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Queen & Country #29
Book Released: 29 March 2006
Review posted: 07 April 2006
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Chris Samnee
Publisher: Oni Press
4.50 out of 5 Stars
Reviewed by John League
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Everyone knows the discomfort of awkward silences: the quiet between you and an estranged friend that no one will disturb, the silence of the being alone in a crowd of people, the refusal of a simple kindness just to avoid having to speak. Very few comic books—however grounded in reality they are—ever attempt to touch on such raw and sadly familiar situations. The willingness and skill to explore such aspects of people and relationships are what make Queen & Country so great.
Greg Rucka’s return to Q&C opens with Tara Chace’s return to the U.K., recounted at first in four consecutive pages of wordless art (except to set the scene at the very beginning). No balloons, no boxes. That is, until Tara arrives at a Special Section safehouse and is greeted, “And so the bitch is back.”
Any questions about how things have been going for Tara?
A mission to Saudi Arabia gone wrong, Tara is brought back for debriefing and physical and psychological evaluation. She is beaten and bruised on both levels, steadily losing a battle with alcoholism as she tries to drown her awful memories. Much of the issue centers on Tara’s brave façade and the cracks therein. This makes for slow pacing but sterling characterization.
Things don’t come to a head until Crockett, director of operations, insists that Tara return to the field, despite her lingering emotional problems—not least of which, as the staff psychiatrist points out, is
The politics and interactions among the characters are pitch perfect.
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severe post-traumatic-stress disorder. Special Section is in shambles, with Tara the only experienced minder in the fold, and MI-5 trying to foist an unwanted agent on Crockett to take up the slack. Lots of “inside baseball” stuff ensues, with Crockett wheeling and dealing with his superiors and colleagues to get Tara back to work. Though not particularly high on action like one might expect from a story that is ostensibly about spies, the politics and interactions among the characters are pitch perfect.
Q&C #29 is Greg Rucka’s first story in this series in, well, forever, while Chris Samnee continues the run of top-flight art from various artists on this title. His style is less stylized than some of the efforts on Q&C, which works especially well in the wordless introduction.
Rucka’s return is welcome, and the new story he seems to be rolling out should be a fine jumping on point for those who are not familiar with these smart, timely spy thrillers. This first issue is heavy on character-building (too heavy almost, hence only 4.5 stars), but Rucka has proven to be an able spinner of savvy, intricate yarns. (Much of the backstory and side plotting for this story is told in Rucka’s Q&C novels. My hope is that Rucka builds on that background without stranding newcomers or revamping stuff insiders already know.) I can’t wait—and hopefully I won’t have to wait nearly as long this time—to see what Tara’s crucible holds.
—CCdC—
Cover image used without explicit permission in accordance with the "Fair Use" provision of US copyright law.
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