High Rollers

Who can forget the action drama High Rollers? The 2008 blockbuster was filled with A List in roles you never imagined some of your favorites ever playing.

Jamie Foxx played CQ, a captain in one of L.A.'s deadliest gangs.

Will Smith starred as Trey Loc, the coke-addled leader of a South Central drug empire.

Thandie Newton portrayed Rita, a desperate woman willing to make a deal with the devil to save her family.

Ben Stiller as Machete, a smarmy bookie with a knack for the ponies.

Wait a minute? You've never heard of this film? Oh, that's right. That's because High Rollers was a 2008 graphic novel from Boom Studios. But I didn't lie about the amazing cast that fills these pages. Artist Sergio Carrera (Green Lantern) illustrates a slew of amazing talent as the players in this story that has no heroes; only devils and fallen angels. Carrera also casts Matthew Modine, Jason Stratham and Outkast's Andre3000 in important roles in this story. There might be other celebs in here that I just don't recognize. But thanks to the likenesses I did recognize, High Rollers feels like watching a movie from an alternate earth.

High Rollers is written by crime novelist Gary Phillips (Perdition, U.S.A.). With titles like Peepland and Vigilante: Southland under his belt, this is not the author's first and only foray into comics and graphic novels. However, I liked his overall story a lot better than the prose chapter that introduces all the major players at the beginning of this book. I am also glad I didn't give up on High Rollers because of that opening segment.

The prose part of High Rollers is filled with dime paperback cliches. The dialogue reads like a stereotype of blacks and South Central gangs. Not the kind of stuff I'd expect from an award winning author. Phillips in an interview with Greg Rucka (Whiteout), found at the back of this book, mentions that editor Mark Waid (Daredevil) made some notes on story improvement that Phillips wasn't a big fan of. But he did agree on some 'compromises.' With such a large cast and how the story begins in the middle of CQ's latest assignment from his boss, perhaps some story setup was needed. However, the quality of those pages didn't meet the superiority of the majority of this book.

This story is presented in 4 chapters. Chapters 1-3 of High Rollers is action-packed as CQ rises in the ranks as head of the gang. The first half of chapter 4 continues at that pace. But the way everything feels rushed to the conclusion, I wasn't satisfied with the ending. I like more definite endings. High Rollers concludes with the promise of more to come. Yet, it's 14 years later and there doesn't seem to be a sequel out there. 

I also know that we aren't supposed to judge a book by its cover. But when the cover includes items that you cannot find anywhere in the book, that annoys me. The outline of the stripper is okay as even though there are no scenes occurring in a strip club, it is mentioned a couple of times that some characters enjoy the company of them as lovers. However, there are playing cards on the front and a roulette wheel on the back cover and that's not the kind of gambling that occurs in High Rollers. Machete is a bookie to whom Rita's husband is greatly in debt. I'm also assuming that the 'high' in the title is in regards to the drugs dealt by CQ's gang. 

High Rollers was originally released as a 4-issue miniseries. The prose prologue was added just to the graphic novel. So if I had read the floppies instead of the trade paper back, I might have a slightly different attitude towards the beginning of the story. That still leaves the ending, which in my mind is still unforgivable. 

Also, I read this as a trade. So while I understand that my attitude towards the cover and chosen title might also be varied, my feelings towards this format remains the same. It's like watching Blade Runner. You have differing attitudes to the director's cut version you view. Still, the interior artwork was an amazing star-studded affair that kept me reading. So did the improved storytelling. I would just recommend that you find the back issues instead of reading the trade if High Rollers is of interest to you!

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.