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Thief of Thieves #2
Thief of Thieves, Vol. 2, "Help Me"
Conrad Paulson lives a secret double life as master thief Redmond. There is nothing he can't steal, nothing he can't have... except for the life he left behind. But when his big heist doesn't go as planned, the aftermath shows that every action has an equal - and equally violent - reaction. Collects Thief of Thieves #8-13.
144 pages, Paperback
First published April 9, 2013
6 people are currently reading
169 people want to read
About the author
Robert Kirkman
2,521 books7,009 followersRobert Kirkman is an American comic book writer best known for his work on The Walking Dead, Invincible for Image Comics, as well as Ultimate X-Men and Marvel Zombies for Marvel Comics. He has also collaborated with Image Comics co-founder Todd McFarlane on the series Haunt. He is one of the five partners of Image Comics, and the only one of the five who was not one of the original co-founders of that publisher.
Robert Kirkman's first comic books were self-published under his own Funk-o-Tron label. Along with childhood friend Tony Moore, Kirkman created Battle Pope which was published in late 2001. Battle Pope ran for over 2 years along with other Funk-o-Tron published books such as InkPunks and Double Take.
In July of 2002, Robert's first work for another company began, with a 4-part SuperPatriot series for Image, along with Battle Pope backup story artist Cory Walker. Robert's creator-owned projects followed shortly thereafter, including Tech Jacket, Invincible and Walking Dead.
Robert Kirkman's first comic books were self-published under his own Funk-o-Tron label. Along with childhood friend Tony Moore, Kirkman created Battle Pope which was published in late 2001. Battle Pope ran for over 2 years along with other Funk-o-Tron published books such as InkPunks and Double Take.
In July of 2002, Robert's first work for another company began, with a 4-part SuperPatriot series for Image, along with Battle Pope backup story artist Cory Walker. Robert's creator-owned projects followed shortly thereafter, including Tech Jacket, Invincible and Walking Dead.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
August 11, 2025
In the second installment of Thief of Thieves, we get a little more of an introduction to Conrad's son, Augustus.
Everyone has that one idiot friend that you just know from the get-go is either going to end up in jail or eventually found beaten to death in a ditch.
Augustus is that friend.
It seems to be the classic case of his dad was too hard on him, his mom babied him too much, and he was prone to be a bit of a whiny shitbag to start with. So it was sort of the perfect storm.
At any rate, he's in a lot of trouble.
A LOT OF TROUBLE.
So, as much as he doesn't want to, he's going to have to ask Daddy for help.
So far, so good. I'm digging this title, and I think if you're a fan of graphic novels in the crime genre, you'll probably dig it too.
James Asmus is writing this volume (instead of Nick Spencer, who wrote the first volume...with Kirkman?).<--not sure how that worked but whatever.
There is a slight shift in the dialogue, as would be expected, but not a crazy shift in the tone of the story.
Recommended.
Everyone has that one idiot friend that you just know from the get-go is either going to end up in jail or eventually found beaten to death in a ditch.
Augustus is that friend.
It seems to be the classic case of his dad was too hard on him, his mom babied him too much, and he was prone to be a bit of a whiny shitbag to start with. So it was sort of the perfect storm.
At any rate, he's in a lot of trouble.
A LOT OF TROUBLE.
So, as much as he doesn't want to, he's going to have to ask Daddy for help.
So far, so good. I'm digging this title, and I think if you're a fan of graphic novels in the crime genre, you'll probably dig it too.
James Asmus is writing this volume (instead of Nick Spencer, who wrote the first volume...with Kirkman?).<--not sure how that worked but whatever.
There is a slight shift in the dialogue, as would be expected, but not a crazy shift in the tone of the story.
Recommended.
September 1, 2015
Bullet Review:
Augustus Paulson is a complete waste of oxygen. He's always getting into trouble, always needing his daddy to save him, and yet always fighting with Daddy - not to say that Daddy Conrad doesn't deserve it, as Daddy Conrad seems to be an arrogant d!ck, but dayum. I can only take so much family dwama!
