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Criminal: The Deluxe Edition #2
Criminal: Poslední z nevinných
CRIMINAL, nejoceňovanější kriminální komiks jedenadvacátého století, stvořený Edem Bubakerem a Seanem Phillipsem, konečně vychází ve své druhé luxusní vázané knize. Vítěz několika Eisnerových i Harveyho cen, včetně té za Nejlepší novou sérii za rok 2007 a pěti pro Nejlepšího scenáristu.
Druhá kniha obsahuje tři samostatné příběhy – Zlou noc, Hříšníky a přelomový díl Poslední z nevinných – v jednom balení spolu s mnoha bonusy, články, kresbami, které vám dají nahlédnout do zákulisí vzniku, a komiksy, které ještě nikdy nebyly otištěny.
Druhá kniha obsahuje tři samostatné příběhy – Zlou noc, Hříšníky a přelomový díl Poslední z nevinných – v jednom balení spolu s mnoha bonusy, články, kresbami, které vám dají nahlédnout do zákulisí vzniku, a komiksy, které ještě nikdy nebyly otištěny.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published October 17, 2012
14 people are currently reading
454 people want to read
About the author
Ed Brubaker
1,796 books3,009 followersEd Brubaker (born November 17, 1966) is an Eisner Award-winning American cartoonist and writer. He was born at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland.
Brubaker is best known for his work as a comic book writer on such titles as Batman, Daredevil, Captain America, Iron Fist, Catwoman, Gotham Central and Uncanny X-Men. In more recent years, he has focused solely on creator-owned titles for Image Comics, such as Fatale, Criminal, Velvet and Kill or Be Killed.
In 2016, Brubaker ventured into television, joining the writing staff of the HBO series Westworld.
Brubaker is best known for his work as a comic book writer on such titles as Batman, Daredevil, Captain America, Iron Fist, Catwoman, Gotham Central and Uncanny X-Men. In more recent years, he has focused solely on creator-owned titles for Image Comics, such as Fatale, Criminal, Velvet and Kill or Be Killed.
In 2016, Brubaker ventured into television, joining the writing staff of the HBO series Westworld.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
May 1, 2024
Brubaker and Phillips legendary series about a slice of New York criminal life and those people that mixed up in it across multiple loosely related stories has never really stuck with me, until now. 'Bad Night' and 'The Sinners' are more of the dame seen in the previous volumes, but 'The Last the Innocent' is a flaming masterpiece!
This novella has it all, beautifully painted comic book covers, a deceptive first person narrator, a un-guessable plotline, different art technique for childhood backstories, a gripping story and of course plenty of crime noir style sex, violence and murder! This was one of the best American crime noir stories I've ever read, perfectly weighted an d completely engulfed in crime noir techniques. This is a block busting independent movie waiting to happen! This tale got 9 out of 12; but the volume rates an overall 8 out of 12 Four Stars from me.
?
2024
This novella has it all, beautifully painted comic book covers, a deceptive first person narrator, a un-guessable plotline, different art technique for childhood backstories, a gripping story and of course plenty of crime noir style sex, violence and murder! This was one of the best American crime noir stories I've ever read, perfectly weighted an d completely engulfed in crime noir techniques. This is a block busting independent movie waiting to happen! This tale got 9 out of 12; but the volume rates an overall 8 out of 12 Four Stars from me.
?2024
February 3, 2016
The Last Of The Criminals? Damn, I Hope Not
The second volume of Criminal wraps up what is one of the best crime comics ever made, but it won't be gone forever. I hope. Now that Brubaker and Phillips have moved from Icon to Image with their genre-blending titles 'Fatale' -- which combines the noir elements of 'Criminal' with the cosmic horror of H.P. Lovecraft -- and 'The Fade Out', they may be there for some time. The success of both works means that what began as a short diversion between 'Criminal' story-arcs is now their creative focus, with no end-dates forthcoming.
Below and following -- some examples of Sean Phillips' brilliant original art pages for Criminal, some from this volume, some from the first:
Given what the two have accomplished thus far, I'm guessing the hiatus won't become a permanent vacation, though it may be a long one. As Volume 2 demonstrates, this is more than just your average crime story. Even the more straight-forward plots of 'Coward' and 'Lawless' provided Brubaker-patented twists that were far from predictable, whether or not you happen to be a fan of Hammett, Chandler, Thompson, et al. 'Bad Night' is where Brubaker begins to play with the ideas he will put to good use later, while 'The Sinners' once again features Lawless in one of the best stories yet. 'The Last of the Innocents', however, sees Brubaker flexing some intellectual muscles, delving into meta-narratives that are closer to Paul Auster and his 'New York Trilogy' than Jim Thompson or Richard Price.
Phillips' artwork is so perfect for the material that 'Criminal' could easily pass as the product of a single mind, as many of the best crime comics are. Teams so well-suited for collaboration are rare in comics -- Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso are the only other duo that work as well, particularly on 100 Bullets, another top five entry for the best in crime comics. Phillips has a realistic style, but one that's stripped down and drenched in shadow, bespoke art tailored exactly for the subject matter.
Phillips also does another excellent job designing the hardcover, a truly deluxe edition that makes DC hardovers look cheap in comparison, despite the fact they usually cost more. Actually, the standard 'deluxe' DC hardcovers are cheap, by any comparison. The extras are very cool; a couple of the essays from the single issues are included, but only the ones penned by Brubaker, unfortunately... it would have been nice to get them all, but for vague reasons relating to copyright and authorship, it didn't happen. Or maybe Marvel wanted to leave fans and completists with an incentive to pick up the floppies. Fine. The stunning Gouache and watercolors Phillips created to accompany the essays, however, are included in their entirety. The volume is slightly oversized, at about 7.5" x 11", and is a hefty 428 pages, printed on glossy, high-quality stock. This is big 'E' Essential for fans of comics noir, and highly recommended for comic fans in general.
