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Sleeper #0-2
Sleeper Book One
SLEEPER is the critically acclaimed series written by Eisner Award winner Ed Brubaker (AUTHORITY, WAR GAMES) and stylishly presented by legendary artist Sean Phillips ( Marvel Zombies ) and is now collected in a new format with SLEEPER BOOK ONE.
From Eisner Award-winning author Ed Brubaker comes two thrilling stories collected together for the first time in SLEEPER BOOK ONE.
POINT BLANK, a five-issue comic book limited series published by WildStorm, stars the popular character Grifter from the Wildcats, who is investigating an attempted murder of his friend John Lynch. Meanwhile, Holden Carver, a covert operative, has been placed undercover in a villainous organization led by TAO. As Holden and Grifter cross paths, will cooler heads prevail? The answer? Hell no.
Riddled with noir undertones and the action of a spy thriller, SLEEPER BOOK ONE highlights all the attributes that have made writer Ed Brubaker one of the most sought-after writers in all of comics!
Join the wild ride in SLEEPER BOOK ONE. Collects POINT BLANK #1-5, SLEEPER #1-12.
From Eisner Award-winning author Ed Brubaker comes two thrilling stories collected together for the first time in SLEEPER BOOK ONE.
POINT BLANK, a five-issue comic book limited series published by WildStorm, stars the popular character Grifter from the Wildcats, who is investigating an attempted murder of his friend John Lynch. Meanwhile, Holden Carver, a covert operative, has been placed undercover in a villainous organization led by TAO. As Holden and Grifter cross paths, will cooler heads prevail? The answer? Hell no.
Riddled with noir undertones and the action of a spy thriller, SLEEPER BOOK ONE highlights all the attributes that have made writer Ed Brubaker one of the most sought-after writers in all of comics!
Join the wild ride in SLEEPER BOOK ONE. Collects POINT BLANK #1-5, SLEEPER #1-12.
424 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2018
37 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
Ed Brubaker
1,798 books3,028 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 35 reviews
October 24, 2024
Carver. Holden Carver.
It doesn't have quite the same ring as a James Bond, does it?
Still. If you like spy stories, you could do a whole lot worse than this.
The first part of this is Point Blank, a story told from Cole Cash's POV as he tries to figure out who shot his old comrade, John Lynch. Grifter circles around the truth as he becomes more and more befuddled and simultaneously less and less of a reliable narrator.
I know some of my friends weren't crazy about Point Blank, but I enjoyed it and thought it did a good job setting up why Lynch was in a coma for the entirety of Sleeper.
The Sleeper storyline revolves around Holden Carver, a double agent buried deep inside a dangerous criminal organization headed by the evil science experiment, Tao. He's risen through the ranks to become one of the highest-ranking members of Tao's Prodigals and fallen (in love?) into a relationship with another Prodigal, the bloodthirsty Miss Misery.
The lines between good and bad have begun to blur, and by the end of Book One Holden is no longer sure that he can straddle the line between them.
I think it helps to know a little about the Wildstorm universe. But if not, it would probably be enough to just know there is a broader Wildstorm universe out there and this story sits inside of it.
Good stuff.
Recommended.
It doesn't have quite the same ring as a James Bond, does it?
Still. If you like spy stories, you could do a whole lot worse than this.
The first part of this is Point Blank, a story told from Cole Cash's POV as he tries to figure out who shot his old comrade, John Lynch. Grifter circles around the truth as he becomes more and more befuddled and simultaneously less and less of a reliable narrator.
I know some of my friends weren't crazy about Point Blank, but I enjoyed it and thought it did a good job setting up why Lynch was in a coma for the entirety of Sleeper.
The Sleeper storyline revolves around Holden Carver, a double agent buried deep inside a dangerous criminal organization headed by the evil science experiment, Tao. He's risen through the ranks to become one of the highest-ranking members of Tao's Prodigals and fallen (in love?) into a relationship with another Prodigal, the bloodthirsty Miss Misery.
The lines between good and bad have begun to blur, and by the end of Book One Holden is no longer sure that he can straddle the line between them.
I think it helps to know a little about the Wildstorm universe. But if not, it would probably be enough to just know there is a broader Wildstorm universe out there and this story sits inside of it.
