Trade Marks: Black Diamond Detective Agency

I picked up a copy of this book a few months ago and really anticipated reading it. I love everything I've seen Eddie Campbell do - especially From Hell. The premise here is very intriguing - a massive explosion creates a manhunt conducted by the titular agency. The script is spare, and where it works, it really works - the opening sequence is well orchestrated chaos, When it fails, however, it fails badly. The later action sequences are tough to follow (especially the climatic scene) and too many of the detectives look like twins. This mucks up the whole conspiracy at the end, as the reader (unless he or she is much more astute than yours truly), is still trying to sort out all of the players. It might all become a bit more clear upon a second reading, but I don't feel terribly inspired to do so at present. It is a wonderful little package, and loved the look and feel of the book. Campbell is an amazing talent, but this one needed to be executed a bit better. Trade Mark: B-