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The Violent (Collected Editions) #1-5
The Violent Volume 1: Blood Like Tar
From ED BRISSON (SHELTERED) and ADAM GORHAM (DEAD DROP) comes an all-new, ongoing series. Meet Mason, an ex-con and former drug addict who’s trying hard to give up his old life. He’s got more important things to live for a wife struggling to contain her own addiction and a young daughter who needs them both. When threatened with losing his daughter, Mason falls into old habits, stumbling through a string of desperate criminal acts whose repercussions quickly become deadly serious.
120 pages, Paperback
First published September 20, 2016
About the author
Ed Brisson
753 books107 followersComic book writer.
Credits include: COMEBACK, SHELTERED, THE FIELD (Image Comics), SECRET AVENGERS (Marvel), ROBOCOP, SONS OF ANARCHY, HELLRAISER (BOOM!) and X-FILES/TMNT: CONSPIRACY (IDW). Plus, you know, a bunch of stuff I can’t talk about yet.
Credits include: COMEBACK, SHELTERED, THE FIELD (Image Comics), SECRET AVENGERS (Marvel), ROBOCOP, SONS OF ANARCHY, HELLRAISER (BOOM!) and X-FILES/TMNT: CONSPIRACY (IDW). Plus, you know, a bunch of stuff I can’t talk about yet.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
December 15, 2016
The Violent: Blood Like Tar isn’t subtle or poetic or groundbreaking, but it sure has what a gritty little crime drama needs: desperately flawed yet likable, psychologically sound characters who make bad choices; things that spiral out of control; crisp, realistic dialogue that doesn’t get in the way; and a merciless no-nonsense approach that feels bleak but never exploitative. It’s a real page-turner, this new comic-book series by Ed Brisson and Adam Gorham, albeit a bit on the raw and bloody side. Looking forward to the second volume!
February 7, 2017
Whew, brutal, living up to its title, so no spoiler alert necessary here. A crime graphic novel with lots of socio-economic commentary. A story about two ex-junkies Mason and Becky who have gotten clean and are raising a little girl. Given the national stories about heroin addiction, this feels less as the cliched story it could so easily have been than the relevant and realistic one it really is; in fact, though they make mistake after mistake in slipping off the wagon and engaging in. . . lots of violence. . . we actually do come to care for them, we're on their side.
I liked it a lot; I liked the artwork from Gorham, it fit the overall dark tone. Set in Vancouver, in a gentrifying neighborhood, focused on economic survival, food banks, and so on. And addiction, and the crimes that sometimes attend it. I heard Image cancelled it and Brisson is going the way of Kickstarter to continue it, so I look forward to reading more.
I liked it a lot; I liked the artwork from Gorham, it fit the overall dark tone. Set in Vancouver, in a gentrifying neighborhood, focused on economic survival, food banks, and so on. And addiction, and the crimes that sometimes attend it. I heard Image cancelled it and Brisson is going the way of Kickstarter to continue it, so I look forward to reading more.
July 21, 2016
Ex-junkies Mason and Becky are both now clean and, with Mason recently released from prison, the two are trying to be good parents to their young daughter Kaitlyn while holding down jobs. But the cost of living in Vancouver is high, their income is low, and the temptations of the old life are always one bad day away – and bad days are coming. When Becky falls off the wagon and goes missing, Mason inadvertently loses custody of their daughter and begins the search for his wife – a search that will take him to places you can’t come back from…
The Violent is Ed Brisson’s finest book yet and easily one of the best comics of the year! It’s dramatic, it’s exciting, it’s fast-paced, it’s a darkly realistic story about an ordinary man caught in an extraordinary situation – it’s like reading a comics version of Breaking Bad, and I loved it!
The story grimly starts with Mason contemplating recidivism and things spiral ever downwards for him from there. Brisson writes the characters so damn well. Mason in particular does some heinous and incredibly stupid shit throughout but you can see him trying to be a better person too - I was genuinely rooting for him the entire time. It’s heart-breaking to see him try and do the right thing and keep his family together and consistently fail, leading to more and more desperate actions that can only end one way. I also loved how Becky and her mother’s tempestuous relationship was written which felt very real and added to Becky’s character in her struggle to be a better mum than she had.