BUT this was, IMO, a more exciting, more interesting caper than last time. Even if there still are way more male characters than female ones - and the female characters keep needing to be saved or are undermined at every outlet :P
Augustus Paulson is a complete waste of oxygen. He's always getting into trouble, always needing his daddy to save him, and yet always fighting with Daddy - not to say that Daddy Conrad doesn't deserve it, as Daddy Conrad seems to be an arrogant d!ck, but dayum. I can only take so much family dwama!
BUT this was, IMO, a more exciting, more interesting caper than last time. Even if there still are way more male characters than female ones - and the female characters keep needing to be saved or are undermined at every outlet :P
June 29, 2019
Everyone in this is terrible.
May 16, 2014
Volume two has a different writer than volume one (remember that Kirkman is really more like a showrunner than a writer here) which is probably why this volume isn't quite as successful. It just feels like it's missing something. The previous volume worked well on nearly every level, and this one... Well, it's merely ok, on nearly every level. I know this series can do better, and I think it would have if it had kept the original writer (Nick Spencer) for this volume as well.
March 9, 2015
After giving the first volume a reread yesterday, this one it's a bit weaker, like I expected. "Help Me" centers on Conrad's son who is clearly not the thief his father is nor the compelling character he is either. This volume gives us a more detailed account of the relationship between Conrad and August and is easy to understand why he is so angry at his father. I can somewhat relate to August, my father is no international thief but he has been a disappointment for all my life.
Anyway, August and Conrad may not be in good terms with each other but they are gonna find themselves working together to help save August's girlfriend from the Cartel. Of course, shit hit the fan and everything works like it shouldn't leaving the two Paulsons in a bit of a impasse.
Thief of Thieves is a pretty straightforward comic that doesn't invent anything new but what it does, it does well and it always have a few surprises in store. The art keeps being top-notch, so you can't complain.
Anyway, August and Conrad may not be in good terms with each other but they are gonna find themselves working together to help save August's girlfriend from the Cartel. Of course, shit hit the fan and everything works like it shouldn't leaving the two Paulsons in a bit of a impasse.
Thief of Thieves is a pretty straightforward comic that doesn't invent anything new but what it does, it does well and it always have a few surprises in store. The art keeps being top-notch, so you can't complain.
December 30, 2015
The second volume of Thief of Thieves was just as exciting as the first. In this one, our intrepid protagonist has to save the ass of his not-so-successful son, and a few secrets are spilled to the reader along the way. This needs to be a movie, pronto.
August 18, 2022
More shenanigans are brought on by Redmond's son. Redmond keeps trying to get out and his son’s shenanigans keep pulling him back in.
2022 reread: Going to finish this series.
2022 reread: Going to finish this series.
June 10, 2021
Hrozně se tady projevilo, že Kirkman na tom nespolupracuje s Nickem Spencerem ale otěže téhle knihy jako scenárista přebral James Asmus. Je to fajn, ale ztratilo to drive i humor který se mi v jedničce tolik líbil. Ta byla totální Dannyho parťáci se skupinou super postav a zábavným příběhem. V "Help me" máme spíš lehce komornější příběh a rozvíjí Redmondův vztah se synem, teda spíš jen na půl což je škoda. Příběhově je to hodně přímočarý, žádný větší twist se nestane a pak je akorát cliffhanger na další knihu.
Výborná odpočinková záležitost pokud má člověk rád heisty a akční věci.
Výborná odpočinková záležitost pokud má člověk rád heisty a akční věci.
August 29, 2018
Shawn Martinbrough, artist, ladies and gentlemen, is the reason to read this... and it ends on a cliffhanger here.
Recommended.
Recommended.
October 10, 2020
Review for the series
Inconsistent, but enjoyable overall. Big Bads are fairly interchangeable early on and every crime being redone in hindsight is repetitive.