Whether Brubaker and Phillips revisit Criminal, or stay with Image, continuing Fatale, The Fade Out and whatever comes next, the titles are less important than the collaboration itself. Still... I hope they find their way back to the hardboiled territory of Criminal at some point.
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A Mysterious Review That Might Be Related to the Book in Question, But Written By Someone Else Entirely
The second volume of Criminal wraps up what is one of the best crime comics ever made, but it won't be gone forever. I hope. Now that Brubaker and Phillips have moved from Icon to Image with their genre-blending titles 'Fatale' -- which combines the noir elements of 'Criminal' with the cosmic horror of H.P. Lovecraft -- and 'The Fade Out', they may be there for some time. The success of both works means that what began as a short diversion between 'Criminal' story-arcs is now their creative focus, with no end-dates forthcoming.
Below and following -- some examples of Sean Phillips' brilliant original art pages for Criminal, some from this volume, some from the first:
Given what the two have accomplished thus far, I'm guessing the hiatus won't become a permanent vacation, though it may be a long one. As Volume 2 demonstrates, this is more than just your average crime story. Even the more straight-forward plots of 'Coward' and 'Lawless' provided Brubaker-patented twists that were far from predictable, whether or not you happen to be a fan of Hammett, Chandler, Thompson, et al. 'Bad Night' is where Brubaker begins to play with the ideas he will put to good use later, while 'The Sinners' once again features Lawless in one of the best stories yet. 'The Last of the Innocents', however, sees Brubaker flexing some intellectual muscles, delving into meta-narratives that are closer to Paul Auster and his 'New York Trilogy' than Jim Thompson or Richard Price.
Phillips' artwork is so perfect for the material that 'Criminal' could easily pass as the product of a single mind, as many of the best crime comics are. Teams so well-suited for collaboration are rare in comics -- Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso are the only other duo that work as well, particularly on 100 Bullets, another top five entry for the best in crime comics. Phillips has a realistic style, but one that's stripped down and drenched in shadow, bespoke art tailored exactly for the subject matter.
Phillips also does another excellent job designing the hardcover, a truly deluxe edition that makes DC hardovers look cheap in comparison, despite the fact they usually cost more. Actually, the standard 'deluxe' DC hardcovers are cheap, by any comparison. The extras are very cool; a couple of the essays from the single issues are included, but only the ones penned by Brubaker, unfortunately... it would have been nice to get them all, but for vague reasons relating to copyright and authorship, it didn't happen. Or maybe Marvel wanted to leave fans and completists with an incentive to pick up the floppies. Fine. The stunning Gouache and watercolors Phillips created to accompany the essays, however, are included in their entirety. The volume is slightly oversized, at about 7.5" x 11", and is a hefty 428 pages, printed on glossy, high-quality stock. This is big 'E' Essential for fans of comics noir, and highly recommended for comic fans in general.
Whether Brubaker and Phillips revisit Criminal, or stay with Image, continuing Fatale, The Fade Out and whatever comes next, the titles are less important than the collaboration itself. Still... I hope they find their way back to the hardboiled territory of Criminal at some point.
More Art-book Reviews
More Comic-book Reviews
More Novel Reviews
A Mysterious Review That Might Be Related to the Book in Question, But Written By Someone Else Entirely
March 16, 2017
This puts volume 1 to shame.
Each story in this book is excellent. From beginning to end. The characters, the artwork and the intricate plot lines are perfection.
The best crime noir out there!!!
Amazing.
Each story in this book is excellent. From beginning to end. The characters, the artwork and the intricate plot lines are perfection.
The best crime noir out there!!!
Amazing.
September 26, 2014
The problem with claiming the first deluxe book of Criminal as one of the best noir books ever created, and not just in the graphic novel field, is that now when the second deluxe book is finished and it's even better than the first I have no more superlatives to throw at it.
The beautiful artwork aside Ed Brubaker takes his series to a whole different level thanks to his writing; the depth of character, the intricate plotting, the agony and apathy, the evil of good men and the kindnesses of evil men, he twists everyone and everything around a knife of their own making as they inhabit a life of crime that has robbed them of all hope for ever coming out the other side alive, it's a marvellous book loaded with existential pain and is an absolute pleasure to read.
Three more story arcs within his already established world feature some characters you've already met and others you'd surely like to avoid in a dark alley, he takes his stories in fascinating directions that are both genre staples and intensely new depictions of the criminal underworld at the same time. The loss of innocence is a major theme throughout the series but with these three stories it's amplified further thanks to clever interrogation of the medium, the writer of the Frank Kafka comic strip that punctuates previous stories comes to the fore in a very smart way, whilst the twisted tale of Riley Richards, All American Boy riffs on the Archie Comics, and then there's Brubaker's own sad take on vigilante justice.
Sadly this appears to be the end of the series, but at least it ends on a magnificent high. PERFECT noir fiction, PERFECT use of the graphic novel format, ESSENTIAL reading.
The beautiful artwork aside Ed Brubaker takes his series to a whole different level thanks to his writing; the depth of character, the intricate plotting, the agony and apathy, the evil of good men and the kindnesses of evil men, he twists everyone and everything around a knife of their own making as they inhabit a life of crime that has robbed them of all hope for ever coming out the other side alive, it's a marvellous book loaded with existential pain and is an absolute pleasure to read.
Three more story arcs within his already established world feature some characters you've already met and others you'd surely like to avoid in a dark alley, he takes his stories in fascinating directions that are both genre staples and intensely new depictions of the criminal underworld at the same time. The loss of innocence is a major theme throughout the series but with these three stories it's amplified further thanks to clever interrogation of the medium, the writer of the Frank Kafka comic strip that punctuates previous stories comes to the fore in a very smart way, whilst the twisted tale of Riley Richards, All American Boy riffs on the Archie Comics, and then there's Brubaker's own sad take on vigilante justice.
