Little Black Book #3: Murder and a Smile
Creative Team
writer: JEFF MCCOMSEY
artist: FELIPE CUNHA
colorist: MARCO LESKO
letterer: STEVE WANDS
publisher: ARTISTS WRITERS & ARTISANS (AWA)
Reviewed by Seth Adrian Romo
Little Black Book #3 is full of smooth talking shooters, dads making bad decisions, and weird family drama.
This modern crime-western follows Cole, a handyman doing his best to make it by with his pregnant wife. When he inherits a house and black book of criminal contacts from his late father, his life changes forever.
Crime and family dramas often work well together as the complexity of familial tensions with violence surrounding the characters make for excellent juxtaposition. Writer Jeff McComsey has crafted a strong story with Little Black Book and this latest issue continues to be a sharply written entry.
Compared to other comics, the scale of this story is small, but the personal moments in this series reminds readers how we are all in our own worlds. McComsey’s script is strong as it balances pacing and exposition incredibly well. There’s no unnecessary dialogue and often there is just enough to let the reader’s imagination fill in the gaps.
This is also in part of the art and colors from Felipe Cunha and Marco Lesko. Their combination of illustration and color palettes perfectly weave with the writing as this issue as the story contains violence, flashbacks, and a beautiful desert night as the characters find a place to bury dead bodies.
With one issue left, there is a lot riding on how this finale will land—but based on how the series has progressed, it’s clear McComsey has something clever up his sleeve.
Final Verdict
Little Black Book has consistently been thrilling and keeps readers hooked from start to finish. It’s one of the coolest comics on stands and is sure to provide a proper fix for crime fans everywhere.
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Writing | 9.0 |
| Story/Plot | 9.5 |
| Art/Line Work | 8.5 |
| Colors | 9.0 |
| Final Score | 9.0/10 |