Ten Grand, Vol. 1

Ten Grand #1

by J. Michael Straczynski, Ben Templesmith (Illustrations)

Ten Grand charts former mob enforcer Joe Fitzgerald's journey into the world of demonology and the ancient powers that threaten to tear down the pillars of Heaven itself in a new war between the forces of light and dark. Can the man willing to die a thousand deaths so he can be with his love for just a few minutes in-between save the lives of an entire world? Or will this be the end of...well, everything?

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Horror, Fantasy, Graphic Novels Comics, Crime, Supernatural

160 pages, Paperback

First published November 26, 2013

About the author

Joseph Michael Straczynski is an American filmmaker and comic book writer. He is the founder of Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Studio JMS and is best known as the creator of the science fiction television series Babylon 5 (1993–1998) and its spinoff Crusade (1999), as well as the series Jeremiah (2002–2004) and Sense8 (2015–2018). He is the executor of the estate of Harlan Ellison.
Straczynski wrote the psychological drama film Changeling (2008) and was co-writer on the martial arts thriller Ninja Assassin (2009), was one of the key writers for (and had a cameo in) Marvel's Thor (2011), as well as the horror film Underworld: Awakening (2012), and the apocalyptic horror film World War Z (2013). From 2001 to 2007, Straczynski wrote Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man, followed by runs on Thor and Fantastic Four. He is the author of the Superman: Earth One trilogy of graphic novels, and he has written Superman, Wonder Woman, and Before Watchmen for DC Comics. Straczynski is the creator and writer of several original comic book series such as Rising Stars, Midnight Nation, Dream Police, and Ten Grand through Joe's Comics.
A prolific writer across a variety of media and former journalist, Straczynski is the author of the autobiography Becoming Superman (2019) for HarperVoyager, the novel Together We Will Go (2021) for Simon & Schuster, and Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer (2021) for Benbella Books. In 2020 he was named Head of the Creative Council for the comics publishing company Artists, Writers and Artisans.
Straczynski is a long-time participant in Usenet and other early computer networks, interacting with fans through various online forums (including GEnie, CompuServe, and America Online) since 1984. He is credited as being the first TV producer to directly engage with fans on the Internet and to allow viewer viewpoints to influence the look and feel of his show. Two prominent areas where he had a presence were GEnie and the newsgroup rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I saw the name of this, I thought it was about some mob dude.
And yeah, it kind of is, but 10 grand is what this ex- enforcer charges people for his services now that he's a paranormal demon hunter who is on Heaven's payroll. <--ish?



Ok. So (and this isn't a spoiler b/c it's in the blurb) the main character AND the love of his life were killed by this demon. But an angel offered him a deal - work for us and whenever you die a righteous death, we will let you spend 5 minutes in heaven with your lady love. Supposedly, he'll eventually earn his way into Heaven for reals and they can be together.
Of course, shit has gone completely sideways by the end of this volume, and he ends up on a rescue mission to save his true love from some especially nasty demons.



The art for the first half of the story sucked. It was that off-center style where sometimes the character's eyeballs didn't look like they were pointing in the same direction, and everything was all scratchy and shit. The saving grace was the coloring, which was pretty cool, but I was thrilled when they switched up and a new artist took over.



But other than that, this wasn't bad.
Definitely plan on reading the next volume if I can get my hands on it.

This was a Halloween gift from a spooky Goodreads friend.
Thank you!

[Paul Nelson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ten Grand by J. Michael Straczynski, Ben Templesmith and some other fucker named CP Smith As some will know Ben Templesmith is possibly the greatest comic book artist there is, yeah maybe a slight exaggeration but he's my favourite anyway. Written by J. Michael Straczynski, Ten grand opens with a feeling of the dreaded loss as our protagonist Joe Fitzgerald reminisces lost love, Laura is mentioned frequently throughout until we get a flashback of how she died and how Joe died.
 

