With a comic book mini-series, as with any book composed of individual chapters, a disappointing finale or final chapter will taint the entire work, no matter how good the "rest of the book" is. Perhaps, Nunzio & Christina had that in mind when they composed a train wreck of an ending for their Oni Press mini, THREE STRIKES.

The finale, however, is a train wreck of emotional, not structural, proportions. It is an almost brilliant end to the tale of Rey Quintana, hunted to desperation because he stole cheap jewelry and because an ambitious District Attorney decided to make an example of Rey, using him as fodder for a political campaign. This is the kind of good reading that I wish I could get from the duo's NEW MUTANTS for Marvel, which is good, but tepid compared to 3S.

The choice of Brian Hurtt to illustrate this series was a fortuitous one. He transforms this urban drama into a baroque horse opera for it's closing chapter, complete with a saloon-style (grocery store) shootout, murdered deputies, gritty and determined lawmen (bail enforcement agent), and a duel in the setting sun. In the last six pages, Hurtt ably conveys the complex yet simple message Nunzio and Christina were determined to send to their present audience and to anyone who reads this in the future. Grade A-