This book is hard. Hard to read, hard to look at, and hard to process. But, that’s what makes it so fantastic. Very few times has a book made me this uncomfortable but want to read more of it so much. The Violent is dark, grimy, and rough. But, it’s also a terrific story, one that hits every emotional beat that’s necessary to make for a quality book and many more.

The story of Mason and Becky is not a pretty one, and the impulsive and rash decisions they’ve both made are not helping matters any. Both of them are very flawed people, and since the fate of their daughter Kaitlyn is in their hands, that isn’t good. Mason is especially making a lot of bad calls, since Becky has been indisposed for various reasons for a bit.

Ed Brisson is really outdoing himself here, along with co-creator Adam Gorham. They are creating a story that is heartbreaking, rage inducing, and totally gratifying. The art is rough and dark in all the right places, and the story is something that is really a sight to behold.

Along with colorist Michael Garland, Gorham is making this into something special, visually. There are seemingly mood-based color palettes, some really violent scenes, and some good expression work from the pair.

This might be a bit difficult to get through, but The Violent is one of those books that is worth the pain. It’s beautiful, heart-wrenching, and totally worth every moment of the read.