By Daniel Vlasaty

Getting back to normal life after an extended prison sentence is hard. It's really fucking hard, which is probably why something like 75% of people re-offend and end up back inside. It's a never-ending cycle for some people. I know. I've been on both sides of the law and now I work every day with people recently released from prison – in my job, though, it's mostly people locked up for drug charges, but I've had a few bank robbers come through my place. I actually see a lot of some of the people I work with in AJ Gurney – people trying their hardest to do the right thing, but no matter what they just keep fucking up over and over again. Like they can't help themselves. It's sad and scary and fucked up, but it's also part of living that criminal lifestyle. I don’t know. Whatever. Here's my review of The Hard Place #3.

The Hard Place is a book I've been enjoying from the beginning. It's a simple book with a simple – or maybe light is a better word for it – feel to it. It's a book that hasn’t really stopped since it started, moving along at a breakneck speed for the very get-go. And it has a very cinematic feel to it because of this pacing. 

The basic story of The Hard Place: Dude gets out of jail and tries to go straight, but motherfuckers keep pulling him back in. And even though he was doing everything right he's still the one that's painted as a criminal. It's the story of a man that can't outrun his past because everywhere he turns someone's there to remind him of all the previous times he fucked up. So yeah, it's a story that's been done before. But it doesn’t come off as clichéd here. There are interesting twists to this story. I like a story that keeps you on your toes. I like a story that zigs when you're expecting it to zag. And that's what's happening here. I'd been expecting one thing, for the story to turn out one way, but with this issue's final page it just threw that into the fire. I now have no idea what's going on or where the hell this thing is going. Which is awesome. Because it's keeping this thing fresh and exciting. 

It's interesting to watch these characters continue to make the worst possible decisions, one after the other. There are a few what the fuck moments in this issue. Some really aggravating shit. Because you just want to jump onto the page a scream: "You dumb motherfucker!" And I think in this aspect Doug Wagner got his characters right. Because, a lot of the time, criminals aren't that smart. They're too impulsive. They're too unpredictable. They're just too fucking...ugh. 

Nic Rummel does the art in The Hard Place. His style is unique and I've really been enjoying the it, even if the art is a bit clunky at times. There's probably a little too much empty space with some of the panels, but that's easy enough to overlook. It never seemed to stifle the flow of the book, especially the frenetic energy of the car chase scenes. You can really get a sense of the movement and action. Charlie Kirchoff's colors are full and solid. They are deep and moody and really give the book that extra little bit of style. It's a weird combination of stained glass and graffiti. 

The Hard Place is a decent little crime story. It's intense and action-packed and with this issue it has managed to subvert all the clichés that tend to come with the "wheelman" sub-genre of crime fiction. It has great pacing and an overall cinematic feel to it. This isn't a book that demands much of your time, in that it doesn’t ask much of its readers. Which isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes you just need to blow off a little steam and follow along with a car full of criminals as they run for their lives from cops and other bad guys and all the bullets aimed in their direction. Listen, this isn't anything ground-breaking or wholly original. But it's a fun little book and that is totally okay with me.

Score: 4/5 

The Hard Place #3
Image Comics