Black Monday Murders #3 presents a mystery for the reader to solve. There is a violent crime, a smug suspect, and an interrogation room where the majority of this comic book takes place.
Writer Jonathan Hickman brings a story to Image Comics that pits detectives against a well-to-do suspect who doesn’t appear worried in the slightest. Mr. Bresko, the arrogant type who tells you how it’s going to be, doesn’t rattle when looking at the crime scene photos. He seems more concerned with telling his side of the story, but to only those that can comprehend the mystical nature revolving around symbols seen on the cover page.
Artist Tomm Coker presents a disorienting cover page, with an upside down image of a man, with his shirt ripped open and symbols tattooed onto his chest and stomach. The image is black and white, and any splatter around his head might be assumed to be blood. If that is the case, is this person alive or dead?
The ambiguity behind this cover completely sets the stage for the entire issue. Detectives take turns trying to get a confession, all while assuming wealth will eventually let Bresko get away with it; however, the story being told by Bresko and “his” attorney seem to indicate something different altogether. Is the attorney protecting only Bresko’s interests? Is the calm demeanor from the “guilty” an indication of a plan, which will set him free?
This particular comic book is filled with soft colors, letting the story stand out from the darkly stained pages. Colorist Michael Garland provides minimal bursts of pink and purple to stand out from the overall black and blue-gray tones throughout. One particular item standing out from this entire issue is the more than twelve pages of a black-and-white case file. It’s a semi-complete log of the conversation between Bresko and the attorney; however, seemingly important details are blacked out.
The highlights of this story revolve around the suspect’s ability to craft a story, and how the detectives react to his bravado. Let’s just say there are good detectives and there are bad detectives, and Bresko needs to clean up from a sucker punch.
Hickman carries the reader along with a main character who fills the room with smoke and mirrors, until he eventually decides to decipher some of the mysteries behind those archaic symbols. What is he hiding? What do the symbols mean? How does Wall Street play a part in all of this?
For more clues, Black Monday Murders #3 is now available in print and digital form.
