REVIEW: Criminal Special Edition

Story By: Ed Brubaker
Art By: Sean Phillips
Art By: Elizabeth Breitweiser
Cover By: Sean Phillips
Price: $4.99
Published: February 25, 2015

This special edition serves as a reminder to previous issues of Criminal.Â The fact it does so without alienatingÂ new readers is due to the talent of its writer Ed Brubaker.

This issue starts with a joltÂ to the readers expectations that creates curiosity and it’s not till the reveal, 8 pages in, that you a get your “ahhh….” moment.Â The book flows nicely from third to firstÂ person and, again to Brubaker, you feel invested in both Teeg’s and Zangar’s story.Â I won’t go into depth re the homage aspect to the book (no spoilers), but it is extremely well done and brought backÂ fond memories.

The art in the book isn’t my preferred style, but works well in all its environs.Â As for theÂ writing, I started to warm to the main killer without the need to have his motive or backstory explained.Â The characters forthrightness isÂ clearlyÂ matched by the books overall feel.

Finally, it is great to see what Brubaker can do outside of the, some would say, Â sterilized world of the “big two’s” universes as his ability to deliver a hard hitting crime drama has never been in doubt.

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