Quarry's War #1

   Hard-nosed crime stories can be fun, especially in the hands of a gifted writer like Max Allan Collins.

   He tells two stories in Quarry's War, each three years apart - and worlds away.

   One is set during the Vietnam War in 1969, as Quarry tackles his trade as a sniper. The other is set in the U.S. in 1972, as he works as a hired gun in a different kind of war, tracking down his target in a different "jungle."

   This is definitely not a story for children - it includes violence, sex and adult language (the terrific cover kind of gives its nature away).  

   The art is by Szymon Kudranski, and it manages the balance between the gritty, muddy reality of Vietnam and the cleaner and brighter world of the suburbs.

   This isn't for everyone - you won't find a hero anywhere in these pages - but it is a crackling story that'll keep you hanging to the last page.

Grade: A-

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