Rat Catcher

Vertigo Crime

by Andy Diggle, Víctor Ibáñez (Illustrator)

New York Times bestselling-author Andy Diggle creates a tale of the FBI’s manhunt for a peerless assassin who specializes in silencing mob informants hidden deep within the Witness Protection Program. But the Rat Catcher has finally slipped up — and one washed-up FBI agent has one last chance to hunt him down before he disappears again forever. As the two men spiral in towards each other in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse that plays out across the badlands of West Texas, each of them hides a deadly secret from the other — a secret that could destroy them both.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Crime, Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics

190 pages, Hardcover

First published January 25, 2011

About the author

Andy Diggle is a British comic book writer and former editor of 2000 AD. He is best known for his work on The Losers,Swamp Thing, Hellblazer, Adam Strange and Silent Dragon at DC Comics and for his run on Thunderbolts and Daredevil after his move to Marvel.

In 2013 Diggle left writing DC's Action Comics and began working with Dynamite Entertainment, writing a paranormal crime series Uncanny. He is also working on another crime series with his wife titled Control that is set to begin publishing in 2014.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone is compromising informants in the Witness Protection Program...how can you catch this rat? Great crime thriller that takes you down a path of betrayal and violence; just when you think you have figured out what is going on the story spins you in the other direction. Taunt and fast paced GN that will keep you guessing till the end!

[Lono · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one’s another from the short list of worthwhile entries from the Vertigo Crime imprint. Andy Diggle’s Rat Catcher is his own version of a “Keyser Soze”-like criminal that’s been killing informants in the witness protection program for years. Pretty solid story that takes a lot of the mandatory twists and turns along the way before the final climax. The conclusion may not deliver for some, but I liked it, so there. I also appreciate Diggle’s ability to write conversation. He’s really able to sell his characters as real people to me in that regard and this had me hooked early on.



Who is Victor Ibanez and why the hell isn’t he doing more comic work? The real crime here is this guy isn’t doing more stuff. I really liked his art here and I’m shocked to see that he hasn’t done anything else per Goodreads. (Turns out he’s done some stuff for Marvel on Storm, but not much else.)



Pretty good comic that crime fans should probably check out. Andy Diggle hasn’t been the most consistent writer, but I think this one falls on the “worthwhile” side of the fence when compared with the rest of his body of work. And will someone from Marvel, Image, DC, or Dark Horse get Victor Ibanez some regular work…What a waste.

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[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very clever, nuanced, fast paced and authentic writing. I could *not* put this down, and found myself grinning at the wonderfully well-structured twists and turns of this story. I haven't had this much fun discovering a hidden gem of a story in ages. Well freaking done Mr. Diggle, well done.

[Sonic · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a superb thriller with pitch-perfect pacing (realistically) interesting characters and I have no complaints at all about it. I had to read it in one day. This was such a cool premise to begin with. And it was sweet all the way until the end.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this.

This is one of my favourites out of all of the graphic novels i've read. It was clever, and Andy Diggle is a brilliant writer.

I'll re-read the crap out of this. Also, this NEEDS to become a movie.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great art. Nice format. Solid story, believable motivations, well-researched police procedures, good dialogue - the weakest part was the blink-and-you'll-miss-it ending. I mean, dang, it just ends. Overall, this was reminiscent of Ennis' Punisher, and that's a good thing.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read quite a few of the Vertigo crime books, and this is easily the best. Of all of them, it's the only one that solidly delivers in both story and art.

[Mhorg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, engrossing tale of an invisible assassin killing people within the witness protection. Filled with Texas drug dealers, red herrings and a fan good story.

[Jedhua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Other Useful Reviews: Lono's review , Sonic's review, Stephen's review

Book Info: This collection contains Rat Catcher issue #1.


ABSOLUTE RATING: {3.5/5 stars} (Rounded Up)

STANDARDIZED RATING: <4/5 stars>

As a mystery-slash-thriller, Rat Catcher gets a lot right; it's smart, fast-paced, and keeps you guessing from beginning to end. In terms of the writing, I was most impressed with how Diggle managed to keep the story rolling along quickly without slowing down to hold my hand hand or spell everything out, and at the same time not leaving me feeling entirely left behind. But to me, this story is slightly better as a mystery than it is as a thriller. While one of the most defining aspects of a thriller has to do with it's fast pacing, perhaps just as important is getting the reader/viewer to connect with it's world and characters. Once a writer can achieve that, all subsequent twists and turns become substantially more satisfying. So although Diggle managed to put together an excellent plot, I was never quite comfortably invested with what was going on.

