I had a brief foray into comics as a teen, usually just X-Men or Image comics related, but it's been a long time since I've picked-up a graphic novel and this did not disappoint. I've never thought of myself as a mystery or crime reader, but this really delivers. It follows a book sales rep on a conference in Paris who strays from his normal routines and finds himself infiltrating an underground masquerade party under another identity. He gambles, cajoles, and ends-up committing some serious crimes, all in the name of boredom and confusion about his middle-aged life. There is a really interesting thread where he thinks his dream is being shared by another author and indicates the duality of modern man versus inner beast, but the authors don't really tie-that up in the end, opting for a more disassociated, nebulous kind of denouement, which only adds to the intrigue. The author's notes indicate that this is just a one-off kind of book but I would love to see this story extended. There is brief nudity and extreme violence here, recommended mature teens and adults.