Brisson masterfully layers the driving storyline so the stakes get raised with each passing chapter, making it more and more gripping to read as the net closes in on this small doomed family. It’s also a bitter commentary on his home of Vancouver which has seen an influx of hipsters and Chinese real estate investors in recent years, raising rent for him and his family. However Brisson reveals in the final issue’s afterword that he and his wife have solved the problem by moving the family away to a smaller town, so good for him!
I really enjoyed Adam Gorham’s artwork, especially those moody, wordless first page establishing shots and the action was drawn well with some very visceral scenes – the comic definitely lives up to its title!
It’s disappointing to hear that the series has been cancelled after five strong issues - it’s a real shame the comic didn’t find more of an audience as it’s really high quality work. But Brisson and co. are continuing anyway and the series will be made available through Kickstarter directly for the audience who have been enjoying it so that’s good news – I’ll definitely be following these guys as they develop the world of The Violent as I’m sure others will after reading this book.
The Violent, Volume 1: Blood Like Tar is partly a snapshot of our times and partly a tragic portrait of modern life for those on the bottom rungs of society, but it’s mostly a powerful and compelling narrative that you won’t be able to put down once you start. Fans of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ Criminal series will gobble this one up - brutal and intense, The Violent is a must-read.
The Violent is Ed Brisson’s finest book yet and easily one of the best comics of the year! It’s dramatic, it’s exciting, it’s fast-paced, it’s a darkly realistic story about an ordinary man caught in an extraordinary situation – it’s like reading a comics version of Breaking Bad, and I loved it!
The story grimly starts with Mason contemplating recidivism and things spiral ever downwards for him from there. Brisson writes the characters so damn well. Mason in particular does some heinous and incredibly stupid shit throughout but you can see him trying to be a better person too - I was genuinely rooting for him the entire time. It’s heart-breaking to see him try and do the right thing and keep his family together and consistently fail, leading to more and more desperate actions that can only end one way. I also loved how Becky and her mother’s tempestuous relationship was written which felt very real and added to Becky’s character in her struggle to be a better mum than she had.
Brisson masterfully layers the driving storyline so the stakes get raised with each passing chapter, making it more and more gripping to read as the net closes in on this small doomed family. It’s also a bitter commentary on his home of Vancouver which has seen an influx of hipsters and Chinese real estate investors in recent years, raising rent for him and his family. However Brisson reveals in the final issue’s afterword that he and his wife have solved the problem by moving the family away to a smaller town, so good for him!
I really enjoyed Adam Gorham’s artwork, especially those moody, wordless first page establishing shots and the action was drawn well with some very visceral scenes – the comic definitely lives up to its title!
It’s disappointing to hear that the series has been cancelled after five strong issues - it’s a real shame the comic didn’t find more of an audience as it’s really high quality work. But Brisson and co. are continuing anyway and the series will be made available through Kickstarter directly for the audience who have been enjoying it so that’s good news – I’ll definitely be following these guys as they develop the world of The Violent as I’m sure others will after reading this book.
The Violent, Volume 1: Blood Like Tar is partly a snapshot of our times and partly a tragic portrait of modern life for those on the bottom rungs of society, but it’s mostly a powerful and compelling narrative that you won’t be able to put down once you start. Fans of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ Criminal series will gobble this one up - brutal and intense, The Violent is a must-read.
July 3, 2019
Well...that was dark.
This is a simple story of two parents trying to get their shit straight. One was a thief who broke in to houses, and one was a druggie, but both stopped after having their daughter. Everything is going well, in terms of not acting on their impulses for a couple of years, but like all depressing stories one mistake snowballs into huge events about murder and loss.
I don't like to give any spoilers for this one because it's as dark as can be, but it works almost the whole time. The dialogue is tight and realistic, a sad portrayal of modern life and a struggle to do the right thing. Plenty of twist and turns on the way. It played it a little safe in terms of the twist for me but it was still well done.
