Review - Dirty Justice #1


"If you have the monies then this is what you people want."

In space, no one can hear you scream...if you happen to be trying to pull off a complex deal with a crime lord and run into some issues. Fortunately, a bounty hunter in that situation likely won't scream and Justice Kreel will do what needs doing to make it out with her prize. Dirty Justice #1 from Gee Whiz Entertainment depicts that scenario.

Dirty Justice #1 is written and illustrated by Steve Stamatiadis.

Justice Kreel has a knack for getting in (and out of) sticky situations. Her latest adventure takes her to a rather rambunctious bar where her expected trade partner Einer. Einer is a rather sticky and slimy fellow, taking pride in his position as a crime lord and purveyor of fine goods. As do most trades in space bars go, this one doesn't quite follow the expected script, giving Justice plenty of cause to rely on her skills to escape. Add on to that a message from a previously forgotten group and the day is just getting started for young Justice.

When first reading Dirty Justice #1, the reader expects the story to be about space travel, galactic wars and general craziness. After a few pages though, Stamatiadis changes course and brings it down to a much more personal level by focusing on Justice. It's not exactly a bad thing, although it is a little unexpected. Justice as a character is everything a bounty hunter should be: feisty, strong and resourceful. What her reason for making the deal with Einer is remains to be seen and it's expected that it will be revealed in fuller detail in future issues.

There's obviously a heavy anime influence on the art in the book. Characters are illustrated with vibrant colors and outlines, all paying homage to what's clearly the Japanese influence. He uses some rather unique blur effects for certain scenes, such as kicks landing and enemies transforming. It's a cleanly illustrated book that boasts a very curvy main character in Justice, but it's not really used excessively. There's even a great Phoenix Wright finger point that defines her as a character, indicating her relentlessness.

Dirty Justice #1 starts off and then changes course a few pages in; whether this is good or bad remains to be seen. As future issues are released, it's expected that the story will come together and become more tightly woven. Justice has the characteristics to be a great lead character and the world that Stamatiadis has created feels very rich and lively. If you're into space tales that pay homage to a wide variety of source material (Firefly, Star Trek, Star Wars), then this is definitely worth checking out.

Dirty Justice #1 is available now via comixology.

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