 
Joe hits Lenny's bar at around two in the afternoon and waits for potential clients to show, people with problems only he can solve and the price for his services yes you've guessed it, Ten Grand. You see ten grand is just enough to weed out the clowns and the whackos and it’s not long before Debbie walks in with the money and a problem so troubling that Joe will do this job for free. Debbie's sister Sarah joined a group called Devine Will, a cult that deals in demonology and the leader of this cult, a man that Joe shot dead two years ago.
 

 
The first comic leaves you begging for more, a paranormal investigator in the vein of John Constantine, a protagonist who died and was bought back to do the dirty work of the Angels and the artwork that makes it so much more.
 
Joe is damned, if he dies a righteous death he will get to see Laura, just for five minutes before he is bought right back, a man stood between heaven and hell.
 
Joe's found the home of Divine Will and he's about to enter, first he waits for Johnny, you see Johnny has the second site, his eyes were taken from him and now he sees only the things the rest of us can't. Ben Templesmiths artwork springs right at you straight away as the dark, bleak tones make way for a view of Divine Will through Johnny's perception, the panel becomes visceral, bright and amazingly blurred, almost like a view through water.
 

 
 You might think the artwork raw, rough even but look a little more carefully and the detail soon becomes apparent, the contrast between violence and sentimentality bought to life with the most vivid of colours, the most twisted of expressions and the darkest feelings and moods. The artwork compliments the dark and grimy city perfectly but what really stands out is the use of the colours to show the different aspects of the story from the present day to the harrowing flashbacks, and a style that lends itself to horror above all else.
 
Fantastic artwork all the way through, there's some amazing panels, not least an angel or denizen of hell constructed in lines of fire. That is until the Temp baled and another artist took over then my jaw hit the floor and the story hit cartoon mode, what the fuck has gone on here then, honestly fucking fuck shitity shit. How to ruin a story by totally changed the style half way through.
 

 
Pissed off, only a little (Mutley style grumbling), Fuck the story can't be bothered now.
 

 
Thud as Ten Grand hits the back of the fucking waste bin, only kidding I might have portrayed a slightly disappointed aura there and yeah I am. LOL

If you want to see the artwork http://paulnelson.booklikes.com/post/...

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh, it's OK. Seems like it should be more interesting than it is. The story just really isn't doing it for me. I also don't think the art is that interesting, and the font size is annoyingly small. This is the first of 2 volumes, I'll still try the 2nd one and see if it picks up.

[CS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joseph Fitzgerald is a "button man" - he "buttons up" problems for his big boss. But his last job lead to his and his wife's death - he was given the chance to come back and given 5 minutes with Laura. Now, his goal is to get back to her, taking jobs from people, such as Debbie, searching for her sister in a cult, the Divine Will.

I've only ever really read a couple of other things from Straczynski - Wonder Woman: Odyssey, Vol. 1, Wonder Woman: Odyssey, Vol. 2, and Superman: Earth One, Vol. 1 - which were decent. So when my coworker gave me this, I figured it would be pretty intricate plot-wise and at least decent. And that's about what I found to be true. It's a decent story, with a pretty stock male (of course) protagonist moving between heaven and hell, amongst angels and demons.

Joe is a pretty bland, rather chatty guy. The book is LOADED with him talking and narrating and thinking and thinking and chatting about everything. It got a bit old after awhile to be honest. The art is pretty good - you don't HAVE to talk about everything on your mind. Beyond that, he's just kinda boring, your standard "bad guy turned good because of a woman". And yes, he's that guy that always has to save the girl.

Honestly, that's the most aggravating part of this comic - ALL the women are completely incapable of defending themselves or avoid being killed and used by the supernatural. It's so predominant, that I couldn't look past it and get absorbed by the twists and turns of the story, the revelations of this supernatural world. Laura, Debbie, Debbie's sister, even Joe's mom - all are women being used and disposed of, at the mercy of angels and demons, begging for Joe to save them, and it's irritating. Can't we ever create women who don't need a man to save them at every turn?

