This article was originally published on March 13th, 2023.
About Pimp Killer
Comic book writer Ghezal Omar is delving into graphic noir crime fighting with the release of Pimp Killer. Although, if the name isn’t clear enough, this graphic novel is far from a PG rated detective procedural.
In Pimp Killer, LA Jones has carved out quite a name for herself as this one-woman-wrecking-ball-bounty-hunter, who will exact the kind of justice that will make pimps think twice before going into the trade of sex trafficking.
Thanks to artist Ayhan Hayrula, Pimp Killer can best be described as a reverse Jackie Brown graphic novel, both in tone and style. Aspects which I’ll delved into throughout this article.
Reader beware: this article contains spoilers.
Pimp Killer Recap
Pimp Killer introduces us to LA Jones’ sordid crime-noir the same way all crime-noir stories do: with the protagonist behind bars in a local police station. What I can assume is the Detective-in-charge, Max, lets LA out, leading to the following scene where Max is discreetly handing over intel on a pimp that LA has been following for a while: Lucky Strykes. After a quick feed in the car, Max drops off LA at a nearby homeless encampment, where we learn about the empathy LA Jones feels towards the down trodden – as she gives the remainder of her meal to a homeless kid and leaves her card with the promise to help if they ever need it.
Ending up at a local diner, LA is enjoying a coffee as she scopes out the locals and notices a woman with her boyfriend. The woman sports multiple facial bruises and so LA enquiries with the waitress, Wendy, about the suspicious-looking couple. She gives Wendy her card and asks her to call if either of them turn up at the diner again. With Wendy being more than happy to oblige.
Noticing the boyfriend of the battered woman get up to go to the men’s room, LA sits opposite the battered woman, asking questions about whether the boyfriend is hurting her. She, of course, flatly denies it and LA leaves her card telling her to call if she ever wants to leave the boyfriend. Who, speaking of which, appears at the booth and starts yelling at LA. Prompting a quick squeeze and yank of the testicles as he learns very quickly that LA Jones is not the kind of woman to threaten.
We’re introduced to the H-Wood Inn, where LA Jones sets up her base of operations and is trying to figure out the best way to track down (and take out) Lucky Stryker. Promoting a much needed stiff drink at Bings Bar, where she meets with her colleagues-with-benefits contact, Brett, as an extremely hot sex scene takes place over the next two pages.
One that feels less about just one of them getting off, which is the failing of a lot of these crime-noirs, and more about mutual satisfaction of both of them. After things start to “wrap up” and during the post-sex pillow talk we learn that Brett will do anything to help out LA. Which suits her out just fine as LA will do anything to avenge the death of a dead hooker.
While this is happening, the woman from the bar suffers at the hands of her boyfriend when LA Jones’ business card if discovering. Leading to LA Jones taking some money from strip club owner, Naomi, who wants the boyfriend of her highest paid stripper, Tiff, to pay for knocking her teeth out. With that business taken care of, LA gets up to leave the strip club, but not before enjoying one of the best lap dances that money can by.
Back at the H-Wood Inn, Brett informs LA that Lucky Strykes has put a bounty out on her head. He urges her to get out of town, but not before a stray bullet comes sailing through her room, placing both LA and Brett in imminent danger. Brett removes his gun from its holster and fires back but is taken out, instantly.
Nine days later, LA Jones wakes up in the bed of Simone who says that LA needs to get back out there and on the case of Lucky Strykes. It turns out that Simone was in the same dangerous profession as LA Jones – liberating hookers from their pimps – a danger made all too clear as they discuss their shared trauma over the freshly laid grave of Brett.
The next scene is set inside LA’s car as she watches a prostitute get picked up by a client. As the client starts to assault her at his hotel room, LA busts through the door, whip in hand and takes care of this “John.” In return, the hooker (Amber) is more than happy to provide more intel on Lucky Strykes. After she gets what she wants she leaves Amber some money to get out of town, leaving LA to take care of businesses – removing the abusive John’s testicles with a set of pliers. Youch!
Having finally located Lucky Strykes at the home of a woman called Malena, LA charges in with her gun aimed at Lucky who’s in the middle of receiving the world’s best blowjob, but not before LA is blindsided by another woman who pistol-whips her. Simone then busts in and starts firing her gun, taking out Lucky’s two goons which prompts a car chases but, thanks to Simone’s expert driving skills, the two women make a clean getaway. Leaving Lucky’s car wrapped around a telegraph pole.
Back at Simone’s, the pair soak in a bubble bath, with Simone far from pleased that LA set her up to come out of retirement to save her and kill two goons in the process. After saying a few sweet nothings to one another LA receives a call, being asked to come to the police station to identify a body. But before she leaves for the police station she asks Simone to get rid of the testicle-less abuser who is still in the trunk of her car.
LA arrives at the police station to identify the battered woman we first met at the diner earlier in the story which sees LA Jones deliver a savage ass-kicking of th abusive boyfriend, complete with her trademark whip, a roundhouse kick to the face and being stabbed in the throat.
LA Jones will do anything to avenge a fellow woman whose been abused and leave the streets a little safer for hookers everywhere.
Pimp Killer Review
Writer Ghezal Omar takes the simple premise of a revenge thriller graphic novel and elevates it to Tarantino-level qualities. There’s something about LA Jones exacting vengeance on pimps who exploit women that gives her character a neo-noir feel to the story. Omar’s characters feel fleshed out, raw and real. Each has their own voice of pain, varying degrees of trauma and suffering as they wade through lower class Americana. There’s a dark atmosphere to this story. Whether it’s Omar’s story or the substance of the characters being the lowest of the low, it’s clear this gang of antagonists are well-versed in oppressing women and getting away with it.
Ayhan Hayrula’s artwork reinforces the neo-noir revenge story idea and walks a precarious tight-rope between sordid thriller and revenge killing slop. The tone in the artwork feels yanked from a cop procedural but at the same time there’s a certain level of honesty in how Hayrula approaches the design of LA Jones’ character. From her dealings as a vengeful private eye to the delicateness of the sex scenes to the severing of testicles with a set of pliers, it could have been outright gratuitous and graphic but instead it stays within the boundaries of what a crime noir story should always be.
Overall Thoughts
Pimp Killer isn’t perfect. There are aspects of the story which I feel could’ve been explored further. For instance, the connections tp how they all know Lucky Stryker seems a bit too convenient. Instead I would’ve liked to see more of an underworld thread that eventually led to Stryker. But then, procedurals are far from an easy craft to master and Pimp Killer isn’t exactly a clean cut cop-procedural nor is it a savage revenge story. That’s what makes it so provocative. It exists somewhere in the realm of William Freidkin’s Jade. It would’ve been a sight to see what Ghezal Omar could’ve done with a 150-200 page slow burn graphic novel – but I don’t always get what I want.
Pimp Killer is savage and sexy. It roots out the worst parts of society and recruits them for the right kind of revenge thriller. Hopefully this isn’t the last we’ll see of LA Jones.
Score: 8/10.
