Parker: The Score (Richard Stark's Parker)
Cooke rolls out another savvy effort in this third adaptation of the classic Parker thrillers by Richard Stark (aka Donald E. Westlake). As adept an adapter as he is an artist, Cooke knows just when to let his retro-sophisticated drawings do the talking and when to let Stark’s words take over. Because, in any case, they both hammer home the same point: you do not mess with Parker. This story brings the professional thief in on an elaborate scheme to rob an entire town blind in one fell swoop. That means a lot of people need to be involved, which isn’t Parker’s style, but the sheer audacity of it all proves an irresistible temptress. With a dozen microlocations and at least as many important players, the machinery of the heist could easily have compromised the tension of the story. But Cooke stages it all like a pro, nimbly guiding readers through the intricate plot, and it’s a blast. Another notch in the belt for one of comics’ hardest-boiled crime series, and more evidence for the court as to Cooke’s skill and the strength of the source material. --Ian Chipman