Near Death #7
Written By Jay Faerber
Art By Simone Guglielmini
Colors By Ron Riley
Letters By Charles Pritchett
Cover By Francesco Francavilla
Price: $2.99
Image Comics
Release date: April 18, 2011

Near Death, an ongoing comic book series from Image Comics, tells the story of a hit man who decides to change his life for the better. Markham was once a hit man, but after he’s gunned down on a job that goes wrong, he has a near death experience as he’s dying. Markham gets a vision of Hell, his current final destination, and it is inhabited by the people that he’s previously killed. After seeing where he could possibly end up, Markham comes back to life and vows to save a life for every life that he’s taken.

In Near Death #7, Markham has decided to help a former convict that has also turned his life around. The former convict, Naseer Ali, needs Markham’s help to convince his younger brother, Devon, that a life in a gang is not his true calling. Devon must decide if living his life in a gang is ultimately worth it or should he pursue his true talents of being a writer.

Near Death is hands down one of my favorite comics to come out of Image Comics in the last year. I’m a huge fan of crime comics and I’m also a huge fan of writer Jay Faerber. Faerber is great with character development and story. With this particular issue, he brings his best work. This issue was fantastic. The main character, Markham, was more of a supporting character in this issue. The story mainly focused on the relationship of the two brothers, Naseer and Devon. Although, it also shed a little light on the pasts of Markham and Naseer and how it’s mirroring what Devon is currently experiencing.

The art by Simone Guglielmini is great. Writer Jay Faerber has a great knack for finding fantastic artist and Guglielmini is no exception. Seven issues in and the art continues to impress me more and more.

Overall, I loved Near Death #7. Every issue of this series impresses me and this particular issue is the best one yet. If you can’t tell, I’m a fan of this series and I think you should give it a try. It’s an interesting story, fantastic art, and you’ll have a fun time reading this one.