Three Strikes

May 25, 2004 | Comics

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Three Strikes
Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir, Brian Hurtt
Oni Press
$14.95 US (Paperback)
**** (out of five)

Three strikes usually means you’re out — but for Rey Quintana it means he’s in.
Rey is a decent kid. He’s got a girlfriend and he’s going to college. But after he’s caught during a foolish attempt at shoplifting after a couple of other minor scrapes with the law, Rey is slapped with California’s ‘three strikes’ rule meaning he’s facing five extra years in jail for each strike and five each for the two charges after being caught stealing. That’s 20 years for shoplifting.
Deciding he can’t do that kind of time for such a small a crime, Rey, with the aid of ‘gangsta’ pal Billy, skips bail and heads off to make a new life on the lam.
Enter Noah Conway, bail enforcement officer, or bounty hunter, if you prefer. Noah has got problems of his own, but when he’s asked to track down Rey, he gets more than he’s bargained for.
This tasty little slice of crime-noir written by the husband and wife team of Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir, along with artist Brian Hurtt, takes a hard look at the choices people make and the consequences that every action can have. They do a masterful job of showing how good people can do bad things when they make a foolish choice and how even the right motivation can lead to the incorrect move.
The writers make it tough to choose who is the hero and who is the villain. Rey is scared and desperate, but seems to be a good guy. Noah is just trying to do his job and even tries to help Rey avoid getting into deeper trouble.
A grim tale of injustice and harsh consequences, Three Strikes is a smart and gripping volume.

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