This is the first book in the Perico series, and it is a short but excellent introduction.

One of the tings I really enjoyed us the Cuban setting. This graphic novel had a good pace with a thrilling edge.

I only wish it had been longer.

This seems like a great start to what promises to be an exciting graphic novel.

'Perico' by Regis Hautiere with art by Philippe Berthet is a story set in the Cuba of yesteryear.

Joaquin is a young casino worker in a Havana, Cuba right before Fidel Castro takes over. His boss is a gangster, but Joaquin likes the money. When Joaquin falls for the bosses girlfriend, he ends up in trouble. It's compounded by taking a briefcase full of cash that his brother stole from a mafia courier. Now Joaquin is fleeing the country with trouble close behind.

It's set in Cuba, but I've read this same story set in many locations with crime families. It's also part 1 of 2, so this is not a complete story. The art works well and I liked the look of the book.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Europe Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

A dumb kid whose brother is in Castro's army falls for a hot girl who works at a lounge. She belongs to the major drug lord in Havannah, and is earmarked to become the President's mistress, so when dumb kid ends up with a briefcase full of cash stolen by his brother, he decides to run off with the hot girl to Florida and eventually Holliwood. Trouble is, both of them are extremely stupid so of course the Cuban mafia has no trouble following them.

The dangers and annoyances of having graphic books split into two short parts will all come out in Perico, which proves on this evidence to be such a forgettable set of crime story cliches that many fewer people will actively seek out the second half elsewhere than would stumble on this portion of the story. Yes, there is a little bit fresh here, with everyone on Cuba siding for or against Castro's freshly-started insurgency, but elsewhere the story is so bog standard as to need a far more expert summariser than me. We find a naive lad, working for the local crime bigwig, who ends up with a suitcase of the bigwig's cash, and so steals a femme fatale (yes, from the same crime bigwig's bigger and wiggier boss) and rushes off to alleged safety. Which proves harder to find when you have mafia power tracking you down… There's also a heap of the unlikely here, which is where I'll end that discussion – there is nothing horrendously bad here, after all, and you may still wish to look this up. Alternatively, seeing as the whole book is a set-up of cliches leading to part two, you may want to put the lie to what I said, and read the second half without needing the first. For me, as decently drawn as this graphic novel is, there's nothing to urge me to complete the set. Two and a half stars.

Another great graphic novel about crime and family. There is a lot going on in this one. I'll definitely recommend it.

Havana, Cuba in the last days of the Batista regime. Joaquin's older brother is one of Fidel's comrades and he asks Joaquin to help him spy on one of the casino customers. Joaquin does so and is drawn into a plot against some key mafia members who frequent the casino.

Suddenly Joaquin needs to run and he flees to the US with a woman who has been given to the gansters as a gift, and a suitcase full of mafia cash. The Cuban mafia are now on Joaquin's tail leaving a devastating trail of death and destruction behind them.

This is book one in the Perico series and it is a short but great start. I really liked the Cuban setting and the story has a good pace and and a thrilling edge. I wish it had been longer. I definitely want to know what happens to Joaquin because He quickly became my favourite character.

A really good start to what promises to be a thrilling graphic novel.

Copy provided by Europe Comics in exchange for an unbiased review.

This fast-paced crime thriller graphics novel captures the essence of Cuba once upon a time. Our main character decides to escape once money comes into his hands, and he wants to rescue the girl away from the mob boss. However, the kid is green and doesn't think his escape through, making one mistake after another, unable to out think the mobsters. I wish the story wasn't chopped into more than one novel, as this makes it harder to enjoy the full story.

Fortunately I got an English edition to read and review.
Again, through the medium of a graphic novel I was able to share an exotic journey. Europe Comics have produced a sultry story of Cuban crime pre the Revolution. Castro and his communist forces are holding their own but Havana was never a safe city and money laundering and corruption oil the wheels. International interestsand even the American Mafia syndicates have itchy feet and fingers.
This is a tale of young ambition and idealism. Joaquin works for a local casino boss, doing a bit of everything, he longs to earn real money as a croupier one day and escape like his Mother a nightclub singer and dancer managed.
He meets a beutiful young woman a trophy to be desired and given away. He learns that she is destined to be used to influence the president and become his whore.
Meanwhile his brother is fighting with a shadow group. His involvement leads further trouble to Joaquin's door, but with a little luck and a fair wind Joaquin believes heir can save the girl and escape Cuba.
I loved the sense of Havana and the intrique of associations and subterfuge it contrasts well to the naivety of the young man who sees a victim in the attractive woman who he feels has more beauty than even Elizabeth Taylor. This is a time of vintage culture and unrealised dreams adds to the romanticism of the period. The illustrations help share the journey and flight to Miami but the colour is always tainted with a darker hue as you learn those who have been inconvenienced will not rest or forgive. Part one ends with an open road ahead and points to the second instalment with the pursuit already engaged and hollywood dreams shatteredbefore you can whisper the name of the Scotish Play.