Sadly this appears to be the end of the series, but at least it ends on a magnificent high. PERFECT noir fiction, PERFECT use of the graphic novel format, ESSENTIAL reading.
March 5, 2019
Another 3 stories from the world of Criminal and it's really something else.
The first story, "Bad Night", is IMHO the best Criminal story so far and it focuses on Jacob, the forger we met in "Lawless" story. Poor guy can't catch a break. In "The Sinners" we meet Tracy Lawless again as he's trying to repay his debt to local kingpin Sebastian Hyde and solve the series of murders of local crooks. In "The Last of the Innocent" we got basically brand new cast (with a small cameo of Teeg Lawless) and I really enjoyed the "Archie styled" flashbacks. There's also a short bonus story originally published in Dark Horse's "Noir" anthology which is also great (and colored for the first time).
The second deluxe collection is another home run by Brubaker & Phillips and I can't wait to sink my teeth to the new ongoing series.
The first story, "Bad Night", is IMHO the best Criminal story so far and it focuses on Jacob, the forger we met in "Lawless" story. Poor guy can't catch a break. In "The Sinners" we meet Tracy Lawless again as he's trying to repay his debt to local kingpin Sebastian Hyde and solve the series of murders of local crooks. In "The Last of the Innocent" we got basically brand new cast (with a small cameo of Teeg Lawless) and I really enjoyed the "Archie styled" flashbacks. There's also a short bonus story originally published in Dark Horse's "Noir" anthology which is also great (and colored for the first time).
The second deluxe collection is another home run by Brubaker & Phillips and I can't wait to sink my teeth to the new ongoing series.
September 3, 2015
Just read it. It's that good.
January 2, 2022
Všechno co udělá Brubaker s Phillipsem je láska, ale pořád žasnu nad tím, jak dobře tohle combo skvěle posouvá celou tuhle sérii. Každá knížka je žánrově něco trošku jiného a díky tomu necítím absolutně žádnou únavu v téhle sérii. Pokud je nutné (a je) něco vyzdvihnout, je to hlavně příběh "The Last of the Innocent" který mě posadil na zadek. Úplná změna vypravěčského stylu na mě zapůsobila neskutečně.
Jinak si velmi cením toho jak se stále vracíme ke starým známým které jsme potkali už v posledních knihách, z tohohle pohledu se cítím jako bych četl Sin City kde se postavy taky průběžně mezi sebou potkávají.
Co dodat? Topovka kterou by každý měl vyzkoušet.
Jinak si velmi cením toho jak se stále vracíme ke starým známým které jsme potkali už v posledních knihách, z tohohle pohledu se cítím jako bych četl Sin City kde se postavy taky průběžně mezi sebou potkávají.
Co dodat? Topovka kterou by každý měl vyzkoušet.
July 16, 2020
El listón estaba MUY ALTO con el volumen 1 (ver reseña), pero el tándem Brubaker & Philips lo ha logrado.
Todo lo bueno del anterior volumen permanece, pero en esta ocasión las historias son, si cabe, más hirientes. Tracy Lawless se convierte por mérito propio en un icono del género pero, como el mismo Brubaker reconoce en su introducción, en la historia "El Último de los Inocentes" toca techo. La diferenciación gráfica, la identificación entre discurso e imagen hacen que todo sea más retorcido, más... triste. Se confirma que, hasta los más miserables, tienen algo en su interior con lo que nos podemos identificar.
Pese al sobresaliente desenlace de la historia de Tracy Lawless (primera parte en el volumen 1), La quinta estrella viene de "El Último de los Inocentes". Para la historia del "noir" gráfico.
Todo lo bueno del anterior volumen permanece, pero en esta ocasión las historias son, si cabe, más hirientes. Tracy Lawless se convierte por mérito propio en un icono del género pero, como el mismo Brubaker reconoce en su introducción, en la historia "El Último de los Inocentes" toca techo. La diferenciación gráfica, la identificación entre discurso e imagen hacen que todo sea más retorcido, más... triste. Se confirma que, hasta los más miserables, tienen algo en su interior con lo que nos podemos identificar.
Pese al sobresaliente desenlace de la historia de Tracy Lawless (primera parte en el volumen 1), La quinta estrella viene de "El Último de los Inocentes". Para la historia del "noir" gráfico.
January 28, 2020
Segundo tomo de esta colección de serie negra de Brubaker, algunos personajes nuevos y otros ya conocidos participan en historias de asesinatos en las que llegamos a empatizar con los asesinos, en total son tres arcos de cuatro o cinco capítulos, en cada uno de los cuales se desarrolla uno (o varios) asesinatos y los posteriores intentos de eludir la justicia de los criminales. En realidad la segunda historia se escapa de este molde, y resulta más bien una historia detectivesca, pero sigue teniendo similitudes en la forma de entender los asesinatos, una manera para nada dual, sino con muchos grises. En estas historias los asesinos tienen unos motivos bastante sólidos y no siempre reciben su castigo.
Mi historia favorita es la tercera, en la que un hombre que se casó con la hija de un gran empresario vuelve a su pueblo natal con motivo de la muerte de su padre, donde tiene recuerdos de tiempos más sencillos y mejores, debido a las infidelidades de su esposa y a que redescubre un amor de la adolescencia empieza a plantearse asesinar a su mujer para quitársela de encima y de paso cobrar la herencia. Lo curioso de esta historia es la forma de contar los recuerdos de la juventud, con un dibujo que recuerda al estilo de los cómics de Archie, lo cual es muy adecuado porque la historia básicamente es como si Archie se hubiera casado con Verónica y volviera a Riverdale años después amargado por su matrimonio y encontrara refugio en sus viejos amigos Betty, que sigue tan adorable como siempre y Jughead, que ha terminado siendo un alcohólico y drogadicto en rehabilitación.
