The Victories #1 (of 5)

You can often expect hard-nosed, cutting-edge violence from writer / artist Michael Avon Oeming (see his work on Powers with Brian Bendis), but he takes things a step further (hard as that may be to believe) with his mini-series The Victories.

The opening splash page is a giveaway, as it features an image of a dead rat lying in a pool of blood, surrounded by maggots.

This opening story revolves around an encounter between the "hero" known as Faustus and the werewolf-like villain called the Jackal. It's a grim and gritty battle between two vicious characters.

The title of the comic comes from the super-team that Faustus is a member of, though we learn very little about the rest of that group in this issue.

So obviously, this is not a comic for kids. (I'm not sure I'm old enough to be reading this.)

But, the artwork is outstanding. Oeming's style is unique, powerful and always captivating.

If you enjoy these kind of Sin City-like tales, or if you're a fan of Oeming's work, you'll enjoy this one. But more squeamish readers should stay away.

Grade: B+

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