West Coast Blues

George Gerfaut stops to help an accident victim and is pulled into a lethal conflict involving hired killers. Tardi’s 2005 adaptation of Manchette’s novel turns Gerfaut’s comfortable routine into a life on the run.

The story’s force comes from how quickly normal middle-class habits lose their usefulness. Gerfaut adapts, but the survival skills he acquires are not reassuring.

Hardboiled pursuit thriller and social noir combine with Manchette’s cold attention to the mechanics of violence.

Tardi’s loose, forceful black-and-white line gives the chase momentum while leaving room for mordant comedy.