Del dibujo poco hay que decir que no haya comentado en otros cómics del tandem Brubacker-Phillips, una pasada.
Mi historia favorita es la tercera, en la que un hombre que se casó con la hija de un gran empresario vuelve a su pueblo natal con motivo de la muerte de su padre, donde tiene recuerdos de tiempos más sencillos y mejores, debido a las infidelidades de su esposa y a que redescubre un amor de la adolescencia empieza a plantearse asesinar a su mujer para quitársela de encima y de paso cobrar la herencia. Lo curioso de esta historia es la forma de contar los recuerdos de la juventud, con un dibujo que recuerda al estilo de los cómics de Archie, lo cual es muy adecuado porque la historia básicamente es como si Archie se hubiera casado con Verónica y volviera a Riverdale años después amargado por su matrimonio y encontrara refugio en sus viejos amigos Betty, que sigue tan adorable como siempre y Jughead, que ha terminado siendo un alcohólico y drogadicto en rehabilitación.
Del dibujo poco hay que decir que no haya comentado en otros cómics del tandem Brubacker-Phillips, una pasada.
November 30, 2012
Now THIS was fantastic. While I very much enjoyed the first volume, I found it to be a little "tried and true." But this volume really steps it up. Brubaker and Phillips really explore what they can do both with the crime genre and comics themselves, using blended art styles and totally new approaches to storytelling to really make this feel 100% fresh. Each story hooked me completely, which sort of surprised me when I realized they'd brought back Tracy Lawless, one of the central characters from the previous volume. These stories have always woven in and out of each other's worlds, but had never gone so far as a direct sequel. Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Tracy again, and found his 2nd tale to be just as good, if not better, than his first.
All 3 stories in this volume are fantastic, but the third one really hits you in the gut. I think it's the realism with which its approached, the "I could be this guy" feeling you get from reading about this (mostly) normal guy descending into the criminal world you've been reading about for 5 straight stories. It upset me and twisted my emotions all over the place, and I'm giving this book 5 stars for that story alone.
This book emits a visible cloud of intrigue and suspense. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
All 3 stories in this volume are fantastic, but the third one really hits you in the gut. I think it's the realism with which its approached, the "I could be this guy" feeling you get from reading about this (mostly) normal guy descending into the criminal world you've been reading about for 5 straight stories. It upset me and twisted my emotions all over the place, and I'm giving this book 5 stars for that story alone.
This book emits a visible cloud of intrigue and suspense. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
July 26, 2023
El segundo volumen de la recopilación de las historias del tándem Brubaker y Phillips y de nuevo tres arcos argumentales completos, con sus personajes y épocas cruzadas.
Una maravilla, de dibujo y de guion. Personajes carismáticos y tópicos y lugares comunes del cine negro llevados al máximo.
En el fondo son historias tan simples que por eso funcionan tan bien. La figura del antihéroe llevada al extremo, haciendo sentir lástima y simpatía por personajes que son unos auténticos hdp, pero eso si, con principios, los suyos, pero principios.
La última se sale. Ese comic paralelo del chico bien, que hasta le tienes pena al pobre hombre de lo psicópata que es.
Las historias tienen ese tufillo tan ultra y tan americano de que las cosas de antes siempre estaban mejor pero tamizado por unos personajes que no tienen salvación, por buenos que quieran ser no les sale.
Una maravilla, de dibujo y de guion. Personajes carismáticos y tópicos y lugares comunes del cine negro llevados al máximo.
En el fondo son historias tan simples que por eso funcionan tan bien. La figura del antihéroe llevada al extremo, haciendo sentir lástima y simpatía por personajes que son unos auténticos hdp, pero eso si, con principios, los suyos, pero principios.
La última se sale. Ese comic paralelo del chico bien, que hasta le tienes pena al pobre hombre de lo psicópata que es.
Las historias tienen ese tufillo tan ultra y tan americano de que las cosas de antes siempre estaban mejor pero tamizado por unos personajes que no tienen salvación, por buenos que quieran ser no les sale.
December 18, 2015
MORE PLEASE.
July 25, 2024
This was definitely a step up from volume 1. The last of the innocent is the best story here without question. That story is a 4.5/5. The others felt like they dragged a bit too long and weren’t quite as engaging. Overall I’m enjoying this series. I don’t believe it’s one of my favorite from them though.
August 25, 2020
The Last of the Innocent run was very good.
May 8, 2021
Some of the most highly-addicting stories I've experienced in comics.
November 26, 2023
Not reading this should be... criminal.
May 15, 2013
There are way too many superhero comics and not nearly enough crime comics. These are the best that I have ever read. Brubaker gets a bit more experimental with the stories in this volume and it really pays off. Hopefully he will write more. If I have any criticism, it would be with Sean Phillips' art. He does a great job, but occasionally he is inconsistent with faces. Characters will sometimes change ethnicities between panels. I actually prefer his rougher style over the clean, bland style that so many other artists use, it just occasionally leads to gaffs that pull me out of the story. On the plus side, his painted work is beautiful.
June 27, 2021
The second stunning collection of the amazingly consistent Criminal stories! This book starts off with one of my favorite comic book stories of all time and stays on a high from there! This work is must-read stuff!
Contains:
Bad Night ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Sinners ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Last of the Innocent ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Contains:
Bad Night ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Sinners ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Last of the Innocent ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 4, 2013
loved it.
The second oversized hardback of the award-winning crime series from Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips is finally here!
The first edition has gone through four printings, in sellout after sellout, and now the rest of Brubaker and Phillips' noir masterpiece is collected in the same format. Collecting BAD NIGHT, THE SINNERS and THE LAST OF THE INNOCENT - along with short stories, behind-the-scenes pieces, art and articles, all previously uncollected.