Inconsistent, but enjoyable overall. Big Bads are fairly interchangeable early on and every crime being redone in hindsight is repetitive.
December 25, 2021
1.5⭐ Ugh 😒 Augustus is annoying and it's frustrating how much of this volume revolved around him. 🤮
August 16, 2024
Wow this is so good. I really like the backstory on Redmond's son and their dynamic together, the push and shove. Detective Cohen's drive is also super fascinating.
May 14, 2021
a good gentleman thief story. Steal what is least expected to be stolen.
March 27, 2014
Kind of a logical progression from the last volume. Kirkman's developing Redmond as a character mostly in terms of seeing how other people define him, which gives us an interesting perspective. The crime itself is less interesting, but the character stuff makes up for it.
December 29, 2015
Loving this comic series!
November 23, 2015
So good. Just as great as vol 1.
August 4, 2021
This was a continuation of the saga of the problematical anti-hero of Vol 1. of ¨Thief of Thieves¨ - and the basic conceit of the hero - Conrad or Redmond - who wishes to hang up his burglary tools and retire from crime, because of the heat directed toward him and his family, continues. He is urged to continue his illegal occupation of master thief by Celia, his partner in crime, but resists her entreaties - she needs him because she can't pull off heists alone. Meanwhile, she is still nominally employed or allied with a crime big, shadowy organized crime figure perhaps, and must ¨produce¨ - thus her insistence that they pull off yet another high-profile burglary. The complicating factor in this volume is the participation of Conrad´s full-grown son, who has unfortunately followed in his father's footsteps into a life of crime. He is tied up with a Latino, possibly Mexican, drug cartel - and now owes them a great deal of money, repayment for a shipment of some illegal drug that mysteriously disappeared while he was supposedly guarding the ¨product.¨ They give him a limited amount of time to raise the money he now owes them - and to reinforce the seriousness of their request, they kidnap the lad´s girlfriend, suggesting that if he doesn't pay what he owes them within the deadline they have set forth, his girlfriend, Emma, will die. Thus, the payment is now both compensation for the lost drug shipment (which he has presumably either sold himself or perhaps used personally) and a ransom payment to secure Emma´s release. I will go no further in discussing the interesting plot - suffice it to say that it contains numerous surprising twists. I was however put off by the sometimes gratuitous violence - which the author, artists, production team, must have felt suited the activities of the cartel. Conrad himself fits the archetype not only of the anti-hero but also of the genteel thief; he plans out heists in detail in advance and never uses a firearm when stealing usually quite expensive goods such as art work, jewelry, or antiques. This graphic novel features a stark, high-contrast art style, perhaps reflective of the noir-ish quality of the story, which is based on the protagonist´s powerlessness to escape his life of crime, his feeling of being trapped by fate or circumstances. The dialog is snappy - well-written, and does further the characterization of each of the main characters, even down to the internecine conflicts, office politics, within the office of the FBI team that is watching Conrad and his family. The psychology of the characters is hinted at visually and in their conflicts - deftly, many times. They are all trapped in their respective roles, must play out their fates and so the book is overall quite gloomy, which is exactly the atmosphere of a film noir.
Would I recommend it? Not sure how most readers would react to the violent scenes - which put me off. I suppose some would take these depictions in stride as endemic to crime stories. But they're not my thing - I dislike depictions of excessive or gratuitous violence in movies and books. Anyway, the team that created this graphic novel is undoubtedly talented and skilled in what they do; the drawing was stripped down and effective, the color scheme bold or subdued depending on the venue or atmosphere (foreboding/dangerous or ordinary/innocent). All in all, despite the reservations outlined above, this is a pretty impressive crime-story graphic novel.
Would I recommend it? Not sure how most readers would react to the violent scenes - which put me off. I suppose some would take these depictions in stride as endemic to crime stories. But they're not my thing - I dislike depictions of excessive or gratuitous violence in movies and books. Anyway, the team that created this graphic novel is undoubtedly talented and skilled in what they do; the drawing was stripped down and effective, the color scheme bold or subdued depending on the venue or atmosphere (foreboding/dangerous or ordinary/innocent). All in all, despite the reservations outlined above, this is a pretty impressive crime-story graphic novel.
