Written by Ed Brubaker
Art by Sean Phillips and Jacob Phillips
Published by Image Comics
Anytime these days that we get a new book from writer Ed Brubaker and artist Sean Phillips, it really is a cause for celebration.
This book certainly is that and maybe just a little bit more. The pair have been doing these hardcover crime graphic novels these past few years with original stories.
This is one that is specifically labeled with the Criminal book label.
So, that was very interesting to me right from the get go. Then I started reading the book and I instantly became enthralled with it and loved where the plot went.
This creative duo has not lost a beat over the years and may actually getting even better with what they do in a book.
Let me just start off but saying that this book is definitely the most action packed book that Brubaker and Phillips have ever done.
They really flex their creative muscles here in a way that they really haven’t before. And honestly, it’s great to see. Even after working together so long, they seem open to trying something new. And they definitely succeed in my opinion. They always have high stakes in their books, and this one starts off with a new kind of pacing for them. It only gets wilder from there.
The book focuses on the characters of Ricky Lawless from Criminal.
Ricky has to pay back a mobster. To do that, he agrees to go a casino and rob a poker player of his winnings. He can then use the money to pay back the mobster. Sounds simple, right? It becomes anything but simple, mostly because Ricky has a lot of impulse problems. He goes to the poker player’s hotel room. He first gets high while waiting for the poker player to show up. And then he orders room service. He does all of these crazy things while waiting for the poker player to show up. Things spiral and get out of control from there.
Needless to say, the robbery gets botched in probably the stupidest way possible. This leads Ricky down a path to get the mobster his money. We get to see Ricky and Mallory go on another job to get back the money. It leads into more complications as they botch that job up. Ricky really is his own worst enemy as well, making bad choice after bad choice, and not thinking or realizing the very real consequences from his impulsiveness.
We also get to see Ricky and Mallory’s relationship from the beginning.
We have never seen this before in a Criminal book. This deepens their characters and it makes them both have more depth than before. It is the little details here that matter and the creative team really handle them both with integrity and intelligence. Their relationship seems to be in jeopardy but then again, so do their lives. Ricky’s unfortunate temperament actually leads to Mallory getting hurt. They have to go to a doctor.
Sadly, that doctor works for another mobster that Ricky owes something now to! This leads to another job that is just as crazy and leads Ricky to another impulsive act that may bring their demise closer! So, you can see why Mallory might be having doubts about staying with Ricky!
As the book goes on, Ricky gets himself deeper and deeper into trouble and keeps unraveling as a result.
His situation is absolutely his own fault but the guy just can’t help himself. It gets wilder and wilder as the story goes on and the whole plot leads to a crescendo. By the end of the book, there are so many twists and turns and so many things happen that you wouldn’t expect that it’s hilarious. You find yourself laughing, cheering, horrified and enthralled. And that is an impressive feat to accomplish as creators.
Ed Brubaker writes one hell of a a story here.
It is fast paced, character driven and just plain nuts. I loved every second of this crazy tale. Sean Phillips is also doing some top notch work here as usual. The art is pitch perfect and really sings. The colors by his son Jacob Phillips are equally excellent and the icing on the cake. This creative team has done it again and knocked it out of the park with this truly awesome new work that anyone would enjoy reading.
RATING: A
