Time now to detour down the old country backroads into creeping crime terror, as officers Barry and Tex, (aka "The Radio Patrol") are on the case of a brutal psycho-killer on the loose! Can our boys in blue stop the slaughterama before they themselves become the next victims? Here we go-- from the nerve shattering November 1952 issue of Crime and Justice #10. And who can identify the artist here?
3 comments:
Sometimes the worst monster is the one in human form, i.e. Jack the Ripper.
This one zips right along. I actually like all the setup at the beginning, with the washed out roads and catching a glimpse of the killer at the beginning.
The woman getting randomly knifed is the most brutal thing I've seen in one of these comics in a long time, and made even worse by how the cop pretty much just ignores her (not without story reason, but it really works on being a senseless killing.). I mean, the killer was crazy, knife the guy with the Tommy gun first next time!
I love the ghastly look of the killer and this time the heavy single color coloring works really well for night/rain setting.
I agree that the roomy, atmospheric ramp up here is really nice. Sets a mood and tone for the story that few crime comics bother with, giving it a horror / thriller flavor while basically writing it up as a procedural. That extra space at the start also makes the end feel a little rushed in comparison. Though I'm not sure just what I would want to add, it might be nice to see the same detail-oriented, environmental color promoted over the simple details of the final confrontation and exposition. But I still liked it.
I like the art a lot too. There's a Dick Briefer-like energy to the organic brush work in both figures and background elements that feels brisk but not rushed. Page four is my favorite, the first an last panels there just beautiful. I'd love to know who drew them.
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