Good stuff.
Recommended.
June 12, 2018
Point Blank is more of a loose introduction to Sleeper than a prequel and requires more knowledge of the old Wildstorm universe than Sleeper does. It follows Grifter as he searches for the person who shot his old war buddy, John Lynch.
Sleeper is where this book gets really good. It's a spy novel set in a world of superheroes. Holden Carver has been undercover with Tao's organization for the last 4 years. John Lynch is the only person who knows the truth. Unfortunately, for Holden, Lynch has been shot and left in a coma. Now Holden has to navigate this secret organization he's risen to a top lieutenant in while trying to minimize casualties and undermine said organization. This is Criminal and Velvet with superpowers amped up to the max. It's so damn good. Now if only DC would hurry up and release book two.
Sleeper is where this book gets really good. It's a spy novel set in a world of superheroes. Holden Carver has been undercover with Tao's organization for the last 4 years. John Lynch is the only person who knows the truth. Unfortunately, for Holden, Lynch has been shot and left in a coma. Now Holden has to navigate this secret organization he's risen to a top lieutenant in while trying to minimize casualties and undermine said organization. This is Criminal and Velvet with superpowers amped up to the max. It's so damn good. Now if only DC would hurry up and release book two.
August 27, 2018
So, I was originally going to wait and read this another month as one of my Hoopla books but after it was recommended to me not only in the past, but earlier this month recommended to me multiple times in one day I decided to borrow it this month and I’m glad I did.
What’s it about?
The way one of my friends worded it sums it up very well, imagine Brubaker’s Criminal but with superpowers. If that confuses you because you haven’t read Criminal HOLY SHIT READ CRIMINAL IT’S FUCKING AMAZING!
Pros:
The story is very interesting and well written, as anyone should expect from Ed Brubaker!
Sean Phillips did the art for this, needless to say that it’s amazing. It also occasionally changes styles which works better than I’d expect and shows Phillips’ wide range.
The characters are interesting. In the first story, I was very interested in those characters and then there’s the main story that focuses on characters who are meant to be villains. Despite the villainous characters being assholes they are interesting and I even found myself rooting for them a few times. That’s always so crazy when that happens but at the same time, a sign of great writing.
The action is so damn good and there’s lots of it! Also, no mercy, everything is depicted very graphically which suits the tone of this book.
This book is very suspenseful.
The dialogue is very well written!
This is mostly a serious book but there are some humorous moments that are absolutely great! Oddly enough, the funniest character IMO is named Genocide (needless to say, it is often dark humor).
Cons:
The ending of the first story that’s pretty much a set up for the main story is so confusing and annoying.
The sex and fan service gets a bit gratuitous in the main story. It’s not something that annoyed me too much because it is Brubaker, he tends to include some of that (not to mention Miss Misery's looks...)
but it got to a point where this book couldn’t go an issue without someone showing off their boobs and/or fucking somebody and it was rarely relevant to the story.
Misery’s violent foreplay is weird as fuck. I would understand if it was depicted as twisted and/or part of a weird little joke sorta like the way Cheryl Tunt often is on Archer but it’s depicted as a romantic subplot so many readers like myself will just be standing there like… what the fuck am I reading?
Overall:
This is a good book that gets the reader really into it, like most comic readers know to expect from Brubaker but it has a few minor problems and it’s not quite as great as many of his other books. I love the story, art, action, suspense and characters so I would still recommend this to fans of Brubaker’s work.
4/5
What’s it about?
The way one of my friends worded it sums it up very well, imagine Brubaker’s Criminal but with superpowers. If that confuses you because you haven’t read Criminal HOLY SHIT READ CRIMINAL IT’S FUCKING AMAZING!
Pros:
The story is very interesting and well written, as anyone should expect from Ed Brubaker!
Sean Phillips did the art for this, needless to say that it’s amazing. It also occasionally changes styles which works better than I’d expect and shows Phillips’ wide range.
The characters are interesting. In the first story, I was very interested in those characters and then there’s the main story that focuses on characters who are meant to be villains. Despite the villainous characters being assholes they are interesting and I even found myself rooting for them a few times. That’s always so crazy when that happens but at the same time, a sign of great writing.