This is a solid dark crime story. A 4 out of 5.
This is a simple story of two parents trying to get their shit straight. One was a thief who broke in to houses, and one was a druggie, but both stopped after having their daughter. Everything is going well, in terms of not acting on their impulses for a couple of years, but like all depressing stories one mistake snowballs into huge events about murder and loss.
I don't like to give any spoilers for this one because it's as dark as can be, but it works almost the whole time. The dialogue is tight and realistic, a sad portrayal of modern life and a struggle to do the right thing. Plenty of twist and turns on the way. It played it a little safe in terms of the twist for me but it was still well done.
This is a solid dark crime story. A 4 out of 5.
April 16, 2017
This was a very good none Brubaker/Phillips crime comic. It could easily work as an arc of Criminal, but it's a lot more violent (pun intended) than that book and you almost sympathise with the main character who turns into a killer.
January 8, 2017
A painful cautionary tale. Crime and desperation are dreaded bedmates.
December 15, 2021
Dammit man this book was so jacked up. I wasn’t even through the first issue and I was like “what the hell?” The story follows Mason, just out of jail ex junkie and His GF Becky who is also an ex junkie. But she decides to quit once she gets pregnant. Now that the kid is here, she is trying her best to make it work with Mason. Fix their lives and raise their daughter. However, Mason is the biggest screw up. He makes a real bad decision which leads him down a trail of destruction. I was so damn sad reading the first two issues but after this guy kept messing up I was like there is no hope for him. It just spirals out of control. Tragic ending for one, and a sad new chance at redemption for the other.
December 4, 2018
Ever have the feeling every decision you make is the wrong one ?
Mason certainly does. Fresh out from prison he struggles hard to keep is family afloat. His supporting wife is an ex-junkie too, doing menial underpaid jobs. Rent’s due and maybe they’re gonna be expelled with their daughter…
Then comes the first wrong decision. Then the next. Starts a downward spiral that brings little hope of a bright solution to Mason’s problems…
A gripping dark noir story about average people in desperate situations who’ll come to desperate means to try to get out of the quicksand of their lives.
Brisson writes great fleshed-out characters. Mason and his wife are perfect, even the supporting cast is great (Mason’s best friend’s ex, his wife’s mother). You feel for them, even when these terrible wrong choices are made, and it’s hard because there’s not much light at the end of the tunnel.
Good and solid art by Adam Gorham.
Mason certainly does. Fresh out from prison he struggles hard to keep is family afloat. His supporting wife is an ex-junkie too, doing menial underpaid jobs. Rent’s due and maybe they’re gonna be expelled with their daughter…
Then comes the first wrong decision. Then the next. Starts a downward spiral that brings little hope of a bright solution to Mason’s problems…
A gripping dark noir story about average people in desperate situations who’ll come to desperate means to try to get out of the quicksand of their lives.
Brisson writes great fleshed-out characters. Mason and his wife are perfect, even the supporting cast is great (Mason’s best friend’s ex, his wife’s mother). You feel for them, even when these terrible wrong choices are made, and it’s hard because there’s not much light at the end of the tunnel.
Good and solid art by Adam Gorham.
February 23, 2017
Well that was unrelenting. Dark, gritty and the hits just keep coming. The story focuses on Becky and Mason who are former drug addicts trying to cope and get by now they are clean and raise their daughter. Unfortunately when everything is going wrong its easy to slip into past habits and this results in the child being taken away. Becky wants to prove that she is a good mother and tries to do what is best. Mason however tries to do anything to get her back and it just spirals out of control so quickly. The desperation of the characters just oozes from the pages, this is not a comfortable read but you will be gripped all the way through.
October 1, 2016
It has been a while since I have picked up a comic and this book has made me miss them terribly! I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. The storyline was complete and realistic enough and it was nice to see character development in such a short form. The artwork was beautiful and I loved the use of the colors to convey the mood. Though I did enjoy the "messy" style of art, I would have wanted some more clean panels to understand certain expressions, but it did not take away from the story at all. I look forward to the other volumes and would recommend this series!
