Graphic Novel Review: A CALCULATED MAN

A CALCULATED MAN #1 - #4 by Paul Tobin and Alberto Alburquerque (AfterShock Comics, trade paperback edition releasing on August 09, 2023)

Synopsis on the Goodreads website:

A verifiable math genius, Jack Beans used to run the numbers for the Pinafore crime family, until one day he ran them too well and concluded that the only way out of this life was in a casket or Witness Protection. So, he turned state's evidence and ran.

Now, the Pinafores are out to end their favorite accountant. Little do they know that Jack's skills with math and his perfect memory have made him a better killer than they ever could have realized. What follows is a journey full of murder, mayhem and mathematics.

Writer Paul Tobin (BUNNY MASK, MY DATE WITH MONSTERS) and artist Alberto Alburquerque (The Amazing Spider-Man, Savage Sword) unleash a master of math on a mission to eliminate a criminal empire for good.

This 120-page volume contains the entire series, issues #1-4.

My Five-Star Review on the Goodreads website . . . . . .

If you believe that crime comics can be just as good as print format short stories and novels (as I do) then A CALCULATED MAN is a perfect example of that should you need evidence to support your testimonial. Tobin's story is so clever and entertaining that it's already been optioned for a potential video mini-series. Imagine if Marvel's Frank Castle/The Punisher had the same smarts as the main character in A BRILLIANT MIND movie.

     Former accountant/number fixer for the mob Jack Beans has a mind for mathematics. He sees numbers in colors and is a brilliant tactician. Realizing that he's got too many skills to put himself at risk, he asks permission to retire from the mob. Crime boss of the Keys gang agrees, provided Jack performs one last task - - - work up a plan to rub out his competitor. When Jack learns that he can never exit the mob, he goes into the Witness Protection Program and becomes an informant - - making him Enemy #1 with his former employer. He makes an error in Year 3 of his freedom and makes a public appearance where he is recognized by the mob.

     Instead of fleeing, Beans works out a plan to eliminate all the major players of the crime family - - kill or be killed. Throughout the four issues of the series, Beans employs trickery and traps to overcome his numbers disadvantage. There's a twisty reveal in the final issue but things work out favorably for all. 

     Plenty of humor, a love interest, plenty of drama, plenty of action. Jack Beans is a very likable character and most readers will find themselves rooting for him. The art team of Alberto Albuquerque and Mark Englert is the absolute perfect choice to depict the action with a light-hearted touch that enhances the fun of this book.

     I read this a second time. For further appreciation I imagined a former lawyer for a modern-day criminal as Jack Beans and watched with glee as he took out the various crooked associates and goons of his boss. The ending was so satisfying. It's not real life, but I can dream - can't I?