Like most mothers, Linda Anderson isn’t perfect. She’s made more than a few bad calls in her life: She married a thief, started taking drugs when he passed away, and didn’t look after her son Hunter as well as she could have. But she’s been on the straight and narrow for a long time now, trying to make an honest living. Her son hasn’t.

Rebirth of the Gangster #5 continues the slow pace of this crime series, but maintains a tighter focus on the Anderson family this time around – only veering to tell other characters’ stories a few other times and always with a link back to the Andersons. Hunter is playing a dangerous game with the cops and Marcus’ friend Alex hot on his trail. Unfortunately, his actions will come to affect more than just him.

As always, Juan Romera’s art is gorgeous and perfectly suited to the noir crime story that’s being told. Writer C.J. Standal has drawn some interesting comparisons with the last two issues focused on the mothers of our respective “heroes.” The likely victim is a mastermind and the likely criminal is the victim. This issue turns Linda into a sympathetic and tragic character struggling with her grief over losing her husband and over Hunter’s actions. Even more appropriate in a way, Hunter is corrupting her just as she did to him when he was a child. The actions of family affect the whole. Issue #5 also continues the story of Marcus’ fall, as his friendship with Hunter grows stronger along with his own desires to be tougher and more capable. The mild-mannered lawyer seen in the first issue is fading. The question is, when will Marcus take a step too far?

Rebirth of the Gangster #5 is available on the Kindle Store. Issues of the series are available through ComiXology.

4 Rounds of Target Practice out of 5