October 17, 2016
No, no, and no.
This is too much like sad and petty real life. My stomach hurts
This is too much like sad and petty real life. My stomach hurts
April 19, 2021
I love the fast pace of the story. Each issue ends with a cliffhanger that makes you want to find out more. The mess in the lives of the characters is impressive. Their struggle to get away from their chaotic past fails at every corner. Truth be told, one of them manages it in the end, but at a steep cost.
Former thief Mason and his girlfriend Becky, both former drug addicts, have decided to clean up their lives for their daughter Kaitlyn. Life is difficult because of their dead end jobs. Their past lives are catching up to them and they will have to fight hard to not be swallowed up whole.
Becky is approched by their old drug dealer and she finds she can't refuse his offer to return to drugs. Meanwhile Mason helps out a former convict friend Dylan. He leaves Kaitlyn in the car and upon leaving is arrested by police for child abandonment. With Becky suddenly nowhere to be found, she and Mason may lose their parenting rights.
Former thief Mason and his girlfriend Becky, both former drug addicts, have decided to clean up their lives for their daughter Kaitlyn. Life is difficult because of their dead end jobs. Their past lives are catching up to them and they will have to fight hard to not be swallowed up whole.
Becky is approched by their old drug dealer and she finds she can't refuse his offer to return to drugs. Meanwhile Mason helps out a former convict friend Dylan. He leaves Kaitlyn in the car and upon leaving is arrested by police for child abandonment. With Becky suddenly nowhere to be found, she and Mason may lose their parenting rights.
April 27, 2022
This felt like an attempt to break in on the success that Ed Brubaker has been having with dark, gritty crime stories in graphic form. It was successful, in terms of telling a dark, gritty story well, and with excellent art.
For me, the problem was the characters. I never liked or even sympathized with either of the two main ones.
For Mason, the father, I honestly found his decisions hard to believe, especially once they start circling the drain. Leaving his daughter in the car, in cold weather, while trying to talk his friend into leaving the bar? What? I'd have believed he would do something dumb, like bringing her into the bar, but as shown, what he did was way past reasonable. Then, there are the other crimes he commits over the course of the story. Sorry, but the cold nature of those means he's crossed the line too far to come back from.
For Becky, the mother...she's working a crummy job where the office has a habit of shorting the workers on their paychecks. She knows this, apparently. So, it happens again, and that's enough to trigger her going back to hard drugs? Sorry, but that didn't fly as an excuse.
The result is that both come across as jerks who deserve to lose their child, even if the dad was less violent and creepy. That means it's just a cold, grim story about crime where it was very difficult to care about the criminal. I can't give that more than three stars.
For me, the problem was the characters. I never liked or even sympathized with either of the two main ones.
For Mason, the father, I honestly found his decisions hard to believe, especially once they start circling the drain. Leaving his daughter in the car, in cold weather, while trying to talk his friend into leaving the bar? What? I'd have believed he would do something dumb, like bringing her into the bar, but as shown, what he did was way past reasonable. Then, there are the other crimes he commits over the course of the story. Sorry, but the cold nature of those means he's crossed the line too far to come back from.
For Becky, the mother...she's working a crummy job where the office has a habit of shorting the workers on their paychecks. She knows this, apparently. So, it happens again, and that's enough to trigger her going back to hard drugs? Sorry, but that didn't fly as an excuse.
The result is that both come across as jerks who deserve to lose their child, even if the dad was less violent and creepy. That means it's just a cold, grim story about crime where it was very difficult to care about the criminal. I can't give that more than three stars.
June 4, 2023
Seeing Becky like that... She's the one who kicked the habit... got off drugs the second she knew she was going to have a baby. I didn't. I didn't even care. Then when Kaitlyn came… the nurse handed her to me...
When that nurse put Kaitlyn in my arms. When I looked into her eyes... That. That's when I first felt it. Right in my f*cking heart... That's when I knew how broken I was.
