I picked this comic up after seeing a glowing review on BoingBoing, but unfortunately the content doesn't live up to the fantastic issue covers. The interior artwork is a massive disappointment. Characters are all rendered in a sketchy style that makes it hard at times to keep track of just who is who. Characterization is likewise rendered in broad strokes, with much dependence on cliche (there's a Russian gold-digger, Italian thug, Eastern European dealer that can't resist his own product, etc.). I've been searching for a hardboiled crime comic that can live up to the standard set by Andrew Vachss's novels and TV shows like The Wire and The Shield, but it looks like my search continues. I'm not going to bother picking up future volumes.
The second Dr. Laszlo Kreizler story, this one involves a kidnapped baby and a disturbed nurse whose youthful charges tend to end up dead.
While this was an enjoyable read, it didn’t equal or surpass The Alienist. The pacing felt a bit off in several sections, with strange detours and an occasional lack of urgency despite the core conflict. While it’s not really a complaint for me, there are a number of action sequences (and one particular supporting character) that cross a bit into pulp territory, which is not something I remember from the first book. Also, Dr. Kreizler seemed to take a back seat to much of the proceedings. Perhaps it was due to the new choice in narrator, but Kreizler spent much of the story off-screen, doing vague psychology stuff while the scrappy kid narrator got into punch-ups with juvenile gang members.
That being said, this book offers an opportunity to spend more time with Carr’s appealing characters, which is what I (and probably many readers) wanted most. There’s not as much mystery or investigation as the previous book, but the characters are solid and the historical figure cameos are fun, if a bit forced at times.
The first thing I did after finishing this book was check when the next book in the series is expected to arrive. I think that can be taken as a solid recommendation.