Reviews

• “Here we have something extremely rare: a best-selling Swedish author who actually dares to challenge his winning concept by trying something entirely new. Because sadly, Swedish crime/thriller graphic novels are practically unheard of. A few years ago, Jens Lapidus became one of those authors whose books you would see in the hands of at least ten people while making a half-an-hour journey by public transport. First with Easy Money and then with Never Fuck Up. Lapidus and Bergting skillfully and convincingly describe the shadow world that has arisen, where a growing part of the Swedish population live outside of society, writing their own laws and creating their own hierarchies. /…/ Bergting´s realistic drawings in faded color schemes correspond brilliantly to Lapidus´ sharpened sense for contemporary language. A very successful pioneers' work.”

• “Gang War 145 is strikingly illustrated by Peter Bergting, it´s cinematically and personally done. Text and image complement each other well – almost like in Beckett play where the stage directions provide new dimensions to the dialogue.”

• “[It is] the graphic novel medium's dual capacity to create atmospheres and to constantly change perspectives, that brings it to life.”

• “Together with Peter Bergting´s thoroughly professional narrative imagery, Lapidus has created an action comic of high quality. /…/ The narrative style of Gang War 145 is reminiscent of Frank Miller, the creator of the Sin City comics. It´s paired down and driven, a page turner that charges on like an action movie.”

• “It is about time Swedish comics establish fresh and non-biographical points of departure. Lapidus and Bergting convincingly reintroduce the dark, American, graphic novel to Sweden.”

• “This season's most important novel is sneaked out onto the market disguised as a graphic novel. And not just any old comic book, but possibly – objectively speaking – the best Swedish comic book ever. /…/ Bergting illustrates realistically. So well that it brings tears to my eyes. Everything is just right: proportions, perspectives, composition, disposition, facial expressions. /…/ With Gang War 145, Jens Lapidus and Peter Bergting prove that one can create meaningful graphic novels in Sweden in 2009.”

• “Gang War 145 has more in common with Matteo Garrone´s Napolitan gangsters in [the film adaption of Roberto Saviano´s] Gomorra than with Coppola´s Godfather movies. There is no mythology for mafiosos to flatter themselves with in Lapidus and Bergting´s depiction. Just like in Gomorra, a boring and unglamorous reality filled with tragic individuals with cheap motifs is depicted. This is the best Swedish graphic novel I have ever read.”

• “I'm sucked into a realistic thriller about a Stockholm noir in gloomy, intelligently set colors. /…/ A hair-raising Stockholm battle with credible, frightening characterizations of gang members, and the policeman Hägerström as a worn out lone wolf and workaholic. Gang War 145 is heavy, tough, and unforgiving all the way to the final show down.”

• “Bergting´s illustrations and color scheme emphasize the dystopian atmosphere in Lapidus´s stories – which he labels Stockholm Noir – even more. /…/ In conclusion this is a very pleasant, new element in the Swedish crime field, and it passes with great distinction.”

• “In the fantastic hands of illustrator Peter Bergting, the Stockholm settings where Mahmud, Javier, Babak, and the policeman Hägerström operate are more raw and dark than ever. /…/ The result is an eye-catching novel, a moment of entertainment, and a credible portrait of the shady Stockholm underworld.”

• “Bergting´s dark, dramatic, and action packed illustrations are a perfect match to Lapidus´s language and style, and I also detect a hint of irony aimed at the hard-boiled genre itself. Very liberating and highly entertaining, and I can´t wait to get back to the couch because I still have a few cool pages to enjoy.”

• “This is a graphic novel for thriller-lovers and those who appreciated Lapidus's earlier books. They will, guaranteed, enjoy Gang War 145.”