COLLECTING: CRIMINAL (2008) 4-7, CRIMINAL: THE SINNERS 1-5, CRIMINAL: THE LAST OF THE INNOCENT 1-4
like i said, loved it.
The second oversized hardback of the award-winning crime series from Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips is finally here!
The first edition has gone through four printings, in sellout after sellout, and now the rest of Brubaker and Phillips' noir masterpiece is collected in the same format. Collecting BAD NIGHT, THE SINNERS and THE LAST OF THE INNOCENT - along with short stories, behind-the-scenes pieces, art and articles, all previously uncollected.
COLLECTING: CRIMINAL (2008) 4-7, CRIMINAL: THE SINNERS 1-5, CRIMINAL: THE LAST OF THE INNOCENT 1-4
like i said, loved it.
February 5, 2021
With the second deluxe edition of Criminal we get more of the same, and i mean that in the very best way. Stellar noir stories that are both original but also salute the old days of classic noir, we get another three stories with returning characters, in a non lineair way and skipping through time and back. Just stop reading this and get them. This is another deluxe edition with a great design, quality paper and binding, a couple end notes, some of Sean Philips artwork, and a essay and trailer in comic book form. Highly recomended.
April 22, 2018
Second only to Criminal Volume 1. This is one I'll re-read and recommend for years.
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May 12, 2025Criminal continues to level up in this second compendium of the series. Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips seemingly challenge themselves to inject more moral ambiguity and unpredictability into each new story, and the work speaks for itself.
The comic medium tends to get wrapped up in big, interesting concepts or ideas but fall short in execution. Bucking this trend, execution is everything for Brubaker/Phillips, and they generally don't bite off more than they can chew. Still, their appetite only increases if that makes sense. The first arc of Criminal (collected in the first compendium) is well-told but not especially original. It takes time for the creators to build the confidence to experiment with new narrative techniques, an ambition that begins to pay dividends in this second compendium.
The opening story, One Bad Night, which a clever narrative device: a pastiche on Dick Tracy critiques cartoonist Jacob Kurtz’s actions and highlights the contrast between the hard-boiled decisiveness of the fictional Tracy and the conflicted, real-life Kurtz, particularly in their views of a manipulative love interest. The second arc in this compendium, The Sinners, is the most intricately plotted yet. In it, Brubaker and Phillips juggle an impressive number of narrative threads and challenge readers to anticipate how the many "other shoes" will drop (even as readers know the story will inevitably end poorly for lead character Tracy Lawless).
In The Sinners and other storylines, Brubaker weaves each narrative such that its conclusion feels inevitable in retrospect even as the plot held me in suspense while I was reading. He has a strong intuition for what makes a story “work.” This is especially true in The Last of the Innocent, the commentary on Archie comics that closes out this compendium. Brubaker/Phillips present a jaded, grown-up version of Archie in Riley Richards, a man rife with regret and afflicted with a narcissism that makes his life feel hollow. The creators compel readers to watch in horror as Riley hatches a scheme to recapture his glory days in Riverdale, a past that was ultimately not as innocent as he recalls. The “dark version of Archie” storyline is somewhat overdone after the Riverdale show, but Brubaker/Phillips inject a level of complexity that elevates the story beyond a shallow commentary on those wholesome teen comics. In particular, Phillips impressively integrates a simplistic Archie style into his otherwise realistic, Toth-inspired work.
My main critique of this volume is that, while Criminal is structured to jump around among a wide cast of characters, Brubaker/Phillips devote most of their page space to variations on a theme with burnt-out, middle-aged men. The potential to center stories on other types of characters, especially women, is largely unexplored up to this point, besides the issue focused on Danica in the first compendium.
Altogether, I would easily recommend this second compendium to fans of the first.
The comic medium tends to get wrapped up in big, interesting concepts or ideas but fall short in execution. Bucking this trend, execution is everything for Brubaker/Phillips, and they generally don't bite off more than they can chew. Still, their appetite only increases if that makes sense. The first arc of Criminal (collected in the first compendium) is well-told but not especially original. It takes time for the creators to build the confidence to experiment with new narrative techniques, an ambition that begins to pay dividends in this second compendium.
The opening story, One Bad Night, which a clever narrative device: a pastiche on Dick Tracy critiques cartoonist Jacob Kurtz’s actions and highlights the contrast between the hard-boiled decisiveness of the fictional Tracy and the conflicted, real-life Kurtz, particularly in their views of a manipulative love interest. The second arc in this compendium, The Sinners, is the most intricately plotted yet. In it, Brubaker and Phillips juggle an impressive number of narrative threads and challenge readers to anticipate how the many "other shoes" will drop (even as readers know the story will inevitably end poorly for lead character Tracy Lawless).
In The Sinners and other storylines, Brubaker weaves each narrative such that its conclusion feels inevitable in retrospect even as the plot held me in suspense while I was reading. He has a strong intuition for what makes a story “work.” This is especially true in The Last of the Innocent, the commentary on Archie comics that closes out this compendium. Brubaker/Phillips present a jaded, grown-up version of Archie in Riley Richards, a man rife with regret and afflicted with a narcissism that makes his life feel hollow. The creators compel readers to watch in horror as Riley hatches a scheme to recapture his glory days in Riverdale, a past that was ultimately not as innocent as he recalls. The “dark version of Archie” storyline is somewhat overdone after the Riverdale show, but Brubaker/Phillips inject a level of complexity that elevates the story beyond a shallow commentary on those wholesome teen comics. In particular, Phillips impressively integrates a simplistic Archie style into his otherwise realistic, Toth-inspired work.
My main critique of this volume is that, while Criminal is structured to jump around among a wide cast of characters, Brubaker/Phillips devote most of their page space to variations on a theme with burnt-out, middle-aged men. The potential to center stories on other types of characters, especially women, is largely unexplored up to this point, besides the issue focused on Danica in the first compendium.