March 11, 2018
When we last left Conrad Paulson, aka master thief Redmond, he had successful got his son Augustus released from jail and was going to enjoy life in retirement. Plans quickly change. In volume two, "Help Me," we see the Paulsons deal with the repercussions of their actions. And how the life of crime can quickly sink you under deeper into a pit you don't want to be in.
Hickman and Asmus story is hard hitting and unflinching when it comes to dealing with violence. Not "violence for the sake of having it" or making violence comical. The people that Redmond deals with are no here to make you feel comfortable. This was a most uncomfortable read and that is a GREAT thing. Not only do you feel the tension in the book, you also have the protagonists having to step up to the challenge as the difficultly increases. We also get to see a slice of that the home life for the Paulsons was. You understand why Augustus choose the path he did and even when you don't agree, you feel for the characters all the way around.
Once again (I may end up saying this quite often) Martinbough, Serrano, and Wooten give a master class in sequential arts. This played out like a world class film and should this ever become a television show or film, the comics can be the storyboards. Often times we overlook what colorist and letterers bring to the table. With Thief of Thieves, Serrano use of colors vividly makes every panel, every scene something you want to pay close attention too. Again Wooten brings you closer into the story and ever takes away from the amazing art. This is a dream team I would love to see tackle other comics, even for a one-shot or a graphic novel.
Volume one may have had you thinking being a master thief would be all fun and easy. Volume two of Thief of Thieves will have questioning if you want to jaywalk or rip the tag off your mattress. Make sure you know that you are doing and getting into, as they say, "for every action, there is a equal and opposite reaction." This is how I'd best sum up Thief of Thieves Vol. 2: "Help Me."
KOFI
Hickman and Asmus story is hard hitting and unflinching when it comes to dealing with violence. Not "violence for the sake of having it" or making violence comical. The people that Redmond deals with are no here to make you feel comfortable. This was a most uncomfortable read and that is a GREAT thing. Not only do you feel the tension in the book, you also have the protagonists having to step up to the challenge as the difficultly increases. We also get to see a slice of that the home life for the Paulsons was. You understand why Augustus choose the path he did and even when you don't agree, you feel for the characters all the way around.
Once again (I may end up saying this quite often) Martinbough, Serrano, and Wooten give a master class in sequential arts. This played out like a world class film and should this ever become a television show or film, the comics can be the storyboards. Often times we overlook what colorist and letterers bring to the table. With Thief of Thieves, Serrano use of colors vividly makes every panel, every scene something you want to pay close attention too. Again Wooten brings you closer into the story and ever takes away from the amazing art. This is a dream team I would love to see tackle other comics, even for a one-shot or a graphic novel.
Volume one may have had you thinking being a master thief would be all fun and easy. Volume two of Thief of Thieves will have questioning if you want to jaywalk or rip the tag off your mattress. Make sure you know that you are doing and getting into, as they say, "for every action, there is a equal and opposite reaction." This is how I'd best sum up Thief of Thieves Vol. 2: "Help Me."
KOFI
February 15, 2021
"We don't rob. We thieve."
Conrad Paulson has spent his life executing one daring heist after another as Redmond, the world's greatest thief. But enough years of crime will catch up to anyone, and now that Paulson wants to retire, he's finding a whole lot more loose ends to take care of than he ever imagined. Thief of Thieves is a really fun read - a slick series of caper stories about a master thief, his estranged family, his partner, his crew, the agents on his tail, the crime lords who cross his path and an ever-increasing set of stakes in a world where you can't afford even a single mistake. Much of Thief of Thieves is derivative, borrowing more than a little from the likes of To Catch a Thief and Ocean's 11, but its execution is so good - with tightly told narrative, great characters and terrific artwork throughout - that it doesn't much matter. Over the course of seven volumes, we see Paulson and his world go through an awful lot, and even though it kind of ends up how we think it will, that's all good. There are only ever two destinations for a life of crime, and Thief of Thieves is no different. But the destination isn't the score here. It's the journey. And for us in the audience, Thief of Thieves is quite a score, indeed.
