Concrete Park Vol. 2: R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Answering the industry's call for more diversity in comics with deeply layered characters who have been discarded from society, co-writer and artist Puryear (screenwriter of the 1996 action film Eraser) and co-writer Erika Alexander (actress from the sitcom Living Single) tell the story of a gang war on another planet where prisoners have barcodes imprinted on their faces and must fight to stake their territory. The artwork, vibrant but gritty, is akin to a more detailed version of Gilbert Hernandez's style, and perfect for the tale. Puryear's experimental lettering choices are the most inconsistent aspect of the work. The uneven font in the prologue makes reading a chore, while other styles used throughout are more engrossing and succeed at sending you deeper into the world of Scare City. Puryear and Alexander produce a unique work that, while taking place in another galaxy, is steeped through both story and illustration in the kind of culture we find everyday on the planet Earth. (May)