Publisher: Image Comics
Writer: Richard Starkings
Artist: Shaky Kane
Release Date: 30th April 2014

This is a quality stand-alone issue centred on ‘Trench’; an Elephantman who boasts the head of a zebra. The black and white stripes do him justice as he sports a long trench coat, smokes a pack a day and talks in such a way that Philip Marlow himself would nod in approval; this zebra-headed cop is hardboiled noir through and through.

Being a newcomer to this already seasoned title didn’t seem to matter in this issue. Some brutal and massively surreal flashbacks slapped me up to date and a peach of a monologue kept me involved until the end. In all honesty, this could easily serve as a first issue as it tracks Trench though a pretty miserable yet sadly routine case. It’s the familiarity of it all combined with such a punchy monologue that makes it hit hard.

How the art can be as colourful as this and still feel noir is confusing. Maybe it’s the super bright and bleached LA setting with crazy blue skies or perhaps it’s the fact that the living characters look so faded in comparison. The litter and graffiti and syringes are always in sight despite the flashy colours that makes us see what this weathered cop sees. What a miserable dump.

It’s like a weird hybrid of Animal Farm and 100 Bullets and what a cool little comic it is.

Rating: 4/5.

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The writer of this piece was: James McQueen
You can also find James on Twitter.