Jazz Maynard #1 Review: Smooth Criminal

Lion Forge/Magnetic Collection add Jazz Maynard to 2017’s Playlist

By Nolan P. Smith

When I first saw that Jazz Maynard would be coming stateside from France, I was thrilled. Even better, it was being brought to us by Lion Forge and The Magnetic Collection. What does that mean? To me, it means a high quality presentation, as Magnetic always hits it out of the ballpark. But what about the story itself?

A sequential art thrill ride.

Written by Raule and illustrated by Roger, the book follows the book’s namesake, Jazz Maynard. A jazz trumpeter with a lot more to his life than just the music. We see Maynard return to New York after getting word that his sister had been swept away in the underbelly of the city’s sex trafficking scene. What ensures is a book filled with violence, retribution, and smooth jazz.

The best way I can describe the feel of this book would be to take the slick feel of the anime Cowboy Bebop and combine it with the stylish violence scene in the John Wick films. Take a minute to imagine such a marriage of styles, and you will see just how fantastic this first issue is. This is a mature readers book, so make sure to keep out of reach of the little ones.

The creators here craft a book that creates a vibe and world all its own. We get a little back story of Maynard, his sister, and shades of his crazy past, which is coming back to haunt him. I am enthralled with this book, from the paper quality of the cover to the amazing story, Jazz Maynard is a book that I will be talking about for a while, as I eagerly await the next issue.

Lion Forge and Magnetic, thank you for bringing this book to the U.S. If you are looking for a hard-boiled, crime revenge comic, then Jazz Maynard should be on your pull list. Pick it up, and get ready to visually take in one of the best debuts of 2017.

Rating: 10 out of 10.