Darwyn Cooke exhibits so much passion when he discusses the process of getting Richard Stark to allow him to adapt and use his character Parker in a series of graphic novels. This passion shows on every page of The Hunter. I’m not always one for hardboiled noir drama, but Cooke’s art matches the narrative so strongly I had to keep paging through.

Cooke really shines, and is a real classical master of the medium. His descriptive facial expressions, and ability to take advantage strong compositions and silhouette lend themselves to the moments of silent storytelling. He lets the images do as much talking as much as the dialogue. Speaking of dialogue, the lettering and writing really brought up voices for each character; a reflection of the care that DW puts into each characters appearance and body language.

Parker himself, is an unstoppable bastard. I haven’t encountered someone this cut-throat and yet likable in forever. His awesomeness demands respect with a healthy dose of fear. Despite the awful things he is guilty of, hes far easier to root for than a Scarface type who you know is going to mess things up. Parker comes in, and hes all business. There is something I have to admire about that. He moves through the city possessed. Nothing excessive. Everyone around him just represents a stop on his way to a goal.

I just read the $2.oo magazine size single issue that leads into the next Parker book, and this time I’m not waiting around to read it. I wish I had gotten to The Hunter sooner.