All throughout April and May, we’re crowdsourcing a coronavirus quarantine comics reading list. Each weekday for a month, we’ll post a new recommendation from someone in the comics industry to help folks get through the isolation. This includes writers, artists, letterers, editors, comics journalists, publicists, and more…all paired with a local shop that’s currently selling the books via mail order.

Today’s pick comes from writer Anthony Del Col…enjoy!

True crime is one of the most fascinating – and popular genres of storytelling these days. From the shocking twists and turns in television versions of stories, to the auditory intoxication in the podcast format, people can’t seem to get enough of it. 

I think that some of the best true crime stories being told, though, are in comics. I think that this is something often overlooked, but hopefully people will really take notice. One of the books that I hope will turn that tide is TWO DEAD (Oni Press), by Van Jensen and Nate Powell.

A story set in Arkansas in 1946, the story has everything a reader would want – murder, crooked cops, mafia, conspiracy, racism, WWII trauma and a distinct southern setting. 

See? Isn’t that enough to want to check it out?

Gideon Kemp, a WWII veteran fighting PTSD, joins the Little Rock, Arkansas police force as an idealistic lieutenant. He’s teamed up with Abraham Bailey, a crooked (and perhaps schizophrenic) Chief of Detectives to track down a serial killer. Meanwhile, Jacob Davis is chief of a black police force that goes up against his brother Esau and a criminal organization. All four head towards a collision course and a thrilling climax that tackles the stated theme, “Stay a cop long enough you go down one of three paths: you become a cynic, a reformer, or a drunk.”

The creative team behind this Southern Gothic tale is top-notch. Van Jensen (The Flash, James Bond: Casino Royale) does a superb job of telling a layered story that in lesser hands could be melodramatic and overwrought. And award-winning artist Nate Powell (March Trilogy) again proves himself to be one of comics’ top illustrators with strong inks and innovative panels. -Anthony Del Col

Anthony Del Col is a best-selling writer of comics and podcasts. His most recent titles are Audible’s Assassin’s Creed: Gold and the upcoming comic, The Death of Nancy Drew.

Two Dead
Writer: Van Jensen
Artist: Nate Powell
Publisher: Oni Press
After World War II, tensions rise in a Southern city ruled by organized crime, touching countless residents as they struggle to make sense of the new world. A sudden act of violence sets off a series of bloody events between the police and mafia as they lash out against one another. As the violence worsens, desperation grows to stop it, by any means necessary.

Get it from a local comic shop with this directory from the Comics Industry Collective of stores open and doing mail order!

Click here for the full coronavirus reading list!