A Look at The Safest Place

What spare time I had, I spent reading The Safest Place collected edition from Image Comics’ defunct 12 Gauge Comics publishing line. One way I’d like to analogize this book is by calling it an armor plated rhino rampaging through a mortar field.


In his childhood, tragedy befell combat photographer Matthew Castle, leaving him numb in ever aspect of his humanity, emotionally and physically, but children are the weakness of his conscience and heart. When a kidnapped girl and all the circumstances surrounding her disappearance send Matthew on a global mystery hunt from Afghanistan, to Texas, to Sudan, the action kicks into high gear, but it’s the characters’ personalities that are at full throttle throughout the entire book. The Safest Place is a character driven mystery where none of the players mind kicking you in the face – hard.

It was written by political journalist Victor Riches and writing veteran Steven Grant – the man who turned The Punisher from a potential comic book regular into the malicious badass most of us fell in love with, while providing the art is the always reliably marvelous Tom Mandrake.

I don’t normally give in to jealousy – it’s a waste of time and emotion – but damn Victor Riches; as I am unfamiliar and dare I say ignorant of his work, having never written a comic book before, he strikes gold, getting to work with two of the greatest in their respective fields. Now, I’m anxious to read some of his speeches and articles despite my lack of political interests, but good writing is good writing.

Steven Grant is the blunt force trauma of comic books. He is the sledgehammer to the brain that most comic book readers need but are too afraid and intellectually stunted to appreciate. He doesn’t parade around plots with unnecessary dialogue or drawn out, quiet scenes. He shoves it all down your throat and hopes you choke. Read Badlands, My Flesh is Cool; even his Marvel’s X-Man run had more balls and story in one issue than a modern day 12-part event comic. He remembers when the single issue was the event.

Tom Mandrake is a master craftsman. It interesting, reading how he experimented with his overall approach and design on The Safest Place, working with smaller frames and new inking techniques, but the black and white production rendered his art beautifully. I wish we could get an artist’s edition of some of his past work and am very much looking forward to his upcoming Dark Horse horror comic written by the endlessly cool Lance Henriksen – To Hell You Ride.

The Safest Place is a bare knuckle brawl of emotions and they’re all sporting brass knuckles thanks to the talent gathered for this gut wrenching tale.

Here's a link to a 2008 interview with all three creators, talking about the book.