The Knives: A Criminal Book

The Knives is the latest entry in the Criminal series, a stand-alone graphic novel that works on its own and also displays all the hallmarks of excellence of these comics. This particular volume is one that weaves together several tales and features characters who have appeared in prior stories, operating an as introduction to this world and these comics in advance of the premiere of the Amazon adaptation. One of the main plot threads is about a writer that mirrors some of Brubaker's experiences in Hollywood, and the others involve an orphan being raised by an ex-boxer/current bar owner/keeper of the peace, a kidnapping scheme, a doomed love story, and an ex-soldier falling back into a pattern of violence.

If have ever read Criminal, many of these themes and stories are familiar, but I still feel that good genre work done with skill and craft is worth reading. And this book features exactly that. There are suspense, intrigue, interesting character moments, sex, violence, and questionable moral choices abounding. The artwork is aptly atmospheric and expressive. I have consistently loved Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips' collaborations, and this one is as good as any of their past work. If you are looking for some entertaining crime noir readings, this book is a good place to start.

The reviews I have read about this book have been mainly positive. Zac Owens called it "a book I truly loved to read." In a starred review, Thomas Batten summed up, "This ambitious and elegiac crime thriller is among the best of Brubaker and Phillips’s highly acclaimed collaborations." Steve Baxi has some issues with this book retreading familiar territory but also admits it is "charming more often than not."

The Knives was published by Image Comics, and they offer more information about it here. This book contains violence, sex, and profanity, and it is suggested for readers mature enough to deal with those things.

My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies

If you have read this blog for any length of time, you know I will read any comics Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips create. I have been blown away by their past efforts, like Sleeper, Criminal, Incognito, Fatale, The Fade-Out, and Kill or Be Killed. Their brand of action and intrigue in noir fashion has captivated and excited me over various iterations. This book is their return to the world of Criminal, only it's in the form of one self-contained graphic novel. Even though it builds on the series, I think that this book is affecting and accessible to readers who might not be familiar with the creators' other works.

The main plot here follows Ellie, who is technically a teenager but has been out on her own for a while. She finds herself drawn to musicians and artists who have addiction problems. When the book opens she is on a beach, ruminating about her life. Then, she flashes back to the recent past to see how she has ended up in her current situation. She was entered against her will into a rehab program, and she is a discontent in various areas, including being a poor participant in group therapy sessions and also frequently sneaking out after hours to have a smoke. She finds a co-conspirator in Skip, a young man in his 20s who is trying to break out of some old patterns.

Aside from the fact that romantic relationships are frowned upon in such settings, the duo has other problems that arise from factors from their outside lives. I am not going to spoil things, but their relationship takes a few turns before the end of the narrative, with a bunch of negative consequences. What I loved about this book was how it played with my expectations about characters and plot by slowly dropping revelations and twists. By the end, I learned a lot more about the story's context that involved characters and stories from the Criminal series, which I found rewarding. Even so, I feel that this tale works for readers who are new to this world, because the plot twists still work with what you do see about these characters. I love a good crime/mystery yarn that keeps me guessing, and this book definitely delivers in that territory.

The reviews I have read of this book have been very positive. Shareca Coleman wrote that it was "incredibly written, drawn, and composed." Anelise Ferris called it "affecting and thought-provoking," and added,  "It’s a perfect read for a quiet autumn afternoon." Chris Terry opined that "Sean Phillips’ artwork is as beautiful as Brubaker’s story is haunting." Joe Gordon called it "
simply brilliant," adding, "And you’re really, really going to want to make a good playlist to go along with your second reading." Derek and I also recently spoke about the book on the Comics Alternative podcast.

My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies was published by Image Comics, and they offer a preview and more information here.

Coward: Criminal, Volume 1

Most comic books published in the United States have followed the exploits of superheroes, so Criminal definitely sticks out in a crowd. This series follows in the tradition of two by-gone guilty pleasures, pulp detective stories and the crime comics of the 1940s and 1950s. It revolves around the machinations of criminals and crooked cops who pull a job on an armored car full of valuable evidence. The protagonist of the story is Leo Patterson, the coward who gives the title to this collection. He is a master thief, raised to be one from boyhood, and also a master of self-preservation. He does not go into a job without careful planning, nor with a gun, and he always knows his escape routes. Needless to say, the job brings complications, and the plot follows the twists, turns, and double-crosses that come in the aftermath.

Criminal won the 2007 Eisner Award for Best New Series, and the series writer, Ed Brubaker, is a multiple Eisner Award winner for his pulp-inspired tales. He is renowned for reviving noir in superhero comics, especially the most recent version of Catwoman and Gotham Central at DC Comics. A sought after, hot talent, Brubaker has spent the last few years working exclusively for Marvel Comics where he has written Daredevil, Captain America, Iron Fist, and the X-Men. Sean Phillips is himself a hit artist who is probably most famous for his work on Marvel Zombies, a gruesome mirror of the Marvel Universe where zombie versions of superheroes rule the world. Brubaker and Phillips have a history of collaboration, having also produced the critically acclaimed Sleeper series, as well as another noirish comic, Incognito.

Coward has received a great number of positive reviews online. Here are a few from various sources, including one from Alasdair Stuart, one from Christopher Mills, one from Leroy Doureseaux, and a final one from the Literary Feline, Wendy R.