Free Fall

    (Narwain, 2005)
™ and © 2005 Narwain Publishing

Film noir, a movie genre staple in the late 1940s and early 50s, is challenging enough to create on film, even more so in the print medium. Writer Gianluca Piredoa and Artist Eric J actually manage it in this twisty tale of bank robbery, greed, lust and betrayal.

Tim, Pam, Jason and Dave are a team of professional thieves planning the biggest heist of their career—$10 million from the most heavily guarded bank in the country. It has to be the perfect crime—blood and guns lead directly to the electric chair.

Outsider Sean is a suicidal loser who just learned his girlfriend is pregnant with his baby. When desperate circumstances bring them all together, the perfect crime may actually be within reach. Sean is the key, and his share of the loot would solve all of his problems. But is he willing to sacrifice everything to get it?

— Jerry Smith

From the Comic Buyer’s Guide:

In Free Fall, a gang of crooks are planning a major bank heist and need a distraction. They inadvertently rescue a suicidal young man and have an idea: “You commit suicide for us as a distraction and we pay off all of your debts and your family will be rich.”

This Elmore Leonard—like plot is full of interesting, distinctive voices. It reads like the sequel to the film The Italian Job. If there is a hero in the story, he has not shown up yet. It is fast—paced, well told, and unusual. The art, however, is amateurish and inconsistent. It is hard to follow at times because the character tags (things that make the character immediately recognizable—Charlie Brown’s zigzag shirt, Green Arrow’s goatee) were not consistent or different enough. The inking and coloring pick up most of the slack, and the pencilling shows promise.

Free Fall was a pleasant surprise, reminiscent of Brian Michael Bendis’ early work, and I’m looking forward to #2 and more work by Gianluca Piredda.

— Mike Keeney
Jump to issue:
  NotesWriterArtist
#1

November, 2005
Cover Price: $3.99
2 copies available from $2.99 		Gianluca PireddaEric J., Jimmy Palmiotti
#2

January, 2006
Cover Price: $3.99
1 copy available for $4.00 		Gianluca PireddaEric J.
#3

March, 2006
Cover Price: $3.99
2 copies available from $2.99 		Gianluca PireddaEric J.