Ten Grand is one of those stories that hasn't been excessively hyped, so it might slip under your radar for the first issue. Don't let it. Joe (the Joe in the story, not to be confused with the author or the name of the imprint itself) is a complex and fascinating antihero, and the series calls to mind Constantine and Dante and every great revenge story I've ever encountered. TEN GRAND is mysterious and familiar at the same time, and the beautifully painted pages charge the narrative with emotion. I'm anxious to see where the story takes us, and curious how many times Joe will die before he reaches the end of his path -- and whether he'll get to truly be with Laura again. Read Full Review

Somewhere in this, in the muck of Straczynski's bold elevation of neonoir, there's a perfectly good Master's Thesis waiting to be written. Ten Grand comes with absolutely the highest, must unreserved praise. Read Full Review

Ten Grand tells the story of Joe Fitzgerald, a former mob enforcer turned clean up man for Heaven. His price for this work is"should he die a righteous death"he can spend five minutes in Heaven with his dead girlfriend, Laura before being resurrected. It's a masterfully told tale that plays to Straczynski's skills at world building and dialogue and is beautifully presented through Ben Templesmith's artwork. This title is slated to run for twelve issues and represents the first in a string of titles coming from the newly resurrected Joe's Comics imprint, now housed by Image. The mandate for Joe's Comics is to tell good stories with the best talents in the field and to try new things with the medium, similar to Mark Waid's Thrillbent. Ten Grand 1 is an excellent issue and bodes as an auspicious beginning for some excellent comics. To say that I'm excited would be to state the obvious. Highly recommended. Read Full Review

New readers, get on this! It's a new miniseries, with no ties to preexisting work, so there is nothing to research. It's just a great story perfect for anyone to jump into. Read Full Review

Go read it. Now. For those lamenting the loss of Hellblazer, don't worry. This has a remarkably similar tone and has unique, brooding dark art to boost. Like a knife to the throat, and a whisper in the dark. Thanks Image, and Joe's Comics. You've given us a rare perfect comic. Read Full Review

Anybody who has taken umbrage with DC comics' watered down version of John Constantine should take note of Ten Grand. This is how supernatural noir in comics should be done. I really loved this first issue and I think if it continues on with the strength of this debut it will be another gem in Image Comic's vast array of jewels at the moment. Read Full Review

Ten Grand is the kind of comic I knew Straczynski could do, but had to see it for myself to truly believe. Im happy I gave Ten Grand a chance and for anyone else out there that might be skeptical, put that aside, this is a detective story that will surprise you as much as it did me. A well crafted first issue that deserves as many eyes as possible, Ten Grand #1 is already impressive. Just imagine how good Ten Grand will be by the time its done. A great new series that cant help but get stronger as it goes on. Read Full Review

TEN GRAND leaves you immersed in not only the written story, but the untold words of the accompanying art as well. Fan favorite Ben Templesmith provides his iconic designs, mixing heavy inks with delicate pen work and making each image literally drip off the page. Writer J. Michael Straczynski is an old hand on this circuit as well, and though he is better known as the creator of BABYLON 5, he's also lauded for work on RISING STARS, THOR and a six year run on THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN. This combo has created an astounding new comic that touches on a bit of everything, from love to death to monsters of both man and creation. While it harks back to the old detectives stories, it also manages to stay relevant, deftly mixing strippers and mohawks with fine whiskey and cigars. Read Full Review

Not to be missed! This is my pick of the week. Do I want more? To quote the final dialogue, “…yes…” Read Full Review

This titles premier issue was a fantastic start to what I hope becomes a very successful series. Joe Fitzgerald is an interesting take on a classical character archetype, and Im definitely looking forward to seeing what the future has in store for him. Read Full Review

This book is something unusual, but in a good way. If you separated the art from the writing you probably wouldn't think they go together at all, but after reading through the first issue I don't think you could've found a more perfect match. Read Full Review

Ten Grand is a fantastic fusion of supernatural, crime noir/PI, and love stories that make for an excellent read. JMS has crafted a story that feels familiar yet goes off in a new direction. Templesmith's art pulls off the story's feeling of despair splendidly. If you were left wanting more stories like Hellblazer, this is definitely one for you. Read Full Review

The first issue of Ten Grand reads like a "How-To" for kicking off a new series. Some of the themes and characters will seem a bit familiar, but that isn't a bad thing. They are quickly built upon so that the scaffolding doesn't show. If I had to recommend one issue of one new series to pick up, it's this one. Do yourself a favor and jump on board this thing while it's still on the shelves. Ebay prices are way too high on excellent first issues to try and get this sucker later. Read Full Review

If you're looking for a touchy, heartfelt tear-jerker tale, then you best rent The Notebook, because you won't find it in this miniseries, but you will find the foundation of what has a ton of promise to become one of the best miniseries of 2013. The things we do for love, Straczynski reminds us, are never too farfetched. Read Full Review

