Quick impressions: Overall, I liked it, but I felt it could've been better. The art certainly needed more clarity. Still, it is an interesting action story in an alternate history setting. For libraries, I would say this is an optional selection. I would order it for our library if a patron requested it. It does end in a cliffhanger, so I may or not seek out the next volume.

(Full review on my blog.)

I definitely wanted to like this more than I did as I like alternate history and worlds. Something about it just felt unfinished and like something was missing. The plot was definitely interesting.

In an alternate USA where part of the East Coast and Vegas belong to the Crime bosses since the 1960's, Valentine Gallo becomes a made man and is sent to deliver a box to a US Senator in Washington, DC, accompanied by a friend and a hitwoman - Jagger Rose. The box of cash explodes killing the Senator and his friend. Valentine then learns a devastating secret from his mom right before he and Jagger Rose are targeted by CIA hit squads and made men from other crime families. After Jagger and Valentine manage to clear their names and get a measure of peace between the crime families, Valentine has to decide where he will stand. It will be interesting to see what happens next.

I have to say I was disappointed in this. I'm a huge fan of Powers so I was ecstatic when I saw the same creators were involved in this. This felt slapdash. Oeming's art is sloppy and unfinished with so much use of black that I couldn't make out some of the panels. His panel construction often left me confused if I was supposed to read across both pages or just one.

Logistically, how would this even work? The five families run the East Coast, Chicago, and Vegas? Why not just have them take over the areas by installing puppets in official positions like the mob has actually done in the past? There's no way the U.S> government would just let these areas secede. It makes no sense. The world building is severely lacking. It's just, here's the scenario, just accept it without any justification.

'The United States of Murder Inc. Volume 1: Truth' by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Michael Avon Oeming is a story of alternate history where the mafia is thriving and in charge of parts of the US.

Our protagonist is Valentine Gallo. He is charged with delivering a package outside the mafia zone to a senator. Accompanying him is a beautiful killer named Jagger Rose who will protect Valentine, but that's all. When the senator dies in an explosion, Valentine is suspected in the murder. He also learns a big secret from his mother. She has been grooming him his entire life to be a double agent for the FBI and inform on his mafia family.

It's an interesting idea, but it feels unfinished. The art also felt a bit unfinished at times. Sometimes I liked the art and story, and sometimes, it felt rough and rushed.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Jinxworld, DC Entertainment, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

With mob rats, mob war and President Kennedy’s killer, the United States of Murder Inc Vol 1 starts a new mafia graphic novel series off strong.

Valentine becomes a made man in the mafia like his father and grandfather before him. With his cousin Dino, he is sent to D.C. to deliver a package to a Senator. Valentine meets a beautiful redhead, Jagger Rose, on the train. She says she was a childhood friend of his sister. She states that the mob has sent her to keep an eye on him during his first task, but she is actually a mob hitman sent to protect him. After delivering the package, the Senator’s building explodes, killing Dino. Valentino’s mob bosses swear it wasn’t his case that detonated.

Valentine goes home to his mother. She tells him his great-grandfather shot Kennedy for the mob. When his mother tells him she birthed him to be a mob spy for her bosses in the FBI, Valentino is understandably upset.

Switching between present day and mid-20th century, the story has plenty of plot. The use of sepia tones in the flashbacks makes it easy to tell what time period is being described. The plot is reminiscent of The Godfather series. The mob families are fighting. The CIA is trying to get revenge on the senator’s behalf. Valentine and Jagger are ultimately alone and fighting for their lives.

While the United States of Murder Inc Vol 1 has an interesting story, it isn’t very unique. I hope that it will be developed more in future volumes. If you like mobster stories, this is a good read. 3 stars.

Thanks to the publisher, Jinxworld, and NetGalley for an advance copy.

I enjoyed the book and I'm interested in reading where they go from here. Valentine Gallo is inducted into his family's world, is ordered to deliver a package to a prominent US senator, and the repercussions of his actions upset the delicate balance between mob families and the federal government. Valentine is hunted by members of his own world, by the CIA, and it's only through his efforts to uncover the truth that Valentine and Jagger Rose find a new peace. The writing is top notch Bendis firing on full cylinders, and the artwork from Oeming is a perfect fit for this noir alt-history.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me an advance read copy in exchange for an honest review.

A United States senator is killed and there’s FBI, CIA and Mob violence along the way. A very violent and vulgar graphic novel that read well and the illustrations were an excellent compliment.