This is a real hit of gritty life in the underclass of society. Former drug addict and thief, Mason, has turned his life around having been released from prison. Working all hours, he and his wife Becky, are ships that pass in the night, taking their turns to look after their daughter. However, chaos and violence are always one poor decision away. When Becky's pay check comes up short, with mounting stress about bills and rent, she succumbs to temptation and takes us her former dealer’s offer of getting back on the ‘good stuff’.
Meanwhile, Mason is helping out a friend in need but leaves his daughter in the car while he talks in the nearby bar. Soon he finds himself being bars for child endangerment. With Becky missing, his life spirals rapidly out of control and we hit the grit and violence hard.
An in your face read that makes you question the decisions you’ve made that could have sent your life in a different direction. 4 stars.
When that nurse put Kaitlyn in my arms. When I looked into her eyes... That. That's when I first felt it. Right in my f*cking heart... That's when I knew how broken I was.
This is a real hit of gritty life in the underclass of society. Former drug addict and thief, Mason, has turned his life around having been released from prison. Working all hours, he and his wife Becky, are ships that pass in the night, taking their turns to look after their daughter. However, chaos and violence are always one poor decision away. When Becky's pay check comes up short, with mounting stress about bills and rent, she succumbs to temptation and takes us her former dealer’s offer of getting back on the ‘good stuff’.
Meanwhile, Mason is helping out a friend in need but leaves his daughter in the car while he talks in the nearby bar. Soon he finds himself being bars for child endangerment. With Becky missing, his life spirals rapidly out of control and we hit the grit and violence hard.
An in your face read that makes you question the decisions you’ve made that could have sent your life in a different direction. 4 stars.
April 29, 2020
The book is listed as volume one, but this is a complete story unto itself. No further editions needed. I believe it was meant to be a series of interconnected crime stories, maybe set in the same town, or with various generations of criminals overlapping, but the series came out in 2016 and there is no sight of any other story arcs, so we must be content with the one, which is worth a look.
An ex-con and former drug addict and his junkie wife are trying hard to go straight for the sake of their daughter. But walking the straight path is easier said than done, especially when both of them are working dead-end jobs. When threatened with losing his daughter, the ex-con falls into old habits, stumbling through a string of desperate criminal acts whose repercussions quickly become deadly serious.
Well done crime novel, where you keep hoping the inevitable end doesn’t happen. However, the aftermath is a little too upbeat considering the violent road it took to get there. The junkie wife- sorry, ex-junkie who has a relapse - comes across as a little too preachy, talking down to the main character about his life, whereas she made the exact same bad decisions as he did. The art is brutal, capturing the fast-paced story in perfect form. Well worth a look.
An ex-con and former drug addict and his junkie wife are trying hard to go straight for the sake of their daughter. But walking the straight path is easier said than done, especially when both of them are working dead-end jobs. When threatened with losing his daughter, the ex-con falls into old habits, stumbling through a string of desperate criminal acts whose repercussions quickly become deadly serious.
Well done crime novel, where you keep hoping the inevitable end doesn’t happen. However, the aftermath is a little too upbeat considering the violent road it took to get there. The junkie wife- sorry, ex-junkie who has a relapse - comes across as a little too preachy, talking down to the main character about his life, whereas she made the exact same bad decisions as he did. The art is brutal, capturing the fast-paced story in perfect form. Well worth a look.
July 29, 2018
Mason is a recovering addict living in Vancouver, Canada, trying to turn his life around after a stint in prison. He and his wife have gotten clean and are trying to focus on raising their little girl. But they keep making very bad decisions... and that is where the story kind of lost me. Two bad people doing scummy, selfish things and then really bad things happen. Although quite realistic in its approach, it is hard to have sympathy for the characters in the book. Dark, gritty and violent but left me feeling like I needed a shower and something to scrub the slime out of my brain afterwards.
January 21, 2021
*24 hour readathon book 6*
I loved the beginning of this graphic novel, and thought that it was going to be a really eye opening look into the struggles that ex-convicts and addicts face when trying to make a better life for themselves, surrounded by social stigma towards their prior behaviours. However, it just took a very bizarre turn that wrapped up way too quickly considering the graphic nature of everything that happens, and it just didn't feel like a satisfying end to me. The art style was awesome, but I think the plot was lacking in terms of what it set out to do and pitches itself as, and where it progresses and inevitable concludes.
