REVIEW: Crude #2

The world of Steve Orlando and Garry Brown“s “Crude”“ (Image Comics) is cruel, cynical, and complicated ”“ just like ours. In the ”˜Russian far east“ a war rages on between Petropinnacle (an oil conglomerate), workers on ”˜The Docks“, and Meshe Adam ”“ a vigilante group claiming to represent the people of Blackstone. If all of this sounds too confusing, it isn“t. Crude #2 is as good of a onboarding point for the series as the first issue, but in this issue the blood sport of corporate domination vs. faux populist vigilante group gets ratcheted up several notches. The result is a satisfying read in what feels like an undefined genre of comics.

Garry Brown“s art depicts an environment that has been brutalized by Petropinnacle“s disregard for their products deleterious effects. Only the workers and the people of Blackstone seem to be more downtrodden than the streets and the neighborhoods of “Crude.”“ The skilled agents of Meshe Adam appear to be knights in shinning armor compared to the thugs from Petropinnacle who extract tariffs from overworked (and under-paid) dock workers trying to make a living. But Meshe Adam, led by Conan (not named after the barbarian), have an agenda of their own ”“ one that doesn“t appear to have the people“s best interests at heart.

Enter the protagonist of “Crude,”“ Piotr Petrovich, a cross between Dostoyevsky“s underground man and the Punisher. Readers are starting to learn more about his past and his present motivations in this issue. Orlando, Brown and creative company make sure that we will want to learn more. Piotr is enigmatic, but he seems to have the kind of supreme clarity of vision ”“ i.e. beat down as many bad guys on all sides as necessary and possible ”“ that his overbearing enemies may not ever understand. Neither Petropinnacle nor Meshe Adam can see him coming and that already makes for some spectacular moments of delightful disruption in the polluted corrupt community of Blackstone.

Crude isn“t a superhero comic per se. It cannot be easily categorized as a vigilante book, or detective noir or any defined category reserved for modern comics. It“s geo-political ambitions combined with its gloomy and gory viewpoint on the world will entice readers into the underground confines of the story“s dark setting. Obviously crude oil comes from beneath the surface, but in the world of “Crude”“ so does everything else. 4/5.

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

(W) Steve Orlando (A/CA) Garry Brown