated. He ends his book on a cliffhanger and a nagging question that’s rallied throughout the entire story: Does the Witness Protection Program help, or just add to the problem?
Rat Catcher is gutsy and entertaining, but could use some freshening up.
Want more reads from Vertigo Comics? Check out my review of Sweet Tooth Vol. 2: In Captivity.
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