Altogether, I would easily recommend this second compendium to fans of the first.
January 1, 2018
https://osrascunhos.com/2017/12/27/cr...
O primeiro livro de Criminal tinha apresentado histórias viscerais onde a violência constitui parte integrante do quotidiano das personagens, fazendo com que se sintam constantemente atraídas para caírem nos velhos e perigosos episódios. Neste volume as histórias voltam a incidir sobre criminosos, mas são criminosos mais sofisticados, alguns que se envolvem na violência conscientemente pelos motivos errados e arrastam os outros por maus caminhos.
Outros voltam ao crime ao conhecerem uma Femme Fatale que os enfeitiça com a sua presença. É o caso de um homem que vive uma existência nocturna e cinzenta, produzindo regularmente uma pequena banda desenhada no jornal e intercalando com longos passeios à noite, após a morte da sua esposa – morte pela qual foi perseguido por um polícia persistente até ser encontrado o corpo num carro há muito acidentado.
O episódio trouxe-lhe mazelas físicas e psicológicas que o levam a esta existência cinzenta e rotineira que será quebrada ao encontrar, num café, um casal em conflito. Ele está notoriamente bêbado enquanto ela tenta escapar à agressividade eminente. A intervenção é necessária e antecipada abrindo portas a que o cavalheiro de última hora leve a jovem, acabando os dois a noite na mesma cama.
A partir dos segredos descobertos pela jovem o homem volta a ser puxado para o crime, constituindo, simultaneamente vítima e perpetuador, num enredo que tem mais nuances planeadas do que poderíamos pensar inicialmente! A história é contada em duas perspectivas que se cruzam e complementam usando uma estratégia narrativa já conhecida do primeiro volume de Criminal.
Na segunda história conhecemos um assassino a soldo de um mafioso – mas um assassino pouco usual que tenta procurar informação suficiente das vítimas para justificar o acto de as matar. Depois de se ter tentado afastar desta vida uma vez e envolvido por necessidade, volta a pensar em se afastar, desconhecendo que a sua vida irá descarrilar quando o mafioso suspeita que o assassino poderá estar envolvido com a filha adolescente e, simultaneamente, o seu caminho se cruza com um grupo de justiceiros que pretende limpar a cidade.
A última história, The Last of the Innocent é, na verdade, a mais arrepiante. A história apresenta um homem que volta à cidade onde cresceu para assistir ao funeral do pai. Ao retornar à cidade reencontra velhos amigos e velhas paixões, apesar de estar casado com uma ricaça que se envolveu com um antigo rival.
A história vai alternando memórias da infância e da juventude às quais atribui um estilo gráfico muito próprio com os planos da personagem principal para refazer a sua vida nem que para isso tenha de envolver, fatalmente, outras pessoas.
Tal como o volume anterior este termina com uma série de capas alternativas para cada um dos números que reúne, e com uma espécie de trailler – algumas páginas de banda desenhada inéditas que apresentam alguns elementos das histórias que irão constituir o volume.
De ambiente soturno, noir, que corresponde bem às histórias apresentadas, este segundo volume volta às histórias de criminosos onde a eminência da violência se sente mas, enquanto que, no primeiro, as histórias eram mais viscerais e decadentes retratando pessoas que vivem no meio da violência, que a ela estão acostumadas e que acabam atraídas para novos episódios como traças à procura da luz, neste volume as histórias têm elementos mais refinados e alternam episódios de violência física com violência psicológica, destacando-se os planos frios de teor calculista que irá desgraçar a vida de alguém.
O primeiro livro de Criminal tinha apresentado histórias viscerais onde a violência constitui parte integrante do quotidiano das personagens, fazendo com que se sintam constantemente atraídas para caírem nos velhos e perigosos episódios. Neste volume as histórias voltam a incidir sobre criminosos, mas são criminosos mais sofisticados, alguns que se envolvem na violência conscientemente pelos motivos errados e arrastam os outros por maus caminhos.
Outros voltam ao crime ao conhecerem uma Femme Fatale que os enfeitiça com a sua presença. É o caso de um homem que vive uma existência nocturna e cinzenta, produzindo regularmente uma pequena banda desenhada no jornal e intercalando com longos passeios à noite, após a morte da sua esposa – morte pela qual foi perseguido por um polícia persistente até ser encontrado o corpo num carro há muito acidentado.
O episódio trouxe-lhe mazelas físicas e psicológicas que o levam a esta existência cinzenta e rotineira que será quebrada ao encontrar, num café, um casal em conflito. Ele está notoriamente bêbado enquanto ela tenta escapar à agressividade eminente. A intervenção é necessária e antecipada abrindo portas a que o cavalheiro de última hora leve a jovem, acabando os dois a noite na mesma cama.
A partir dos segredos descobertos pela jovem o homem volta a ser puxado para o crime, constituindo, simultaneamente vítima e perpetuador, num enredo que tem mais nuances planeadas do que poderíamos pensar inicialmente! A história é contada em duas perspectivas que se cruzam e complementam usando uma estratégia narrativa já conhecida do primeiro volume de Criminal.
Na segunda história conhecemos um assassino a soldo de um mafioso – mas um assassino pouco usual que tenta procurar informação suficiente das vítimas para justificar o acto de as matar. Depois de se ter tentado afastar desta vida uma vez e envolvido por necessidade, volta a pensar em se afastar, desconhecendo que a sua vida irá descarrilar quando o mafioso suspeita que o assassino poderá estar envolvido com a filha adolescente e, simultaneamente, o seu caminho se cruza com um grupo de justiceiros que pretende limpar a cidade.
A última história, The Last of the Innocent é, na verdade, a mais arrepiante. A história apresenta um homem que volta à cidade onde cresceu para assistir ao funeral do pai. Ao retornar à cidade reencontra velhos amigos e velhas paixões, apesar de estar casado com uma ricaça que se envolveu com um antigo rival.
