Grendel: Black, White, and Red

The Devil may care about your soul, but Grendel doesn't. In the slick, grim, and powerful collection Grendel: Black, White, & Red, the possessed superhuman develops from prodigy to criminal mastermind through a loosely linked series of short stories using the skills of two dozen illustrators. Though the styles vary widely from scratchy to realistic, the theme of using only black and red ink unites them visually and gives rise to abundant creepiness. The brutality of the protagonist is unrelenting. Though the reader may gain some insight into the nature of violence and obsession, even seasoned veterans of media mayhem will find new twists herein. The rare moments of near-humanity become all the more poignant in the sea of red. Defenders of comic book artistry needn't look farther than Matt Wagner's Grendel. --Rob Lightner