The story gets a bit convoluted. The initial plot is abandoned when Laura is threatened, because, as we know, women are incapable of saving themselves and must be saved by the hero. I have no clue what the resolution was with James, the Divine Will, and Debbie and her sister. Though I will say that Joe walking through Purgatory is interesting - the best part is when he crosses the river Styx,

The art was interesting - really gritty and abstract, particularly the shift from the living to the world between heaven and hell. Interesting concept - though some of the art gets weird at the end (almost CGI?).

This wasn't a bad comic, to be sure, but really, the fact that none of the women were characters, they were all foils and plot devices to be used for the hero's story, was just obnoxious. If you can overlook that fact and enjoy the supernatural heaven/hell, angels/demons type of story, you'll probably really enjoy this.

[The Lion's Share · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cracking book about the war between heaven and hell.

It may have been done before, but not this eloquently. The artwork is very dark and disjointed at times, but that just adds to the dark atmosphere set by the storyline.

Some really interesting aspects in this story and i'm looking forward to vol.2.

I'd recommend this book to anyone.

[Kitty G Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this is a graphic novel I got from my local library and had never heard anything about before borrowing it. I was intrigued by the artwork, but didn't have a clue what the book itself was all about. I ended up really enjoying the storyline and the first artist's work, but the second artist's drawing style didn't really 'click' with me as much and I found I liked the last sections with that art style less sadly.

This is the story of Joe Fitzgerald who is a man with a past. As you read through the graphic novel you start to unravel the various problems that Joe has not only faced in his past involving death, despair, heaven and hell, but continues to face in his present. He's a doomed man, doomed to live alone, and doomed to work for angels in exchange for a 5minute visit to his lover every time he dies (yeah, he dies and comes back a lot!).
I loved the idea that angels and demons were involved in this storyline because it meant that I not only found myself hooked pretty quickly (religion, particularly with supernatural angels and demons, is something I find fascinating in stories) but also sucked into the complications of Joe's life and world. He really doesn't have it easy and as you go further through you discover more about him and how he came to be the way he is and mixed up with the supernatural creatures who haunt him.
In terms of the story, this was fab. I had some moments where I was LOVING seeing where it was going and wondering about what he could do next. It's certainly a bit brutal at times, maybe more than necessary, but it's a dark and gritty kind of story and it's told very, very well.

As for the artwork I enjoyed seeing Ben Templesmith's artwork a lot more than I did that of C. P. Smith. Whilst Templesmith did the first #4 issues Smith finished up issue #5 & #6 and I have to say it was a disappointment to lose the rugged, scratchy and visually dark style I was enjoying so much from Templesmith. I felt like the first style worked well with the story and although I don't always love a more scratchy art style, this one was with good reason and fitted the rugged character of Joe.
The second art style was far more 'computer generated' in style and whilst I appreciate that it is a bit clearer, it also makes the character look totally different and far worse in my opinion. I understand that we're venturing to a new part of the worlds in these issues, but even so I really disliked the art work and it, sadly, made the writing suffer a bit too as I couldn't help but to be distracted by the lesser quality and clunky ugliness of the second art style.

I think if I can find out that Templesmith does more of Volume 2 then I would certainly pick it up because I did like the story a lot, but if it's all Smith's work then sadly I'm not so interested. This had a fabulous potential and started out so strong making me think it could have been at least a 4* read, but sadly it ended up simply getting a 3.5* which is mostly due to the art shift. I'd love to hear your thoughts :)

[Ashkin Ayub · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was certainly not a bad book, but the idea that neither of the women was just a character, they were all foils and plot points used for the story of the protagonist was extremely irritating.

The art congratulates the novel. At parts, it is gravely and frightening, so each event in which the character has a color pattern is matched. Nevertheless, the topic for the novel is coherent.

The book stumbles into several areas with clichés and has awful dialogue, but the major thing is the climax till the finish. All storytelling seems to have crumbled, and many narrative lines also weren't resolved.

