Math time! Solve the following: (Crime fiction) x (small publisher) / (great value) = ?
If you plugged that equation into your calculator correctly, it should read “Silence & Co.”
Written by Gur Benshemesh
Illustrated by Ron RandallA young hit-man takes on the world’s largest criminal bank.
Dissatisfied as a hit-man, Alexander Maranzano feels trapped by the Criminal life and family obligations he has always known. When he is contacted by the shadowy Silence & Co to fulfill a contract, what starts out as just another job quickly turns into a deadly race for answers. From the dusty streets of Marrakesh to the lush jungles of Columbia and back to NYC, Alex’s search for revenge and the truth behind Silence & Co triggers a series of events that alter everything he has ever known, and change the nature of organized crime forever.
$9.99 / 174 pages
This OGN’s plot is pretty straight forward. Alex is a mob hit-man who’s getting bored with his job when a mysterious company hires him for a job, then tries to recruit him. Most of the book deals with his first job with them and the following assassination he’s tasked with leading. Along the way there’s a girl and some hints that perhaps this bad boy has a heart of gold. When Alex learns the true motives of Silence & Co, he gets an opportunity to find some redemption.
“Silence & Co” is clearly influenced by private eye tales, and it stays true to their tropes. Alex’s narration is ever present and features excessive exposition about pretty much everything. People? Places? Weapons? Alex will tell you everything you need to know when you need to know it. This is not a bad thing. The constant narration sets a specific tone for the book which is perfectly suited for the plot. Plus, there is no way Benshemesh could put all the info dumps into natural dialogue. Faced with a choice of having people awkwardly introduce themselves for no reason or leaving you guessing about important details, Benshemesh takes a third option and lets the main character explain it directly to you with a dose of character building to boot.
The storytelling does have its faults, however. There is a flimsy love interest, but it’s smartly hand waved with “Neither of us have been laid in two months.” The one more relevant to the plot is Alex’s Hollywood Hacking skills which only appear exactly when they’re neccesary to advance (or resolve) the plot. There’s one line about him learning to do it in the Special Forces, but his do-whatever-the-plot-needs computer virus feels like a dues ex machina instead of a natural part of the narrative.
Even with the fun story and terrific art, “Silence & Co” would still be just below the “Buy” line if it weren’t for the price. Somehow, this volume delivers almost eight issues worth of content for less than ten dollars. With value like that, this book will absolutely deliver on your investment. After reading, you’ll agree that no matter where their names appear next, Benshemesh and Randall are both names to watch in the future.
Final Verdict: 8 – Buy
