Masks and Mobsters

A black-and-white crime anthology collecting three short tales combining mobsters and superheroes is full of death and anger, and more than a few bizarre mentions of "Mom" and "Dad"%E2%80%94as if all the characters are little boys who never grew up. Williamson has done a lot of comics work for Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse and is perhaps best known for work on the high-profile "New 52" DC Comics line. Despite those credits, this volume feels ill-considered and rushed. Each story merges clich%C3%A9d mobster stories with clich%C3%A9d superhero stories. If the two had come together to form a more interesting whole, that might have been something, but instead they are steeped in all the usual tropes and lacking any nuance or complexity. While the artwork is expressive and appropriately dark and evocative, gray tones frequently read muddy. While there are a few story surprises, those surprises usually amount to a character getting shot in the face, making it even harder for readers to connect to the work. (July)