[Kite Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

What would you do for the one you love? Most people would do anything – climb a mountain, pay a ransom, escort them home and so on. Love is a precious commodity and when one finds it, you do not really want to let it go. That is why Joe Fitzgerald will work for heaven and come back from the dead to do their bidding after every death he experiences. All of that for five minutes of time with his loved one in-between lives. And they are not usually easy deaths either, often coming at the hands of demons or violent acts. But that five minutes. It feels like an eternity sometimes, even though it is never enough. When in that moment, it could be forever, but when out of it, the little amount time spent is acutely felt. So when Joe is not in those five minutes, he is making up for the terrible life he led as a button man for the mob. That is until the man who initially murdered him and his wife Laura comes back. Not only is he back, he has stolen Laura’s soul from heaven to get at Joe. Joe of course, is pissed. Life and afterlife better look out.

J. Michael Straczynski has never failed to entertain. Sure there were a couple of tales he told or was to tell over at the Distinguished Competition, but it was the subject matter that failed to captivate a more discerning audience. Aside from that one blip that many writers get during their tenure, JMS has been writing so many good things over the years that it is hard to keep track. Babylon 5, Midnight Nation, Rising Stars, Spider-Man, The Twelve and more are all great examples of JMS at the top of his form and now Ten Grand can be added to that noted list. There was a little trepidation going into the book though as JMS has not been really associated with the horror genre. He has told stories with horror in them, but to do a straight up book with angels, demons, a trip to hell and all manner of things, is something new from the author.

What is not new from JMS, is the exploration of the main character’s moral compass and the choices they make. Whether it was Peter Parker or Captain Sheridan, you can trust in Straczynski to find out what makes the character tick and to bring it to the forefront. His past mistakes and motivations are cannon fodder for the author to tell interesting stories and Joe Fitzgerald, a man who just wanted to get out of the mob, is another prime example of that. Heaven, hell, angels and demons are popular tools that many scribes use and will continue to do so in the telling of stories and Straczynski could have done what many do, but instead he uses them in new and exciting ways to fully develop his story and explore our protagonist through them. Charon, the ferryman of the dead is presented in way that is wholly original and actually makes a lot of sense and his scenes with Joe are some of the best in the book. But when he tells Joe that he has essentially made some pretty terrible and controversial decisions, not in those exact words mind, the reader understands that there is still a lot to tell about Joe and much under the surface yet to explore. Julie, a ghost who committed suicide is a prime example of using an extra in the story to reflect the main character’s quintessence, and in this case Joe’s pity, sympathy and selfishness at exploiting her. It is in instances like this, that we as readers gain insight into Joe Fitzgerald more than any other. If we were to learn nothing of the man, the story would be much poorer indeed and it is thankful that characterization and the examination of it is one of JMS’s greatest strengths.

None of this could have been possible without a great artist, and with Ten Grand, we received two. Ben Templesmith has been immersed in horror for years and so he was a perfect fit for the book and is actually some of the best work he has put out in years. His pencils are actually quite beautiful in most places, demons notwithstanding, and are almost ethereal in nature at times. Of course the colouring more than likely has something to do with it, but if Templesmith drew like this all the time, his fans would increase legion-fold. But as many people would know, there were some problems during the course of the book’s production and he had to step away and so we gained C.P. Smith on the tail end of the story. And while it might have seemed a bit jarring for an instant, it was only that, and he slipped right in and made the tale all his own. His art has changed drastically from his time on Marvel’s the Invaders, and is actually a really nice fit for Ten Grand. And while it does not have that ethereal look that Templesmith’s work had, it does have its own charms. If Smith remains on the book, it will not be met with disappointment.

Recently Straczynski returned to the comic book world with a number of titles, Ten Grand being one of them. With so much time away, minus a couple of graphic novels about Superman, and the market getting an influx of incredibly strong titles from a number of different publishers, it remained to be seen if JMS could hold his own against all the Saga’s and Fatale’s. Turns out that he could and had lost none of the skills he had honed over the years. Ten Grand is compelling and entrancing, and it takes you on a journey not necessarily through time or space, but with and through the protagonist. Much like Straczynski’s previous works, it is an exploration of the man and not so much the situation. And much like his previous works, it is highly enjoyable and worth checking out.

http://thetelltalemind.com/2014/01/19...

