A Descent into Dullness

Richard Stark's Parker: The Outfit adapted by Darwyn Cooke

The second of Cooke's adaptation's of Stark/Westlake's Parker books. In the first volume Parker had gone up against the Outfit, hunting a former partner who had betrayed him and left him for dead. He got back his money and made sure his former friend paid for what he did. But in doing so he made an enemy of the Outfit, a nationwide criminal organization. Parker had warned them to let things go. To call it even. But at the start of this volume an Outfit hired killer comes gunning for Parker. Which means professional crook Parker needs to teach top men of the Outfit why that was a mistake...

Cooke's artistic style, as always, fits perfectly in a noir setting. His eyes especially are excellent in conveying menace from a robber. And he manages to convey the seedy world of Parker, often with the most minimal of background details. I have yet to read Stark/Westlake's books, so I'm unsure how much of the text and dialogue is lifted whole cloth. But I have read a little of the late writer's work to know that the style here matches him in general...

I've said it before, but it bears repeating. Cooke's adaptations are a must for any fan of noir or crime stories. Beautiful to look at and a gripping story to read...