A história vai alternando memórias da infância e da juventude às quais atribui um estilo gráfico muito próprio com os planos da personagem principal para refazer a sua vida nem que para isso tenha de envolver, fatalmente, outras pessoas.
Tal como o volume anterior este termina com uma série de capas alternativas para cada um dos números que reúne, e com uma espécie de trailler – algumas páginas de banda desenhada inéditas que apresentam alguns elementos das histórias que irão constituir o volume.
De ambiente soturno, noir, que corresponde bem às histórias apresentadas, este segundo volume volta às histórias de criminosos onde a eminência da violência se sente mas, enquanto que, no primeiro, as histórias eram mais viscerais e decadentes retratando pessoas que vivem no meio da violência, que a ela estão acostumadas e que acabam atraídas para novos episódios como traças à procura da luz, neste volume as histórias têm elementos mais refinados e alternam episódios de violência física com violência psicológica, destacando-se os planos frios de teor calculista que irá desgraçar a vida de alguém.
November 20, 2023
Believe the hype. Everything that you've heard about Criminal is true. These are crime comics for the 21st century...even though they take place in the 20th century. Technology has made crime boring, so stories that take place in the '70s and '80s are far more interesting than stories that take place today. Nowadays, everyone would have a cellphone video up on Facebook or Youtube and they'd get caught.
This beautiful, 420+ page oversized hardcover collects three arcs. The best thing about this series is that, despite all of the lurid happenings, it is all about the characters. The choices people make in life define all of these stories. It would be an easy sell to go the cheap, sensationalist route. Brubaker takes a lowbrow concept and makes it high art.
All of these stories deal with crime, drugs, sex, cigarettes, and profanity. All ages reading it is not. If white knuckled, wrong side of the tracks, bad girls who are good girls on the inside (maybe), and crooked cops sound interesting to you, then Criminal is for you. Even if those things don't appeal to you, Criminal is for you. This is essential reading.
Well this sure is strange. There are some word balloons that omit dialogue, or portions of the dialogue. If this were a collection of vintage material then I would chalk it up to a pasted over word balloon falling off. Here in the modern age, everything is digital. How would this happen? A corrupted file? This stuff isn't scanned from floppies or anything. It's like an Easter Island head style mystery. The affected word balloons can be found on Page 127, panel 5; Page 128, panels 5-7; Page 131, panel 9; Page 233, panels 3, 4, 7, and 9. There is also one other word balloon without any text in it, although it is possible that that one is not a mistake since it fits in with the story.
The covers are all collected in the back of the book instead of being used as chapter markers. There are chapter marker pages. My OCD prefers the covers to be included prior to the beginning of each issue. Your mileage, as always, may vary.
This beautiful, 420+ page oversized hardcover collects three arcs. The best thing about this series is that, despite all of the lurid happenings, it is all about the characters. The choices people make in life define all of these stories. It would be an easy sell to go the cheap, sensationalist route. Brubaker takes a lowbrow concept and makes it high art.
All of these stories deal with crime, drugs, sex, cigarettes, and profanity. All ages reading it is not. If white knuckled, wrong side of the tracks, bad girls who are good girls on the inside (maybe), and crooked cops sound interesting to you, then Criminal is for you. Even if those things don't appeal to you, Criminal is for you. This is essential reading.
Well this sure is strange. There are some word balloons that omit dialogue, or portions of the dialogue. If this were a collection of vintage material then I would chalk it up to a pasted over word balloon falling off. Here in the modern age, everything is digital. How would this happen? A corrupted file? This stuff isn't scanned from floppies or anything. It's like an Easter Island head style mystery. The affected word balloons can be found on Page 127, panel 5; Page 128, panels 5-7; Page 131, panel 9; Page 233, panels 3, 4, 7, and 9. There is also one other word balloon without any text in it, although it is possible that that one is not a mistake since it fits in with the story.
The covers are all collected in the back of the book instead of being used as chapter markers. There are chapter marker pages. My OCD prefers the covers to be included prior to the beginning of each issue. Your mileage, as always, may vary.
July 8, 2022
Once Again Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips bring their A game to this series and i’m just in love with their work now, Volume 1 was my favourite book of all time and even though volume 2 isn’t on that level, it’s still a 10/10 in my opinion.
The first story ‘Bad Night’ focused on a character i really wanted to learn more about from the first deluxe edition and i got exactly that, it was a brilliant but tragic story and that’s what all these stories are but they’re just so so good
the second story ‘The Sinners’ showed the continuation of the character Tracy that was in my 2nd favourite story of the criminal series, they showed a great follow up from where we left off last time in “lawless”, they shows some great development to the character of Tracy and explored more of the empire that was run by a character that i won’t spoil, anyways this story ends in such a way that fits the character, A perfect ending to me
and then “The Last Of The Innocent” was something pretty different from what brubaker and phillips have done before but in a similar way, which really really paid off because this is one of my all time favourites, i can’t say much about it but i adored this story
The first story ‘Bad Night’ focused on a character i really wanted to learn more about from the first deluxe edition and i got exactly that, it was a brilliant but tragic story and that’s what all these stories are but they’re just so so good
the second story ‘The Sinners’ showed the continuation of the character Tracy that was in my 2nd favourite story of the criminal series, they showed a great follow up from where we left off last time in “lawless”, they shows some great development to the character of Tracy and explored more of the empire that was run by a character that i won’t spoil, anyways this story ends in such a way that fits the character, A perfect ending to me
and then “The Last Of The Innocent” was something pretty different from what brubaker and phillips have done before but in a similar way, which really really paid off because this is one of my all time favourites, i can’t say much about it but i adored this story
January 24, 2023
Příběhy Eda Brubakera jsou dokonalé. Jsou chytré, uvěřitelné a neskutečným způsobem vás chytnou a táhnou vás do svého velkého finále. Jsou plné překvapení a nečekaných zvratů, takže si ani náhodou nemůžete být jistí tím, jak to dopadne. A že to jsou kolikrát drsné překvápka! Protagonisty prvních dvou příběhů už známe z první knihy. Ve třetím příběhu, který dal knize jméno, je hlavní hrdina nový. Ten příběh je jiný než všechny předchozí. Nebudu říkat jak, to bych vám zkazil překvapení. Snad jenom tolik, že není jiný jenom příběhově, ale částečně také výtvarně. Sean Philips prokládá svou standardně skvělou kresbu jinou, úplně odlišnou, kresbou, aby rozlišil přítomnost od vzpomínek. Je to osvěžující prvek, který se mi tu opravdu líbí, ale vice ho radši v dalších povídkách mít nemusím.