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This started out pretty good. Kind of a hitman meets divine war sorta thing going on. But it ended up in a different place than I expected. It was ok, but I think I would have liked the original direction better. The art is gritty and impressionistic, exactly what you'd expect from Ben Templesmith (though more straight forward than some of his other work I've seen). And then there is a style shift later in the book when the story passes into another realm (Purgatory and later Hell). At first I appreciated this style shift, although I didn't like the style as much. But then (and more so in V2) I realized it continues with it henceforth. CP Smith just isn't as good, but also the coloring by BLOND I was not a fan of. The drawing might have been ok if it didn't look like it was colored in MS Paint.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Random find of JMS comic I didn't know existed at a comic book shop in Aberdeen. The art work was lovely and I love a good occult story so decided to pick it up. It was Ok. The main character was pretty unlikeable which didn't help. Like the premise of a guy who helped people with occult problems was great, but he only had one client, who died, whose sister he was supposed to find was already dead, and then he just kept going for personal reasons. And there really was no occult to it at all. He just had a magic paper that let him contact an angel. So that was a bit disappointing. The art was really great though.

[Adam Šilhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Skvělé dílčí nápady, zajímavý příběh, něco mi tam ale chybí. Druhý díl může výrazně pomoci jak nahoru, tak dolů. Buď se mu podaří spojit nápady do něčeho většího, nebo sklouzne k naprostému klišé.

[Kelly Teen Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always go into a Straczynski project knowing it's going to be great and that I'll absolutely love it; this story was no different. It's his first graphic novel to come from the (re)launch of his own imprint (Joe's Comics) and it did not let me down.

The story itself reminds me of a Constantine/Supernatural hybrid; it has a lot of very cool elements from both those stories, but with a lot more depth to the characters and story that only the written word can convey and tends to get lost in translation to the big screen. The art is great, too, as I wasn't always a fan of Ben Templesmith, but his vision really suits this story. I love his monster and demon imagery, it matches the dark world that Strazcynski tends to really have a knack for bringing to life in his stories (seriously, if you haven't already, do yourself a favor and read Midnight Nation a couple of times, let that sink in...)

It's only the first volume of this story, I want to reread it before I get the second volume. Very excited to see where this leads because there's a certain amount of closure in this first vol (and one thing I absolutely love about JMS is that while he wraps up his stories nice & tight, they don't usually provide happy endings and a lot of closure; they often leave me really questioning everything I think I know about life)!!

[Fantasy Literature · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my previous two columns, I've talked about the advantages of having a "pull list" and buying comics on a monthly basis instead of merely waiting for a collection to come out as a trade edition. I also suggested a few titles that are good ones to start with right now since they are just beginning. In the first column on monthly comics, I recommended VELVET by Ed Brubaker and THE DREAM MERCHANT by Nathan Edmondson. In my second column, I recommended two comics in the new-and-improved Vertigo line of comics from DC: ASTRO CITY by Read More:
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...

[Trike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Straczynski's take on the "supernatural investigator" genre is highly entertaining. It has enough familiar elements mixed in with new things to make it work. There are fun little touches throughout, such as the afterlife ferryman looking like the grim reaper but wearing a life vest, which keeps things a little off-kilter. Hints of a larger conspiracy behind the scenes of Heaven and Hell's eternal struggle keep burbling beneath the surface.

Some people have complained about the change in artists, but it's honestly not that big a deal. I'm in for the next volume.

[Mallory O'Meara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts out strong and after the artist change, tapers off into mush.

[Nicole Westen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love the show Supernatural, this is a must read!