Ten Grand is a gorgeously illustrated book that is able to become much more than the sum of its parts. Read Full Review

It's probably too early to declare Ten Granda new masterpiece, especially when Image themselves have a few contenders for that crown in the last month alone. What JMS has done is build a solid foundation for a world he intends to play with for a time. In the back-matter, he speaks of allowing the comic to go "for the length it requires, no more, no less". With an emphasis on story arcs, and gaps between them to ensure quality control, it is certainly looking like an ambitious and fun project worth sticking around for. Read Full Review

The story might not be totally original, but the fact it flies in the face of today's decompressed stories won it points in my book. Further that there's some great writing, some of the verbal exchanges are solid, and fantastic art makes it an easy suggestion that folks should be picking this one up. Read Full Review

JMS, in my mind, has suffered a kind of anti-apotheosis. From him we received the glories of "Babylon 5" seasons 2, 3 and 4"some of the best serialized science fiction, even though a bit of their luster has been lost to time. Conversely, he also burdened us with "Babylon 5" season 5 and "Lost Tales," "Legend of the Rangers," "Thirdspace," "The Gathering," "The River of Souls" and, depending to whom you talk, "Crusade." But I could write all day about "Babylon 5" and the seemingly Sisyphean efforts he undertook to keep it on the air"all that to say I've long thought that Straczynski peaked in the 90s with "B5" after a strong career as a writer for animated and live-action shows. "Ten Grand" has forced me to reappraise the man and here I find him in full command of his narrative abilities*. I went into the book expecting the mundane but got something remarkable. Read Full Review

Ten Grand #1 is full of dark, gritty, noir, supernatural goodness set at a very slow and intimate pace. Fans of horror and supernatural stories set to the tone of Hellblazer but much more intimate and character focused will eat this one up. It may have a few flaws in the way the dialogues and narrations are written, but flaws can be character building, too. Give different a shot. Read Full Review

This is a promising & strong beginning for what I believe will be a very entertaining series. The unstoppable force known as Image, does it again. Read Full Review

Straczynski and Templesmith have proven to be a perfect match for a series like this one, and readers should expect great things from the upcoming installments. Read Full Review

Ten Grand #1 is not a perfect beginning but it does more than enough to warrant a recommendation. Read Full Review

Ten Grand is full of well-trodden ideas, but shows the potential to rise above the trappings of its genres. Read Full Review

Paranormal procedurals can be tricky to pull off, since a mystery story is typically most satisfying when the impossible becomes the inevitable, and Joe seems to be operating in a universe where not much seems "impossible" in the first place. But even if JMS fails to completely stick the landing (or even finish the thing), as has been the case with previous books like Rising Stars, Squadron Supreme, and Midnight Nation, he and Templesmith promise that it'll be an engaging ride along the way. Read Full Review

Overall, it's not a homerun for me, but the team took a familiar concept and made it unique enough that I'll be back for another round. That is, after all, the point of a first issue, isn't it? Read Full Review

"Ten Grand" #1 didn't blow me away as I hoped it might, but there was more than enough good here to warrant a look at issue #2. The art alone warrants it. The story has a ton of potential, especially now that the pesky "wife in refrigerator" trope is out of the way. Read Full Review

And while it may be fun to look at these characters, there still should be more there. JMS plants lots of seeds here that, so far, appear to be playing out exactly as you'd expect them to. However, there is room for growth all over, and hopefully this first issue's goal was simply to set the tone and pace for the series, and then #2 really kicks the story into high gear. If not, this will be a slight but enjoyable work that doesn't hold a candle to what either creator can really do. Read Full Review

Ten Grand has some ideas here in the first issue. The story doesn't feel too original but it doesn't feel completely tired either. The plot isn't fully cooked but there is enough in here to show the main character's general motivation. I'm not sure this book gets a second look without the creators attached but I am definitely willing to see where this is going. This is a decent read. Read Full Review

JMS is a notorious for slow pacing in his work. But in the past (think Thor), he was at least giving us something to come back for. The world of story here isn't something we haven't seen before in other supernatural-tinged work, but it might be too early to actually say that. Certain elements (such as the way Joe summons the angel) are interesting but not enough to pick up a book. Templesmith's art really carries this issue along but JMS is going to have to step it up to keep readers coming back. Read Full Review

Perhaps I would have liked it better had they revealed the plot a lot less and explained the world a lot more. But that's just me. Read Full Review

Templesmith can't save this derivative story. Unless you are super-into demonic possession and hard-boiled PIs, I can't see much to recommend in this tale. I can appreciate people wanting a dose of Templesmith art in their life, but just go buy one of his other classics. Read Full Review