I loved the beginning of this graphic novel, and thought that it was going to be a really eye opening look into the struggles that ex-convicts and addicts face when trying to make a better life for themselves, surrounded by social stigma towards their prior behaviours. However, it just took a very bizarre turn that wrapped up way too quickly considering the graphic nature of everything that happens, and it just didn't feel like a satisfying end to me. The art style was awesome, but I think the plot was lacking in terms of what it set out to do and pitches itself as, and where it progresses and inevitable concludes.
November 1, 2016
Sad tale about an ex-con trying to lead a normal life
In Vancouver, Mason, an ex-con, is trying to lead a normal life but money problems bring an unwelcome return to criminality, involving his partner and his baby daughter. Drug use and selling also features prominently along with a good deal of bloodshed and death.
Not very uplifting although there is a little hope expressed at the end. Well-told and clearly illustrated, it is “enjoyable” and worth a look.
In Vancouver, Mason, an ex-con, is trying to lead a normal life but money problems bring an unwelcome return to criminality, involving his partner and his baby daughter. Drug use and selling also features prominently along with a good deal of bloodshed and death.
Not very uplifting although there is a little hope expressed at the end. Well-told and clearly illustrated, it is “enjoyable” and worth a look.
March 23, 2018
This story was typical, predictable, and very tropey of the genre of "real life grit" or whatever. Ex convict and junkie trying to get clean and work for a better life kills someone, then tries cover up his tracks by killing someone else to save his wife and daughter then ultimately scarifices himself so his "daughter doesnt see him behind bars".
if this is your type of thing, you'll probably like ut, just seen it waaay too many times in movies, tv shows, and books. 2 stars.
if this is your type of thing, you'll probably like ut, just seen it waaay too many times in movies, tv shows, and books. 2 stars.
December 23, 2020
Having known nothing about this title when I grabbed it a con, I took a small risk. At a reduced price, and buoyed by the love of comics all around me, I dod none of my typical research before handing over the money at the booth.
What I discovered was a true gem, and one that I was happy to walk into blindly.
Brisson's characterization of the ne'er-do-well Mason is both tone perfect and heart-breaking. The kitchen sink setting and blunt truth-telling matches the pencils perfectly and create a great tale.
The story is paced perfectly and eschews the typical clichés for a very honest, and sober, peek into the lower middle class of Vancouver.
Grab it if you see it.
What I discovered was a true gem, and one that I was happy to walk into blindly.
Brisson's characterization of the ne'er-do-well Mason is both tone perfect and heart-breaking. The kitchen sink setting and blunt truth-telling matches the pencils perfectly and create a great tale.
The story is paced perfectly and eschews the typical clichés for a very honest, and sober, peek into the lower middle class of Vancouver.
Grab it if you see it.
June 7, 2017
Well that was pretty violent. 2 ex-junkies. 1 trying to clean up for the family. 1 failing miserably creating havoc along the way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2018
This was not particularly groundbreaking as a crime story, but was fascinating as a realistic look at how small bad decisions can easily compound based on society's flawed systems.
January 7, 2019
Pretty standard crime drama with servicable artwork focusing on the struggles of a Canadian underclass couple. Well-plotted, but kind of preachy in the earlier parts.
August 15, 2019
That was grim.
September 4, 2021
Brutal. Just brutal. Hard to stomach at times. Just a gut wrenching crime tale dripping with despair.
March 28, 2024
Dark, sad story. Very good writing.
September 15, 2024
Decent story and excited to keep going on this story but a really good comic to binge in 1 night!
June 29, 2025
Breaks your heart, makes you root for the most flawed characters I have read in a while
June 13, 2026
A fun, slick read that is like watching a slow motion freight train collision. People make bad decisions and pay the eventual consequences. Sticks with you for a while.
September 26, 2024
This was a solid noir. I never doubted where it was going, but the journey was painful and its stakes were high. Sometimes simple is better. This is a good book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews