Great Stuff I've Recently Read: SAN HANNIBAL

When pal P.J. Perez e-mailed me awhile back and provided a complimentary comic for me to read and review (citing my love of pulp), I have to admit....it went on the back burner, which is a real shame.

Because San Hannibal, published by Pop Goes the Icon, is one of the better indie books I've recently read.

Written by Dan Schkade, San Hannibal is a sharp mix of futuristic cool and hard-edged detective fiction. Imagine, if you will, a man named Avery: leading a very simple life in the big city, meeting a new client at a slightly busy venue (his office, it seems, is being fumigated for termites; he was cited as the best detective in the client's price range), and soon on the trail of a missing photojournalist.

Schkade's script simply crackles with the kind of side-of-the-mouth wit reminiscent of Chandler (with a really smart present-day flavor). JD Faith's art also helps sell the book - granted, the color palate is limited to three (black/white/magenta), but there's always a sense of movement, of pace, of deliberate motion to the story. It's the first chapter of an ongoing story....but it does what the best first issues do best: make you want to pick up the next issue.

San Hannibal is available via Pop Goes the Icon; this is a must-read, folks.