I have to say that I’m glad that there is a company like 12 Gauge Comics out there producing high concept action comics that continue to be different from anything else on the comic market. Sure there are crime dramas and even a few superhero books that attempt gun play. Heck you can count on Garth Ennis to pump out something involving a gun blowing a body part off, but nothing has captured the intense action that 12 Gauge manages with practically every issue. There’s a really action movie feel to I.C.E. as each bullet has a consequence and the danger feels intense and real. This issue has the I.C.E. team under orders going after Mexico’s biggest crime lord. He’s been touring America chopping off heads to send a message to his drug affiliates, but is wrapping up his tour in Texas. Unfortunately, he knows that the I.C.E. team is there for him and has staged an ambush. What he doesn’t take into account is Cole (we all know who would play this guy if it was made into a movie) and his team. They break off from the ambush and manage to get to the crime lord before he can flee the scene. The whole event earns Cole and his team an extra week off and a whole lot of extra trouble.

This book may not work for everyone, but I appreciate what it is and what it does. It’s a summer action movie, meaning minimal character development and tons of guns. You could almost call this book “Headshot” since there are so many people catching bullets in the nug throughout the issue. Writer Doug Wagner does a good job of having enough character moments and scenes to make the reader care about the characters, but not get overly invested in them. That’s important in an action comic since you don’t know when one of the characters is going to catch a bullet to push the main character over the edge.

The art has a gritty, real world look to it. The characters and backgrounds are all detailed to the max which really works with the book. It’s not the prettiest book, but there is something charming about the art and artists Jose Holder’s storytelling. Holder creates a believable world some of the best action sequences in comics today.

This book may not be for everyone, but everyone should give it shot. That is if you can appreciate just how different this book is and how it achieves something in comics that others struggle with constantly, then it’s not for you. That’s not the only thing that makes the book good though. It has a tight story with unique and interesting art that’s all packaged into one very good comic.

Score: 4/5

Publisher: 12 Gauge Comics