The Winter Men #2 (of 8) - Wildstorm (2005)

There is mention of super powers and armored warriors in The Winter Men but the core of this tale of former Soviet cops and the Russian-American mafia (and how there's not much difference between the two) could just as easily take place in our own Brooklyn.

There's a great deal of violence, double-crossing and cynical Russian humor throughout this well-crafted story. Kris Kalenov is a tattooed, beat-to-hell guy who has been sent to America to find a kidnapped girl. There's a huge conspiracy surrounding her disappearance and issue #2 just peels back the smallest corner of it. None of the characters knows what to expect around the next corner and neither do the readers. I was surprised twice during this issue.

This is an exciting story with many layers. The art by John Paul Leon along with the colors by Dave Stewart look like they formed spontaneously from Brett Lewis's script. The characters are not drawn in great detail but each is recognizable. This adds to the "trust no one" feel of the world Kalenov moves through.

It's nice to see a smart, ruthless progagonist going up against equally smart, ruthless adversaries. Kalenov is in way over his head and I can't wait to see what the next issues bring. This will make a beautiful trade but I can't wait that long.