The action is so damn good and there’s lots of it! Also, no mercy, everything is depicted very graphically which suits the tone of this book.
This book is very suspenseful.
The dialogue is very well written!
This is mostly a serious book but there are some humorous moments that are absolutely great! Oddly enough, the funniest character IMO is named Genocide (needless to say, it is often dark humor).
Cons:
The ending of the first story that’s pretty much a set up for the main story is so confusing and annoying.
The sex and fan service gets a bit gratuitous in the main story. It’s not something that annoyed me too much because it is Brubaker, he tends to include some of that (not to mention Miss Misery's looks...)
but it got to a point where this book couldn’t go an issue without someone showing off their boobs and/or fucking somebody and it was rarely relevant to the story.
Misery’s violent foreplay is weird as fuck. I would understand if it was depicted as twisted and/or part of a weird little joke sorta like the way Cheryl Tunt often is on Archer but it’s depicted as a romantic subplot so many readers like myself will just be standing there like… what the fuck am I reading?
Overall:
This is a good book that gets the reader really into it, like most comic readers know to expect from Brubaker but it has a few minor problems and it’s not quite as great as many of his other books. I love the story, art, action, suspense and characters so I would still recommend this to fans of Brubaker’s work.
4/5
July 13, 2018
This is brilliant. Brubaker at his noir espionage crime best mixed with superhero powers. Great plotting and twists. Cool world development. The artwork by Phillips is dead on as always. Point Blank is the only part not by him and it feels a little different. Otherwise awesome series. Cant wait for Book Two.
November 19, 2018
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
There’s something truly atmospheric and gruesome about noir fiction that is hard to come by in other stories. With themes of deception, betrayal and murder serving as a blanket to the intimate, lonely and shrewd protagonists, there’s very rarely any truth being openly shared with everyone, as truth is always the ultimate desire for every party. From the Eisner award winner Ed Brubaker, known for his work on several DC and Marvel characters like Batman, X-Men, Daredevil and Captain America, but also for his creator-owned titles like Criminal, Velvet and Fatale, his series Sleeper brings an inexcusably brilliant espionage tale originally published by Wildstorm and featuring characters straight out of Jim Lee’s WildC.A.T.s series. Sleeper is however a noir superhero series of its own that places Alan Moore’s Wildcats villain Tao at the center of the suspense and takes us on a journey through the eyes of a mole within his secret organization.
Sleeper Book One is a reprint of Ed Brubaker’s Sleeper Series and includes the prequel story Point Blank (issues #1-5) as well as the first two volumes of the Sleeper series (issues #1-12). In Point Blank, Ed Brubaker and Colin Wilson explore the origin story of John Lynch through the eyes of Cole Cash, a former member of Team 7 and the WildC.A.T.s who is mostly known today as Grifter. After being suddenly contacted by Lynch, Cole Cash finds himself investigating an assassination attempt that will lead him in a déjà-vu situation with a shocking twist forcing him to cross paths with Holden Carver. In Sleeper, the story follows Holden Carver and his infiltration within a post-human organization led by the mysterious figure Tao. While avoiding to blow his cover, he’s forced into making ties with strange individuals while also trying to find his way out of his dangerous predicament.
What’s most astonishing about this series is the universe in itself. This is far from being a superhero story. It is, before anything else, an espionage story in which beings with superpowers exist. How Ed Brubaker makes them blend into the background seamlessly is magnificent as you never find yourself wondering where they came from or why they’re there. In fact, most characters have something special to them, such as the protagonist of Sleeper, Holden Carver, who can absorb pain inflicted to him in order to transfer it to anyone he desires, instantly killing them. How they’ve learned to harness their powers is just as intriguing as what they do with them within the secret organization. Simply put, the introduction of new characters with their unique abilities is only the topping to what is already a marvelous espionage story.
The artwork is also worth bringing into the spotlight. First with Collin Wilson in Point Blank and then Sean Phillips in Sleeper, they both brilliantly set the atmosphere to their noir crime story. Heavy on shadows and inclined towards darker colour tones that often portray the dark nights in its pitch-black glory and its purple tonality, Sleeper truly captures the vibe it needs to tell its espionage story. On the other hand, Point Blank draws upon more vibrant colours to lay its focus on the crime setting rather than its espionage angle. In fact, the artwork, while different in style, is also different in objective, as it respects the intention of the story. This being my first rodeo with Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, I’m definitely excited to visit more of their work in particular and discover the stories they’ve created together.
