Mike Suggests: West Coast Blues

West Coast Blues by Jean-Patrick Manchette and Jacques Tardi

George Gerfaut is a disaffected executive salesman, distanced from his wife and children, with a fondness only for his nightly glasses of scotch. He's certainly not the most lovable of men, but not the kind of guy who would have hitmen on his trail--at least not until he helps a wounded motorist he finds in a car wreck. This is another fantastic example of the crime noir genre that's popping up in graphic novels; others include Parker: The Hunter, Miss Don't Touch Me, and Sin City. West Coast Blues is written and drawn by two individuals considered the top of their field in France: Jacques Tardi has won every major European cartooning award, and Jean-Patrick Manchette was considered one of the best crime novelists.