Probably the single biggest explanation for my discomfort was that, unlike most other thrillers I've read, Rat Catcher doesn't immediately make it entirely clear who the main characters are – far less give you a chance to get to know them – but rather reveals bits and pieces in alternating snippets, and at the same time that it dives head-first into events. For this reason, it took me a little longer than I would have liked to feel grounded. But even in the face of that, I have to admit there were times when my mind would somewhat eagerly race to evaluate and sort out all the possible scenarios of what would happen next, based on what I had already been shown. And that's always a plus when it comes to any effective mystery.

Now I should say that although I've only just recently begun to develop a taste for black-and-white illustrations, this has got to be a candidate for the top comic book artwork I've seen without color. In fact, I never even missed it. So maybe if you're a fan of black-and-white comics, you'd be even more pleased than I was, and – believe me – I was plenty pleased.

Sometime in the future, I think I'll give The Losers another shot. Besides this and Green Arrow: Year One , I haven't really read any of Diggle's other stuff, but I'm beginning to think I should. I think he's just about proven to be a fairly promising talent when it comes to action stories and thrillers.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid writing and illustrations that pair very well with the style and story. When I started reading, I knew right away that this duo would deliver a fast-paced crime thriller with a twist. A man in the witness protection program, a burning safe house, and a possibly mythical man, The Rat Catcher, who does the dirty work for the head of the West Texas mob. These ingredients and a few other well-drawn characters kept me reading. I hope the other Vertigo Crime comics are as good as this one is.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read several of the Vertigo Crime books, and sadly all but the first one, Filthy Rich, have either not been very good at all or not really a crime book. This one, however, is a lot of fun. Diggle's pulled together a fast-paced crime-thriller with some nice twists and very dark, Noir-ish characters. Ibanez's art is really strong, almost cinematic in style in the way he uses angles and sets up scenes with establishing shots. A good, fast read for anyone who likes action-based thrillers.

[TJ Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outstanding book. Mafia, FBI, assassins...of course, I loved it!

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast-paced and engrossing read full of a heck of a lot of twists I never saw coming and the sort of questions about the nature of morality and justice that I'll be chewing over for a while.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is the first Andy Diggle comic I've read. It's pretty good. Certainly among the better "Vertigo Crime" books - the Rat Catcher is a mysterious assassin who's a master at getting witnesses in protective custody. An FBI agent's partner goes missing, assumed killed, while hunting the Rat Catcher. Some clever twists, solid dialogue, good artwork. It's a potboiler, but it's a good potboiler.

[Jonathan Maas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vintage Vertigo Crime

I love the Vertigo Crime series, and this is par for the course.

Par for the course in Vertigo Crime is A+, so this is a compliment.

This one is a bit more insidiously twisted than most - the twists, particularly the main twist, leave you a bit disquieted.

But just incredible!

[Atlas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best thing I like about this G-Novel is the way it started...A middle-sized houes ine the middle of nowhere, The house is on fire and our hero is litterly crawling his way out with a bullet in his back.
That`s how I lie a crime novel to start :)

[Colin Oaten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent edition of the graphic mystery series about an FBI agent with a secret that comes to a head in dramatic fashion.

[Jose · Rating 2 out of 5]

Somehow, it didn't manage to trigger the right mechanisms.

Really liked the use of flashbacks and some of the characters, but I think there was something missing. Like a character you can feel identified with.

Some shots, deaths, twists... It may well be a 3-star...

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reads like a semi-typical police procedural. An FBI snitch is killed in a blaze and one man is on the run. In the background the FBI and the Witness Protection Program try to figure out who the Rat Catcher is, an inside man that knocks off snitches, despite a supposed statistic that the WPP has 100% success rate. At the same time, the big drug kingpin that the snitch was going to rat out gets involved.

It was a fun quick read and it works out pretty well as you expect, with a multitude of twists and turns. The artwork was great, the story was fast paced and exciting, just how this story should be. It had a very satisfying end. Fairly violent throughout, some behind the scenes, some in slightly gory detail.

[Chris - Quarter Press Editor · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first, I was very much into this story. Just finding out that Vertigo has a "Crime" imprint was a good thing. But talk about a book that loses it all in the end. Things really fell apart in terms of story here. It could just be me--and as always, it's all about individual opinions--but the ending pretty much killed this for me.

I'm way into crime stories, and I've been devouring a ton of graphic novels lately, so perhaps I'd simply gotten too excited at this find.

That fact aside, the art is pretty good here, so I guess that's something.

