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Earlier this week, I found out that IDW had posted a preview of cartoonist Darwyn Cooke’s adaptation of the first Parker novel, “The Hunter.” Since I last blogged about Cooke’s graphic novel project, I did some hunting of my own and picked up a copy of the reissue of “The Hunter” from University of Chicago Press. Surprisingly, “The Hunter” was even more heartless than I expected. For as ruthless as the Parker-inspired protagonists of “Point Blank” and “Payback” are, Parker himself possesses an amorality that is unmatched by his movie screen brethren. While they are motivated by revenge and principle, Parker is a man doesn’t always have a reason for his actions. He awareness of this hollowness leaves Parker not struggling with his conscience but grasping for purpose for his actions. The emotional distance that he possesses may make him a monstrous man, but it also makes him incredibly human.

Cooke’s preview pages, nineteen in all, do a great job of capturing this distance. From the cool quality of the spot color to Cooke’s choice of obscuring Parker’s face for most his introductory pages, the cartoonist utilizes a collection of techniques to capture the mood set by author Donald Westlake’s (credited under pen name Richard Stark) writing. Just like in Westlake’s narrative, Cooke leaves Parker fairly mysterious early on. Instead, he lets the reactions of the people Parker interacts with to form the readers’ impression of Parker.

Judging from the preview pages, Darwyn Cooke seems to have an incredibly strong grasp of “The Hunter.” I can’t wait for the graphic novel. Publisher of the adaptation, IDW, perfectly timed the first look to prey on the excitement it generated, as it is up for order in the latest Previews.

You can check out the preview here.

-Nick

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