One of my favorite comic book series of 2011 was Viktor Kalvachev’s Blue Estate. I described it as “a hardboiled crime series that takes place in modern day Los Angeles. It’s got a sleazy action hero actor with a passing resemblance to Steven Seagal, the Russian Mafia, the Italian Mafia, a geeky fanboy private eye in his 40s, a B-movie actress, drugs, alcohol, strippers, hookers, and seedy establishments. It’s dirty and gritty and a lot of fun, in an LA Confidential way.
The series has been anthologized into two trade paperbacks. Vol 1 (collecting issues 5-8) is available now, and Vol 2 (collecting issues 1-4) is due in stores January 11, 2012. If you missed the comics the first time they came around, these anthologies are a great way to catch up on what Comicbuzz.com called “one of the best comics on the racks today, not to mention one of the best crime comics ever.”