Library patrons of a certain age may remember when a crime wave hit local cinemas back in the 90s. Nothing was actually stolen but 
money was lost from fans who gladly spent their money on tickets to see films like Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, films that show the sometimes comedic and often chaotic world of criminals behaving criminally. Mugshots, written by Jordan Thomas and illustrated by Chris Matthews, is something of a throwback to that era, even if it does take place in the year 2008, while also managing to tell its own unique story.
As mentioned before, the story takes place in 2008 in a version of Bristol, UK that Guy Ritchie could have visited for inspiration. John Bannon might be an unrepentant criminal but he’s still a loving uncle, which is why he heads back to Bristol to help find his missing niece. Bristol is especially dangerous for John since crime boss Harry Woods has declared Bristol off limits for John. This means that John’s investigation into his niece’s disappearance will make him the target of gangsters, killers, and corrupt cops, all while a gang war threatens to tear the city apart.
For those patrons that love crime stories that follow Tarantino’s and Ritchie’s aesthetics, stories with twisted plots and casual violence, Thomas’s story more than provides. Many of these characters are immediately likable, or at least charismatic in the way that good villains are. In the book’s intro, Thomas says this about his characters: “These people are doing terrible things, but goddamn if they aren’t entertaining to spend time with.” Many of them are entertaining despite how they quickly and brutally resort to violence and intimidation to get what they want. Differentiating his story from filmmakers like Tarantino and Ritchie, Thomas avoids the pop culture quips and rapid fire exchanges that are often part of their films, instead focusing on efficiently telling a noir-ish story of how crime doesn’t always pay but one must eventually pay for their crimes, one way or the other.
This efficiency is also the theme in Matthews’s unique and eye-catching artwork. Matthews uses a retro art style that would look right at home on a poster for a thriller from the 60’s. Using minimal colors and details, Matthews still manages to clearly tell a story visually with dynamic movement from his characters, along with small touches like character designs with distinct head shapes and hairstyles, that make what’s going on in the story easy to follow.
This book from Mad Cave Studios shows how this studio is diversifying its offerings and not simply relying on horror and fantastic stories. Such diversity among their titles will put this publisher up there with other comic publishers like Image Comics and Dark Horse. Adult graphic novel fans who fondly remember 90’s crime movies, or who watched those movies on streaming, should like reading and untying this tangled plot to reveal a simple story of how crimes, both big and small, eventually catch up to us.
Mugshots
By Jordan Thomas
Art by Chris Matthews
Mad Cave Studios, 2025
ISBN: 9781545815915
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+)
