Review: Friend of the Devil HC - A Reckless Book

Write what you know, someone with way more talent than me once quoted. Thanks to a fantastic afterword, we get a glimpse behind the curtain of this new Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips Reckless book. For fans of this pairs work you will pretty much know what to expect; for newbies, strap yourself in, it’s going to be a bumpy ride into darkness!

Troublemaker for hire, Ethan Reckless is happy for a short time in his life. Though it seems that misery begets happiness as a missing girl leads away from love and into the welcoming arms of death and personal destruction.

Ed Brubaker’s work here is exemplary; that’s no shock to honest. The clever part of the writing is that it is quite obvious that things are not going to end well for a whole swathe of characters. Therefore the talent in the writing isn’t the plot or parts of it at least; it’s the journey that Reckless takes. Each step is weighted with the possibility of more misery with the inevitable conclusion. As we follow along with Reckless, we are drawn into his need for closure regardless of the cost to him and his allies from his past life. True, the final act takes a bit of a wild turn in places, but that is part of this type of story down the line.

Sean Phillips art is atmospheric, with a kind of faintly l”ess is more”structure. There are nuances of Al Williamson, which I found surprising to be honest. The environs are well sourced and places look like the places we think they are. The graphic nature of the book calls for graphic art, yet Phillips never leans towards sensationalism. The colors by Jacob Phillips paint the town a murky slice of seedy with a touch of extended sadness.

Are there contrivances and coincidences in play in the book? Yes, at times. It seems that Reckless always knows someone who can help him out at the right time. This though is a minor quibble in a book that is easily one of the most enjoyable, if odd at times, books that I have read this years.

Writing – 5 Stars
Art – 5 Stars
Colors – 5 Stars

Overall – 5 Stars

Written by; Ed Brubaker
Art by; Sean Phillips
Colors by; Jacob Phillips
Published by; Image Comics

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network