writer: BRIAN WOOD / artist/cover: ROB G
03: THE BALLAD OF JOHNNY FUNWRECKER
The third installment of The Couriers gives us insight on the origins of the comic’s stars, urban mercenaries Moustafa and Special. In 1993, Special, 15 and already a street-smart hellraiser, and 12-year-old Moustafa, who, despite his profession as a small-time drug dealer, still has a bit of wide-eyed innocence left, meet after they fall into working for Chinatown crime lord Johnny Funwrecker. Johnny’s operation gives them protection and status and allows the inexperienced Moustafa the chance to learn the ropes of the street—courier lifestyle. He and Special build a friendship through their training, and when the feds decide to bring Johnny down, the pair figure it’s an opportunity to make the capital to go into business for themselves.
This story has the over-the-top appeal of a John Woo movie, and Rob G’s black-and-white art, with its funky style and hip-hop grace, continues to be a highlight of the series.