Comics: Ten Grand ~ Volume 1

Trade Paperback

Collects Issues # 1-6

Story by: J. Michael Straczynski

Illustrated by: Ben Templesmith and C.P. Smith

Letters by: Troy Peteri

Rated: M / Mature

Joe's Comics

Image Comics
(4/5 ★★★★☆)

(Cover by Ben Templesmith)

This is the first collection of the series that J. Michael Straczynski has offered to us from Joe's Comics.

Ten Grand Volume 1 collects issues # 1-6. The story centers on Joe Fitzgerald, a former mob enforcer. This first volume contains stories that begins and ends with his encounter with an angel. It starts with his deal with the angel taking care of Laura and ends with him freeing another angel trapped in the planes in between heaven and hell.

The volume uses the original edition "A" cover of Ben Templesmith as the opening page for each issue. Aside from the story, it also contains the alternative covers of issues # 1-6 and a look at how the cover of this volume was made.

I'll start first with the good things that I had seen with this volume in comparison to the singles it collects. Typos such as the one in page 3 of issue #5 has been corrected. This is regarding as to who needs to hold the door open for the portals to heaven and hell amongts angels and demons. An art change in some panels was also seen. It can be found on page 98 of the volume wherein the transition from earth into the planes in between heaven and hell have changed from Templesmith's into Smith's art. There was also this nice art after issues # 3-5 that was placed, which wasn't used as a back cover for the singles of said issues.

Now, that the good things are done, let us go to the things that I didn't like with this volume. First is seen on the table of contents. In here a typo is already seen with regards to the issue number. The only thing that they had gotten right was for Blood Oath. Next, if you got the singles of issue #1 compare that to the one in this volume. It could be seen that the colors had become a bit lighter. This goes on for issue #2, since the colors had returned to its original state in issue #3. This lighter tone decreases that dark vibe that one could get from reading this series. That is really a downer, since this started on the very first issue of the volume.

There are a lot of ups and downs with this first 6 issues that are compiled in volume 1 of Ten Grand. The story looks great until it got to the issue entitled "See Me". The story kind of slowed down for me at that moment. The change in the artist also felt so wrong. Smith has done some nice illustrations for Ten Grand but it is still Templesmith's art who I prefer to be seen. Well let us just see how Smith's art will fix itself for the next issues of Ten Grand as Joe Fitzgerald continues to fight for Laura amidst the battle between angels and demons. Overall, this volume is still worth buying.

"Love is the only thing worth dying for. I should know, I've done it plenty of times." - Joe Fitzgerald

More of Ten Grand can be seen at:

Joe's Comics: http://www.studiojms.com

Image Comics, Inc.: http://www.imagecomics.com