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Redemption is such a beautiful concept in the context of religion and cheap paperbacks. Who doesn't feel great warmth when Ebenezer Scrooge rekindles his love of Christmas, or when the Selfish Giant ends his days covered in blossoms knowing he has found paradise?
On the brutal and unforgiving streets, redemption is a forgotten idea. Look at the amount of "cancelled" celebrities and ordinary people, forced to wear a scarlet letter for all eternity for saying the wrong thing twenty odd years ago.
It's a mindset suitable for Men of Wrath.
First published in 2015, this is a tale about a family called the Raths. Spanning over a century, the old folklore is that violence is inherent in the men. A curse passed on from father to son. And, with each son becoming much more violent, there could be something to that.
The reader then meets the protagonist, Ira Rath. Although of advancing age and dying of cancer, we are introduced to him when he kills a couple and then throws their baby into the sea.
As the tale progresses, we discover he is a hit man. But one who lives an almost bare existence in the family home (which is run down), where he files away white envelopes filled with $100 notes and drinks tap water. It's also later revealed that he hasn't changed the key locks in thirty odd years.
These little details keep the reader on edge about Ira. He's clearly a loathsome character, but the simple lifestyle throws the reader. Is he purely devoted to killing? Is he saving up for something? Why live in a derelict shack?
However, when his contractors give him the job of killing his estranged son, Ruben, we begin a nasty turn of events that will entail father and son trying to kill each other and reinforce their mutual loathing in ways that are horrifying and the equivalent of a kick in the stomach.
The art from Ron Garney also furthers the bleak mood, with the contrast between the gruesome (almost colourful) violence and the drab, grim settings of the local area. In this context, it's easy to see why killing can become a pastime to a Rath. The explosion of a gunshot taking someone's life creates a kind of jolt that makes the crushing, pathetic existence all the more bearable.
In this scenario, the idea of redemption seems almost absurd. Like a pipedream from the days of FDR. But when it hits, it hits hard. To go into detail regarding it would do the reader a disservice, as the ending is such a blow it put me in a downer mood for a few days.
It's a mindset suitable for Men of Wrath.
First published in 2015, this is a tale about a family called the Raths. Spanning over a century, the old folklore is that violence is inherent in the men. A curse passed on from father to son. And, with each son becoming much more violent, there could be something to that.
The reader then meets the protagonist, Ira Rath. Although of advancing age and dying of cancer, we are introduced to him when he kills a couple and then throws their baby into the sea.
As the tale progresses, we discover he is a hit man. But one who lives an almost bare existence in the family home (which is run down), where he files away white envelopes filled with $100 notes and drinks tap water. It's also later revealed that he hasn't changed the key locks in thirty odd years.
These little details keep the reader on edge about Ira. He's clearly a loathsome character, but the simple lifestyle throws the reader. Is he purely devoted to killing? Is he saving up for something? Why live in a derelict shack?
However, when his contractors give him the job of killing his estranged son, Ruben, we begin a nasty turn of events that will entail father and son trying to kill each other and reinforce their mutual loathing in ways that are horrifying and the equivalent of a kick in the stomach.
The art from Ron Garney also furthers the bleak mood, with the contrast between the gruesome (almost colourful) violence and the drab, grim settings of the local area. In this context, it's easy to see why killing can become a pastime to a Rath. The explosion of a gunshot taking someone's life creates a kind of jolt that makes the crushing, pathetic existence all the more bearable.
In this scenario, the idea of redemption seems almost absurd. Like a pipedream from the days of FDR. But when it hits, it hits hard. To go into detail regarding it would do the reader a disservice, as the ending is such a blow it put me in a downer mood for a few days.
Like the 1992 film (and masterpiece) Bad Lieutenant, this is a grim and unrelenting tale of violence, mythology and how powerful a combination they are.
Definitely not one for those of a sensitive disposition, nor one for those expecting a light-hearted caper. But, if you're in the right frame of mind, you'll think of nothing else for a few days.
Jason Aaron (writing) Ron Garney (art) Men of Wrath, 2018. Image Comics ISBN-13: 978-1534308596.
Jason Aaron (writing) Ron Garney (art) Men of Wrath, 2018. Image Comics ISBN-13: 978-1534308596.
⏩Christopher Owens was a reviewer for Metal Ireland and finds time to study the history and inherent contradictions of Ireland. He is currently the TPQ Friday columnist.
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