Bonusy jsou opět velmi obsáhlé a plné úžasných Philipsových obálek a ilustrací, komiksových drobků a Brubakerových textů.
Bonusy jsou opět velmi obsáhlé a plné úžasných Philipsových obálek a ilustrací, komiksových drobků a Brubakerových textů.
March 17, 2025
Vivid and gutsy, this 3 part story keeps on theme for the Criminal series.
Great art, dark and gritty characters and ambiguous morality.
Part 1 - One bad night. There are some jumps in this one, the protagonist has mental blocks and missing memories that the antagonists leverage into an elaborate plan. A plan that depends heavily on his brain being broken in just the right way. Minus credibility points, but still a fun romp with a femme fatale.
Part 2 - The sinners. Church-going vigilante group tries to clean up the town. A dark story with a lot of ruthlessness in it. Leaning heavily on the likelihood that everyone ignores kids.
Part 3 - the last of the innocent, was excellent. The protagonist starts off as a sympathetic character and then just slides slowly down as one little bit at a time is revealed. All the flashback scenes are in the same style as Archie comics, which was a great touch.
Great art, dark and gritty characters and ambiguous morality.
Part 1 - One bad night. There are some jumps in this one, the protagonist has mental blocks and missing memories that the antagonists leverage into an elaborate plan. A plan that depends heavily on his brain being broken in just the right way. Minus credibility points, but still a fun romp with a femme fatale.
Part 2 - The sinners. Church-going vigilante group tries to clean up the town. A dark story with a lot of ruthlessness in it. Leaning heavily on the likelihood that everyone ignores kids.
Part 3 - the last of the innocent, was excellent. The protagonist starts off as a sympathetic character and then just slides slowly down as one little bit at a time is revealed. All the flashback scenes are in the same style as Archie comics, which was a great touch.
August 22, 2024
Did not finish. The first story arc was about the isolated, insomniac Jacob. Jacob is a comic strip writer/artist who used to be a counterfeiter and is the supreme master of poor decision making - I am reminded of Hellblazers, Hard Time story, where an inmate of a gaol says "Poor decision making, we are all guilty at least of that".
Jacob takes a crazy crackhead woman home, shows her all his stuff, has sex with her and then she steals his money and (we later find out) his gun.
She comes back with crazy boyfriend and forces Jacob who is about as effectual as a limp lettuce leaf, into counterfeiting a document for a crime. It was with a sigh of relief that I finished this storyline and when I found out the next was a continuation of the same story, I just quit the book.
Jacob takes a crazy crackhead woman home, shows her all his stuff, has sex with her and then she steals his money and (we later find out) his gun.
She comes back with crazy boyfriend and forces Jacob who is about as effectual as a limp lettuce leaf, into counterfeiting a document for a crime. It was with a sigh of relief that I finished this storyline and when I found out the next was a continuation of the same story, I just quit the book.
August 31, 2024
I wasn't really a fan of Vol. 1, but I have to admit that the stories in this book are just better.
I still have the same problems: The characters are really unlikeable and most of the cast just dies. But it's actually handled better in here, especially in the last of the stories. But if there's no character to like, I don't see myself every going back to these stories.
Then there's the way the different stories are connected, which I still really like. It reminds me of an anime called Durarara. Only in the anime, they managed to keep the world connected without violence, deaths and unlikable characters, which I prefer.
Artwork is still so-so.
It is a good read, but I won't be going back to it.
I still have the same problems: The characters are really unlikeable and most of the cast just dies. But it's actually handled better in here, especially in the last of the stories. But if there's no character to like, I don't see myself every going back to these stories.
Then there's the way the different stories are connected, which I still really like. It reminds me of an anime called Durarara. Only in the anime, they managed to keep the world connected without violence, deaths and unlikable characters, which I prefer.
Artwork is still so-so.
It is a good read, but I won't be going back to it.
April 9, 2025
Brubaker (writer) and Phillips (artist) are a masterful duo, and they make the best crime comics out there. (Well, so does David Lapham with his Stray Bullets series, but this review isn’t about him).
This big book contains three graphic novels. All are great, and all exist in the same “universe” - the underworld of an unnamed American city. My favorite of the three is “Last of the Innocent”, which injects gritty crime and murder into the milieu of a group of beloved teenage comic book characters (they seem VERY FAMILIAR, nudge nudge, wink, wink, sugar, sugar, ah, honey honey). The former teens, now adults, find a grim reality waiting behind the facade of their wholesome past.
So, so good.
This big book contains three graphic novels. All are great, and all exist in the same “universe” - the underworld of an unnamed American city. My favorite of the three is “Last of the Innocent”, which injects gritty crime and murder into the milieu of a group of beloved teenage comic book characters (they seem VERY FAMILIAR, nudge nudge, wink, wink, sugar, sugar, ah, honey honey). The former teens, now adults, find a grim reality waiting behind the facade of their wholesome past.
So, so good.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews