Wise guy, huh? Hard-boiled crime stories have had a special place in the comics landscape for some time now. From Darwin Cooke’s adaptions of Richard Stark’s Parker novels to Frank Miller’s Sin City, audiences have had no end of gangsters, tough guys, and femme fatales. Titan Comics has taken these underworld thrillers and created some interesting comics over the past couple years. Their newest entry, Noir Burlesque, is a standout.

Written and drawn by Italian creator Enrico Marini, Noir Burlesque follows the post-World War II adventures of criminal Terry Cole, also known as Slick. Slick returns to New York after serving in the US military, only to find his girl Debbie has become Caprice – a burlesque dancer and call girl engaged to local underworld boss Rex. Full of twists, turns, betrayals, beatings, and sex, Slick finds his life more complicated now than when he left.

Noir Burlesque is a winner. The art is not only fantastic, but absolutely unique. Beautiful grey ink-washed pages with shades of red make them a wonderful visual experience. The story in engaging and interesting. That said, it is a 1950s underworld crime story. This is a genre with a lot of prior material. Although it is not treading new ground, there is a great flow to the tale and it’s fun to read.

If you like period crime dramas with fantastic, unique artwork, Titan Comics’ Noir Burlesque is for you. Fun, engaging, and action-packed, it makes for a great reading experience. This book is absolutely worth checking out.

Highly Recommended – 4 out of 4 stars

Creative Team: Enrico Marini (writer/artist)
Publisher: Titan Comics
Click here to purchase.