Choker: One of Six by Ben Templesmith and Ben McCool + Contest!

Published March 2010.

It's a comic book that takes place in a gritty, dirty world where sex, drugs, mutants and vampires rule, "where angels go to die." It stars an ex-cop screwed over by his boss, forced into an underbelly world as a dirt-scrubbing PI for the dredge that no one else wants to deal with. Johnny Jackson hates his life. All he wants is his old one back. And he can get it. For a price.

I snagged this at this year's BEA. Funny how every time I hit up BEA I realize more and more how much I like comic books. I was actually wandering around the comics section looking for another signer when I came across Ben McCool who signed off a copy of Choker to me. It's hard for me not to accept a comic. I mean, they're so easy to read!

But this is a good one. It's gritty, it's nasty, it's ugly. The language is foul, the characters are immensely representative of the scuzzy world they live in and yet it's horribly appealing. From jerk-off machines to black market vampire DNA E tabs, if it's underhanded and leaves a layer of grime on your skin, this comic's got it.

It starts off pretty ordinary, with the down and out PI kicked off the force for one reason or another. And while we're introduced to the guy that screwed Jackson over, we don't know why. We just know what Johnny has to do to get his life back and it doesn't look too pretty at all.

Number one ends just as it's broaching the topic of vampire DNA drugs and damn, is it gory. This comic hides nothing. No sparkling glitterpires here. In fact, they would probably get beaten by the Men Plus and sucked up by the Vacu-Corpse 3000 in this blend of science fiction and nightmares of a world.

While the wording is simple, it's hard-hitting, the pictures behind it only slamming it harder. It's nasty, it's disgusting and it's oh so goddamn compelling. I wanted more the second it ended. Hopefully you will too.

Contest Time!!!

Just fill out the form below for your chance to win a signed copy of Choker #1 by Ben Templesmith and Ben McCool! Due to the content, only those 18 and older may enter.