I was reading this comic/manga/webcomic style hybrid about a magnificent bastard in training.
Blake: Gentleman/Ass/Cop/Thief
Basically, Blake; he's a young policeman in San Francisco's unit, transferred due to a lack of discipline displayed to his superiors back in his hometown. Of course, the "lack of discipline" is partly due to him being trained by his mother, Stella T. Clair, Master Thief, in the ways of the Thieves' Guild after his father's death. His mother gone, the mindset has apparently stayed with him.
So you have a cop and a thief in the same mix, and San Francisco is the setting. First episode of the shebang deals with Blake, in his more "what's the worst that could happen" moods, agrees to a contract to swipe a briefcase from SCPD custody. Of course, just as he enters the storage area, he finds out that all the items that deal with that particular case are on their way to a "Storage Facility in Nevada" and was under the custody of the FBI.
We're treated to a disgruntled Blake and his ex-girlfriend (Who now happens to be the SWAT Team Sniper; they broke up because she cheated on him or something), Jean having a coffee, when the man he has a contract with shows up and orders something at the counter (Background event). He also discovers that the briefcase had not left San Francisco yet, but would, tonight (She explains it as the reason why she can't get tickets to see the 49ers mow down the Saints).
"I knew there was a reason we broke up. Poker on Tuesday?"
"Beers on you, Blake."
We shift to the transport in question at the end of the Golden Gate bridge and we're forward to a delicious scene where Blake gets 2 SWAT Guards trapped in a bathroom. An old man comes in and tell the trapped two in question "not to be ashamed for loving the right man". He discharges the trailer, disarms a locking mechanism while under fire from the Assault Team... with a baseball bat.
"State-of-the-art Lock System. This needs careful handling." -Pulls out a Baseball Bat saying "From Murphy With Love"-
Then, he gets shot at by his sniper ex-girlfriend (who he thought had her weapon disabled in all the confusion). The SWAT escort react quickly to recover and he gets surrounded... and dives into the water. Or so it seemed. He had a harness installed on the edge and had a dummy fall into the water. Briefcase in hand, we flash forward to next morning at a dingy, cheap bar.
Where it's revealed that the items inside the briefcase offer incriminating evidence of an ex-CIA operative by the name of Roger Preston: the brother of the contractor, who is now revealed to as Victor Preston. The contractor double-crosses him right there and then, and the bar is revealed to be filled with his henchmen, who turn their guns on Blake.
"I'm not the guy that brings a gun to a knife fight."
"I'm the kinda guy that poisons the damn coffee you had at Sally's twenty minutes ago."
We're given a flashback to Sally, the owner of the cafe a few blocks away, in the kitchen, who leaves the coffee unattended... where Blake sneaks in and pours powder into his drink and leaves as Sally comes to take the drink to Preston. Preston calls him out... only to feel his stomach churning and drops to his knees. Blake produces a vial as he backs off towards the exit claiming it to be the antidote. He negotiates for his safety in return for the antidote... and as he leaves, gives us this little gem:
"By the way, it's chocolate laxative"-Trollface-
A rumble echoes in the bar and the sound of a "poop" is heard, to which all the henchmen back off in disgust. The sound of sirens is heard next and the SCPD are revealed to be outside, SWAT and all, ready for action. We then move to three hours later where Jean and Blake have a conversation and that she was "on probation" from the escapades of the night before. She reveals that the briefcase returned was empty, to Blake choking on air with an incredulous expression.
We're treated to hands exchanging the briefcase until it stops at a person in front of the storage area... who is revealed to be Blake's mother, Stella, who smiles at the reader. Blake just sighs, to which Jean points out that she should be the one depressed but offers to introduce him to a "really nice girl". There's only more groaning in the next panel.
Night-time in a tall office building in Washington is the next panel and we see Stella in full business suit talking with a black man who's wearing boxing shorts. He mentions that Stella's getting a bit rusty in her old age: he had expected her seven minutes and forty-nine seconds ago. Stella only shrugs and replies something about penguins. We then see Roger Preston, who enters room, thanking the black man, who we now know as "Mr Urchin". Mr Urchin mentions Roger owes him for this "shit assignment". He then proceeds to punch the guy across the room into a chair "so he doesn't forget".
Preston leaves as if nothing had happened (Seriously, the guy just looks like he's been put make-up on him rather than being punched), but Stella sees his shoulders shaking as he walks to the door. Mr Urchin then asks if Stella would like to see the town with him. She declines and leaves the building: we see her take out her wallet to reveal a photo of what we presume to be herself, her husband and a young Blake.
Comic Ends.
REVIEW: I loved it. But I found the existence of Jean unnecessary; I mean, can you seriously talk to your ex like that after she cheats on you? I would have put in a buddy cop instead, but meh, eye-candy is eye-candy (Quistis lookalike doesn't begin to describe it). I felt that the characterization of Blake was rather unreal; he was very snarky, very laid-back. Artist can improve definitely, and I'll be watching this series (Only 2 issues out so far). I'm fricking surprised that the Assassin's Creed hoody was used; as much as I like the game, it doesn't look good on something that doesn't have a cloak, although the tabard-like design looks nice. Also, Mr Urchin seems to be an expy of Mike Tyson.