[Rodolfo Santullo · Rating 4 out of 5]

La cosa arranca allá arriba: una casa incendiada, un tipo herido que logra escapar de las llamas y de inmediato roba un auto a punta de pistola, llega el FBI y anuncia que la casa incendiada era un lugar donde escondían a un importante testigo contra un supremacista ario, se involucran los Marshalls y -por encima de todo- orbita sobre la situación de que se trata de un trabajo del mítico Rat Catcher: un asesino legendario de testigos contra criminales. Primero de manera desordenada, pero muy intensa, el guionista Diggle -que, en un movimiento raro para la colección Vertigo Crime sí es antes que nada guionista de historietas y no algo ajeno a la profesión- se despacha con un police procedural donde vamos viendo como los númerosos personajes se ponen en movimiento ante la situación, que muy pronto se torna tremendamente violenta en un in crescendo que se sostiene mientras avanza. Hay algo, sin embargo, que en su recta final le falla -a falta de una mejor definición, diré que se queda sin aire- y que termina por bajar varios grados de temperatura al hornito que venía construyendo. Quizá sea que las casi 200 páginas del libro le quedan algo cortas. 200 páginas dibujadas como los dioses por el español Ibáñez que narra magníficamente sean persecusiones, tiroteos o largas conversaciones en viajes de autos. Notable lo de Ibáñez.

[Eli · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you read comics you are either a writer first or artist first reader, typically the later. I’m a writer first guy. I love great art - it is why I read comics but even the best art doesn’t save poor writing for me, whereas great writing can hold up weak art. This book is a rare exception for me. I like Andy Diggle but to often I like his ideas more then his execution. Here he has written a mediocre comic based on a great albeit familiar premise. Fortunately for the reader artist Victor Ibanez pulls this book from mediocre to good. It is not the type of art that is going to win awards but it is just what this book needed. It is crisp, clean, solid black and white work that fits this procedural cop drama perfectly. I won’t ruin things by telling you the plot - it opens with a mystery and unpacking tha mystery takes up the bulk of the book followed by last act action based on all that has been revealed. Enough to say that if you like a good and not necessarily original crime drama you will probably enjoy this. Think an Episode of FBI or similar tv; stalwart cops, an interesting mystery, no gimmicks.

[Xavidickers74 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un veterano agente del FBI, un asesino a sueldo encargado de liquidar testigos protegidos, un capo mafioso, una traición y un ajuste de cuentas. Ni un ingrediente novedoso, todo muy simple. O tal vez no tanto, porque como sucede en estas historias, siempre hay algo más. Nadie es quien parece ser y todo el mundo tiene algo que ocultar.
La baza de Exterminador reside en que está excelentemente bien escrito, con unos personajes atractivos, típicamente duros y despiadados, y en que Diggle se las arregla para sorprender unas cuantas veces las expectativas del lector. Como suele suceder en estos casos, el dibujo cumple con solvencia, ajustado, sin deslumbrar, con lucidos movimientos de cámara muy cinematográficos y sin distraer de lo que importa, que es la intriga. Entretenido.

[Rex Hurst · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tale of an FBI agent's manhunt for an assassin who specializes in silencing mob informants hidden deep within the Witness Protection Program. But the Rat Catcher has finally slipped up and the agent has one last chance to hunt him down before he disappears again forever. As the two men spiral in towards each other in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse that plays out across the badlands of West Texas. Excellent illustrations and a fast paced writing keep the reader glued to the book.

[Kris Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book from the now defunct Vertigo Crime imprint. It's a shame that the line is kaput, because this is the best of those books that I've read. While somewhat predictable, the execution is great and I really enjoyed reading this. The artwork is also nice, and the black and white aspect doesn't hurt this series as it has others in this line. It's too bad that these books didn't catch on with comics fans, as I enjoyed all three of them from this line that I've read.

[Ozro Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Happened to find this in a bargain bin without ever hearing of the Vertigo Crime line. It's a fine read - probably 3.5 - but it's pretty standard fare for the genre. At this point I can't imagine what kind of "there's a mole in the agency" story could surprise me, but it's not Rat Catcher. Still a fine quick read, though.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really nice Texas based crime noir book about the lengths people will go for what the love, be it family, a woman, money, or power. The book has a couple twists and they are pretty easy to see coming but that doesn't mean they weren't done well. The art by Victor Ibanez was very good, especially in black and white. Overall, a very good crime book.

[Alessandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably, I dare say surely, the best Vertigo Crime GN to date, together with the John Constantine one. Really solid script, wonderful story, tough as nails, and with a bitter end that suits perfectly the mood of the narrative. Great and expressive art too, and a good thing to see that the artist drew some of the characters akin to popular actors. A wonderful read. Highly recommended.

[Greatkithain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Como una pelicula de serie negra: un asesino de testigos, giros argumentales y mucha acción.
Del mismo autor de The Losers, me ha encantado.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed that. Fast-paced, but well-paced.