Made Men: Getting the Gang Back Together

When Jutte Shelley and her Detroit Special Ops squad are gunned down on a call, Jutte’s unique biology brings her back from the beyond and forces her to accept her monstrous heritage in this clever mix of horror, humor, and crime thriller. She unearths the secrets of her grandmother—the sister of the infamous Victor Frankenstein, and the true genius in the family—and reassembles and resurrects the rest of her crew like a good mad scientist, although some are more altered than the others (Leo gets the head of a lion, while Hadry has the brain of an early Italian lesbian suffragist). In between bouts of sex, drinking, drugs, and ad hoc detective cases, these “Made Men” attempt to find the mastermind behind their murders by any gruesome means necessary. The art by Susini hits all the right notes: the characters are distinctive and settings are atmospheric, with violence that’s both very messy and very red. But the plot by three-time Eisner Award winner Tobin is shamelessly light on any real consequences for his characters: Jutte gets a scolding for accidentally killing a corrupt police captain, and the reborn squad are blasé about their newly configured bodies (and brains). Still, the snappy script, refreshingly strong and brazen female characters, and ample escapist enjoyment all add up to a good time. (July)