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weirdly, I read the first issue when it came out, and then didn't continue. It was very well written, but I wasn't a fan of the art, and at the time I didn't like where the story appeared to be going. Of course, I should have known better, given who the writer was.
I chanced upon the collected edition, 12 comics collected into two volumes, and gave it another try. I still didn't like the start of the story, but it eventually made much more sense, and tied up the apparent weirdness of the opening parts.
The basic concept is that a button man for the mob gets "recruited," after death, to become a button man for Heaven. Killing is all that he knows how to do, so he's given an incentive to kill in the name of righteousness, sort of, but after the opening bits the story turns even darker and weirder.
For a killer, the main character is deep and philosophical. The sequence of flashbacks, when his boss asks him about his regrets, is especially deep and thoughtful, even though it's also quite brutal in the memories involved.
The story is a weird mixture of crime and the supernatural, but worth sticking with, as long as the creepy violence doesn't turn your stomach too much. Very adult.

[Kris Shaw · Rating 1 out of 5]

J. Michael Straczynski has typically been a must buy author for me. This series tries so hard to be so many things at once that I found myself not even caring by the second issue. Oh, the guy is a hitman. Okay. No wait, he is doing some kind of private eye thing or finding someone or whatever. Uh, yeah. Right. No no no, now it is an occult tinged tale of revenge and retribution of love from beyond the veil! I'm out. This tries to be so many things at once and it doesn't succeed at being any of them.

There are a handful of entertaining moments for sure, but the artwork doesn't seem to work for this type of story. I wouldn't call it bad by any stretch, but this book just feels disjointed to me. Things never seem to gel. Normally art (and by art I mean the format of a comic book) moves me on some level. I feel excited, I feel happy, I feel angry, I feel something when I read a comic book. I felt nothing when I read this, and that is the worst thing of all. If art cannot move you then it has failed. I won't be back for Volume 2, but I haven't written JMS off yet.

[Mountainroot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Το vol.1 έχει τα πρώτα 6 από τα 12 συνολικά για την ιστορία.

Αφήνει την ιστορί εντελώς στην μέση οπότε αν θέλετε να το τελειώσετε να το έχετε υπόψιν σας.

Η ιστορία είναι αρκετά κλασική θα έλεγα με ωραίο σχέδιο και σκοτεινά στοιχεία. Πέρασα ευχάριστα όσο το διάβαζα. Δεν μπορώ να πω γνώμη για όλη την ιστορία γιατί πολύ απλά δεν έχω ολοκληρωμένη εικόνα.

Το μόνο χοντρό λάθος που βρήκα είναι πως άλλαξε ο σχεδιαστής στα τελευταία τρία τεύχη και είναι μεγάλη η διαφορά στην ποιότητα. Στα τελευταία είναι λες και έχουν σχεδιάσει με CGI ένα πράγμα. Μπορεί σε κάποιος να αρέσει σαν τεχνοτροπία αλλά εμένα με χάλασε πάρα πολύ γιατί τα πρώτα τρία ήταν απίστευτα ως σχέδιο.

Για τα 9€ που το βρήκα εγώ τα αξίζει τα λεφτά του πάντως.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been awhile since I felt fully immersed in a comic book. I was beginning to forget the feeling altogether.

Ten Grand is John Wick meets John Constantine, and true to form this is one hell blazer of a detective story. The writing is gripping, the mythology is fleshed out, well-researched, and the art fits the mood perfectly.

My only gripe is that we fall off the rails in chapters 5 and 6. The overarching mystery fades away entirely after chapter 4, and what remains is a pile of loose threads with no ends in a tangled heap on the floor.

All said and done, I’m 100% bought in and I will most definitely be bumping Volume 2 to the very top of my “to read” pile.

[anaeliteratura · Rating 5 out of 5]

this story is gnarly and i am LOVING every page!! i'm a huge sucker for themes like this and i love how the whole heaven/in the middle/hell thing is portrayed ESPECIALLY purgatory in general and the river dude dhjdjs i found it SO FUNNY that he has a light jacket on lmfaooo i also felt attacked by his way of thinking... okay chief, i Hear you!!
i am very, very intrigued and excited to know how it will all unfold!!

