Queen & Country, Vol. 3: Operation Crystal Ball - Softcover

Greg Rucka was born in San Francisco and raised on the Central Coast of California, in what is commonly referred to as “Steinbeck Country.” He began his writing career in earnest at the age of 10 by winning a county-wide short-story contest, and hasn’t let up since. He graduated from Vassar College with an A.B. in English, and from the University of Southern California’s Master of Professional Writing program with an M.F.A. He is the author of nearly a dozen novels, six featuring bodyguard Atticus Kodiak, and three featuring Tara Chace, the protagonist of his Queen & Country series. Additionally, he has penned several short-stories, countless comics, and the occasional non-fiction essay. In comics, he has had the opportunity to write stories featuring some of the world’s best-known characters—Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman—as well as penning several creator-owned properties himself, such as Whiteout and Queen & Country, both published by Oni Press. His work has been optioned several times over, and his services are in high-demand in a variety of creative fields as a story-doctor and creative consultant. Greg resides in Portland, Oregon, with his wife, author Jennifer Van Meter, and his two children. He thinks the biggest problem with the world is that people aren’t paying enough attention.

This fun espionage thriller overflows with geopolitical intrigue. Written with obvious relish by Rucka, author of the Atticus Kodiak novels, and rendered in stark b&w, cinematic panels by Fernandez, this work finds the British security team S.I.S. in a post-September 11 world, ready to strike at any potential terrorist threat. When a Lebanese citizen walks into a British embassy in Cairo and says he has information about a potential attack on British citizens, the unit moves into action across the globe, from Sarajevo to Rome, before finally tracing their villain in Osaka, on the verge of unleashing poison gas at a World Cup match. The characters, who are a typical blend of the tough guy, the pretty boy, the tough girls, etc., are somewhat interchangeable, but the action moves along at a brisk, suspenseful pace. In fact, Rucka does something unusual with the genre: his heroes appear to stumble a bit until they just happen upon the puzzle's solution at the very end. Most of the knock-down, drag-out action occurs as the characters chase various leads around the world. The actual ending-a simple shoot-out-is a pleasantly subdued way to end a story that's really about the chase anyway. Rucka focuses on detective work instead of highlighting heroics. There are a few forgettable subplots (one romantic, one political) but this book's pleasure lies in following the chase's twists and turns. Rucka and Fernandez accomplish this almost as well as any novel or film of the genre.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.