Conrad Paulson has spent his life executing one daring heist after another as Redmond, the world's greatest thief. But enough years of crime will catch up to anyone, and now that Paulson wants to retire, he's finding a whole lot more loose ends to take care of than he ever imagined. Thief of Thieves is a really fun read - a slick series of caper stories about a master thief, his estranged family, his partner, his crew, the agents on his tail, the crime lords who cross his path and an ever-increasing set of stakes in a world where you can't afford even a single mistake. Much of Thief of Thieves is derivative, borrowing more than a little from the likes of To Catch a Thief and Ocean's 11, but its execution is so good - with tightly told narrative, great characters and terrific artwork throughout - that it doesn't much matter. Over the course of seven volumes, we see Paulson and his world go through an awful lot, and even though it kind of ends up how we think it will, that's all good. There are only ever two destinations for a life of crime, and Thief of Thieves is no different. But the destination isn't the score here. It's the journey. And for us in the audience, Thief of Thieves is quite a score, indeed.
January 17, 2022
After my last review of Thief of Thieves where I mostly used the review to promote my own book, The Heist-est Heist Ever Heisted, I realized I'd done something wrong, and now I want to make up for it.
...mmmhahahaha! I'm doing it again! I already put the book name in the review AGAIN!
I'm typing this from the back of a van outside Goodreads HQ. There's a bunch of computers and cables and shit in here. I have no idea what I'm doing, but that's why being the tech guy is awesome. Just say, "Shit. They're using a new encryption. Re-routing!" and it's not like anyone's going to know what that means.
You can be the tech guy for any heist so long as you're willing to go through a dumpster. I've always said that. You'll find everything you need there, and everyone will think you're a tech whiz. And while you're in that dumpster, good chance you'll find The Heist-est Heist Ever Heisted: A Heist Story of a Heist by me, Pete.
Oops, I did it again.
...mmmhahahaha! I'm doing it again! I already put the book name in the review AGAIN!
I'm typing this from the back of a van outside Goodreads HQ. There's a bunch of computers and cables and shit in here. I have no idea what I'm doing, but that's why being the tech guy is awesome. Just say, "Shit. They're using a new encryption. Re-routing!" and it's not like anyone's going to know what that means.
You can be the tech guy for any heist so long as you're willing to go through a dumpster. I've always said that. You'll find everything you need there, and everyone will think you're a tech whiz. And while you're in that dumpster, good chance you'll find The Heist-est Heist Ever Heisted: A Heist Story of a Heist by me, Pete.
Oops, I did it again.
September 29, 2022
Okay, so the brilliant master thief's son is even more of an idiot than I thought, and much of the story has to do with overcoming his being an idiot. By the end of this volume, I'm amazed that he has lived this long, but apparently his worst shortcomings are of recent vintage, so perhaps he's just been lucky.
That said, the story is getting grimmer and grittier, but we're still not seeing the big caper. In fact, by the end of this second volume I'd gotten really curious as to what it could possibly be, to justify the complex crew that was being gathered and then put on hold.
By the way, I didn't mention it in my review of the first volume, but the cover artist did some brilliant work, which including weaving portraits into the clothing of the figure in the center of each cover.
That said, the story is getting grimmer and grittier, but we're still not seeing the big caper. In fact, by the end of this second volume I'd gotten really curious as to what it could possibly be, to justify the complex crew that was being gathered and then put on hold.
By the way, I didn't mention it in my review of the first volume, but the cover artist did some brilliant work, which including weaving portraits into the clothing of the figure in the center of each cover.