[Pedro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Straczynski es uno de los grandes guionistas de cómics, y con la libertad de tener su propia editorial puede explorar mejor la existencia y el tormento de sus protagonistas. Tres cuartos de este volumen estan fantásticamente ilustrados por Ben Templesmith que logra una fusión perfecta entre historia, diálogos y sensaciones. La última parte, sin embargo, el ilustrador cambia y pierde mucho.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

JMS creates an interesting world where demons, angels, Heaven, and Hell all exist and wreak havoc on a simple mob button man's life. Joe has some particular skills that his quite even more unusual. Ben Templesmith's art is a perfect match for the book. The last couple of chapters missed it. I wish the book had collected the entire run but I understand. Overall, a very good read.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know I really liked this, JMS is still writing good comics. It's sort of Hellblazer like. It's a slightly old fashioned story of reformed tough guy button man trying to get doomed dead girlfriend back. But something about it just clicked, the art and the story merge nicely.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling. I found it hard to reconcile the style with JMS until we crossed over to purgatory.
I love the Ben Templesmith art so the abrupt change at purgatory while making sense unfortunately removes some of the enjoyment.

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

The blend of a crime syndicate hitman and cosmic horrors is definitely interesting, even if the first volume offers more questions than answers!

[Vikesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Constantine meets John Wick...

[Ctgt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of Ben Templesmith so it's difficult for me to rate this as anything below five stars but I can't help it. I love Templesmith's quirky art style and it's in full glory in the first three parts but then he switched over to new style and I enjoyed the change except it just went on for too long. I understand they changed styles to match the change in worlds but....it just didn't work for me.

6/10

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ten Grand Vol 1 tells the story of Joe Fitzgerald. A former hitman but now working as a private investigator. Joe's interest peaked as he was asked to investigate a simple case of disappearance. With a man he thought he killed before, possibly running the operation. Joe dives into the supernatural as he faces angels and demons alike.

Upon reading Ten Grand, one might see some similarities with DC's Constantine. That said, for a horror graphic novel, Ten Grand brings an impressive amount of human drama to the table. The protagonist is a well written character which I believe the readers can comfortably sympathize with. Specially upon exploring Joe's past we get to know his motivations.

The artwork compliments the novel nicely. It is gritty and disturbing at points, in addition, each situation the protagonist is in is matched with a color scheme. Overall this creates a consistent theme for the novel.

The novel does fall into some cliched areas and does have some bad dialogue here and there but the biggest let down is the climax all the way to the ending. It seemed that all story telling was dropped and didn't provide clarity to some story arcs.

All in all I find that Ten Grand is still a great horror graphic novel. With an incredibly intriguing lore and a story that's easy to follow and not to mention a character the readers can root for, Ten Grand delivers a fix for horror seekers and readers who are into the supernatural specially when it comes to angels and demons.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a impressive first volume, and although it invokes some familiar supernatural ideas and themes about angels and demons, purgatory, and man's quest, literally through heaven, hell and earth to get to the woman that he loves, these things are executed in heart-rending, incredibly taut way, in no little part to the art of Ben Templesmith (as well as to J. Michael Straczynski's script). Templesmith's art captures the turmoil, stained soul, haze of ugliness of the universe (at least in Joe's eyes), and beauty and love through Laura.

I'm apprehensive about the comic continuing with C.P. Smith's art instead of Ben Templemith's. While both have distinctive art, and and both portray the supernatural world and beings well, Templesmith's art is emotive and raw underscoring Joe's turmoil, whereas Smith's emphasizes the surrealism of the events that occur. While I like the styles of both artists, I prefer Templesmith's, because it communicates not only the chaotic elements of heaven, hell and the in-between, but also the torturous pathway Joe is inexorably pursuing in the unacknowledged hope of some sort of redemption.

P.S. This is reminiscent of Hellblazer/Constantine, Harry Dresden (minus the sarcasm and self-deprecating humor), and the Russian film "Night Watch."