Son of Hitler

Pierre Moreau is just a lowly baker in Nazi-occupied France. Or so he thinks. When Cora Brown, a British intelligence agent, tracks him down shortly after he single-handedly takes down a handful of Nazi officers in a fit of revenge, she has some startling news for him: he's Hitler's illegitimate son, and he's in a unique position to infiltrate his father's inner circle and assassinate him. Del Col and Moore's story is packed with classic espionage-thriller turns, such as coded messages hidden in baked goods (though the madeleines Pierre bakes look nothing like the shell-shaped classic in the artwork), double-crossing agents, bloody shootouts, blackmail, and a rookie operative with a hair trigger, who fouls up the plan. McComsey's luminous monochromatic artwork makes great use of highlight and shadow on his realistic figures, which only adds to the noirish atmosphere. Pierre's story drags a bit in the middle, but a twist toward the end sends the story careering toward the conclusion, which takes a hearty swipe at contemporary American politics. Hand to fans of WWII-era spy comics.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2010 Booklist

In this firecracker espionage tale, set during the 1944 Allied invasion of Europe, British Special Operations agent Cora Brown maneuvers Pierre, the illegitimate son of Hitler, as a chess piece in an elaborate game to kill the führer. But with his explosive anger issues and a bloodthirsty drive for revenge, Pierre can't be controlled. The pair's encounters with spies, resistance fighters, and an evil surgeon lead to a breakneck chase and brutal fight in Hitler's bunker. Despite its sensational concept, this is a solid historical thriller. Del Col (Kill Shakespeare) and Moore generously pepper the plot with double (and triple) crosses. McComsey (Mother Russia) captures the period and its tension with expressive thick lines colored in dark, monochromatic shades and a consistent three-toned palette that distinctly separates the acts of the story. McComsey uses spot whites in his otherwise deeply shaded art to move the eye across the page, with symbolic, dramatic effect. With its intricate elaboration of secret service work and shocker of a last-act twist, this comic achieves the satisfying web-of-secrets allure that John le Carré and Len Deighton pull off in prose. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.