June 2, 2023
If you’re looking for heart pounding situations in which you wonder how the main characters will ever get out of a situation…look no further than Thief of Thieves vol. 2. All stories have a problem…otherwise they would not be compelling. I found myself wondering just how many problems can possibly come up in one man’s life. It truly is compelling in a train wreck sort of way in which you cannot turn away and yet you cringe at some of the decisions characters within the book make. Robert Kirkman and James Asmus put together an great story with art by Shawn Martinbrough which fits the story perfectly.
April 16, 2020
I was going to rate this a 3, as it wasn't quite as good as the first volume. Then I was tempted to remove a star because of numerous conversations that appear in Spanish during this volume. I'm from England, we don't learn any Spanish (French, German as standard) so inserting Spanish writing into an English novel or comic book is big disappointment for me, unless there is a translation included... which in this case there is not.
However, it wasn't enough to rate this as being disliked. It is okay, but the series isn't going in a direction I was hoping for.
However, it wasn't enough to rate this as being disliked. It is okay, but the series isn't going in a direction I was hoping for.
October 26, 2023
Thief of Thieves. Vol. 2 – HELP ME
Some dark hombres in this world. Story arc intensifies. ****
#8 – Free But Not Clear – “All right. But let me know if you suddenly change your mind ..” – Detective Cohen to Augustus
#9 – “.. So, how much for it?” – Augustus at the pawn broker
#10 – You Can’t Beat Stockholm Syndrome in San Diego – “How come you aren’t going to your dad with this?”
#11 – The Thief Deals With The Devil - <“Agent Cohen, it’s Emma. I need your help.”>
#12 – “She’s safe .. Augustus! Emma’s safe! But we gotta …”
#13 – “Because you work for ME, now. you may call me LOLA.”
Some dark hombres in this world. Story arc intensifies. ****
#8 – Free But Not Clear – “All right. But let me know if you suddenly change your mind ..” – Detective Cohen to Augustus
#9 – “.. So, how much for it?” – Augustus at the pawn broker
#10 – You Can’t Beat Stockholm Syndrome in San Diego – “How come you aren’t going to your dad with this?”
#11 – The Thief Deals With The Devil - <“Agent Cohen, it’s Emma. I need your help.”>
#12 – “She’s safe .. Augustus! Emma’s safe! But we gotta …”
#13 – “Because you work for ME, now. you may call me LOLA.”
February 23, 2020
Continuing the story, Conrad, having helped his son get out of prison, now has to help his boy get away from a drug cartel. The said criminals are demanding that he commit crimes for them, or they will execute his son's girlfriend. The protagonist agrees, but has a double cross in mind. We see more of the titular thief's relationship with his son and the causes of the rift between them. Again the book is fast paced and engaging. A good crime story.
September 27, 2020
I wanted to love this series, I really did. While the first volume was an action packed caper this volume just felt tired and boring. It might be because the 20 something son is so incredibly whiny and flat out stupid - to the point it makes me doubt I want to continue with the next 4 volumes that I already bought because I loved the first one so much. Ugh.
June 4, 2017
Something is missing from the first volume but able to put my finger on it. the art was ok but it felt a bit rushed sometimes.
but I still want to know what happen to the characters , this is to me the strong point of the characters the layers.
but I still want to know what happen to the characters , this is to me the strong point of the characters the layers.
August 14, 2017
Actual rating: 3.5
This volume is definitely weaker than the first, but it started picking up towards the end. Augustus is still an asshole and should either get his shit together or stop turning to his dad for help or to blame.
Very interested to see where the story is going.
This volume is definitely weaker than the first, but it started picking up towards the end. Augustus is still an asshole and should either get his shit together or stop turning to his dad for help or to blame.
Very interested to see where the story is going.
January 8, 2022
The son is intentionally not at all on the same level as his dad, so the pairing is not particularly compelling. Not sure if there's going to be a redemption arc for the son, feels more like character development for the father but not really? More like setup the situation for the next book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews