Rick Geary is fascinated by stories of death. His graphic novels -- which he researches, writes and illustrates -- have focused primarily on death in the Victorian era and, more recently, the 20th (or XXth, as Geary prefers) century.

His most recent book heads to the American West in the late 1800s, where Billy the Kid -- the popular name was one of many he used -- lived, fought and died. Born Henry McCarty in 1859 in the Irish slums of New York, he later adopted the name William H. Bonney, among other aliases, as his reputation grew.

He rustled cattle and gunned down several men during his brief career. His exploits earned him friends and enemies alike, and certainly his notoriety blossomed after a daring prison break that left two guards dead.

But justice, in the person of Sheriff Pat Garrett, caught up with him. Twice, actually, since the first time, when the Kid was sentenced to hang, he managed to get away.

The second time, Garrett shot first, and the Kid died at age 21.

Geary's distinctive style of illustrating -- dramatic black ink on a white background, with no color and little shading -- is perfect for tales of this era. His characters are drawn realistically, not in an exaggerated style, and he moves the action along briskly.

Given the brevity of the graphic novel form, the book isn't long on detailed history. Geary skips along through Billy's brief life, detailing the high and low points while still providing plenty of insight into his character. The lion's share of the book is devoted to Billy's jailbreak on April 28, 1881, and his death on July 14 that same year.

It's a nice taste of history that keeps Billy the Kid's legend alive.