Sleeper Book One is a fascinating spy story with suitably-powered humans who smoothly invite you within a gloomy espionage universe.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
There’s something truly atmospheric and gruesome about noir fiction that is hard to come by in other stories. With themes of deception, betrayal and murder serving as a blanket to the intimate, lonely and shrewd protagonists, there’s very rarely any truth being openly shared with everyone, as truth is always the ultimate desire for every party. From the Eisner award winner Ed Brubaker, known for his work on several DC and Marvel characters like Batman, X-Men, Daredevil and Captain America, but also for his creator-owned titles like Criminal, Velvet and Fatale, his series Sleeper brings an inexcusably brilliant espionage tale originally published by Wildstorm and featuring characters straight out of Jim Lee’s WildC.A.T.s series. Sleeper is however a noir superhero series of its own that places Alan Moore’s Wildcats villain Tao at the center of the suspense and takes us on a journey through the eyes of a mole within his secret organization.
Sleeper Book One is a reprint of Ed Brubaker’s Sleeper Series and includes the prequel story Point Blank (issues #1-5) as well as the first two volumes of the Sleeper series (issues #1-12). In Point Blank, Ed Brubaker and Colin Wilson explore the origin story of John Lynch through the eyes of Cole Cash, a former member of Team 7 and the WildC.A.T.s who is mostly known today as Grifter. After being suddenly contacted by Lynch, Cole Cash finds himself investigating an assassination attempt that will lead him in a déjà-vu situation with a shocking twist forcing him to cross paths with Holden Carver. In Sleeper, the story follows Holden Carver and his infiltration within a post-human organization led by the mysterious figure Tao. While avoiding to blow his cover, he’s forced into making ties with strange individuals while also trying to find his way out of his dangerous predicament.
What’s most astonishing about this series is the universe in itself. This is far from being a superhero story. It is, before anything else, an espionage story in which beings with superpowers exist. How Ed Brubaker makes them blend into the background seamlessly is magnificent as you never find yourself wondering where they came from or why they’re there. In fact, most characters have something special to them, such as the protagonist of Sleeper, Holden Carver, who can absorb pain inflicted to him in order to transfer it to anyone he desires, instantly killing them. How they’ve learned to harness their powers is just as intriguing as what they do with them within the secret organization. Simply put, the introduction of new characters with their unique abilities is only the topping to what is already a marvelous espionage story.
The artwork is also worth bringing into the spotlight. First with Collin Wilson in Point Blank and then Sean Phillips in Sleeper, they both brilliantly set the atmosphere to their noir crime story. Heavy on shadows and inclined towards darker colour tones that often portray the dark nights in its pitch-black glory and its purple tonality, Sleeper truly captures the vibe it needs to tell its espionage story. On the other hand, Point Blank draws upon more vibrant colours to lay its focus on the crime setting rather than its espionage angle. In fact, the artwork, while different in style, is also different in objective, as it respects the intention of the story. This being my first rodeo with Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, I’m definitely excited to visit more of their work in particular and discover the stories they’ve created together.
Sleeper Book One is a fascinating spy story with suitably-powered humans who smoothly invite you within a gloomy espionage universe.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
November 19, 2018
This pales in comparison to Brubaker/Phillips's later work, so maybe that's why I couldn't get into it. The themes, settings, and plot are full of tropes and clichés, and the flashbacks (and flashbacks within flashbacks or directly on the hells of another flashback) are difficult to follow. Overall the story is good, and it's worth the read, but don't expect anything near Criminal.
August 1, 2018
I was a big fan of WildCATS when I was collecting comics as a kid. As such I am always happy to see Grifter and some of the other CATS get the respect they deserve. I'll admit it's still odd for me to see these characters in the DC universe, but whatever.
You don't need to know ANYTHING about ANY of the characters in Sleeper. You'll get enough information in the comics to propel you quickly through the story. A mix of noir, undercover cop drama, and super powers, this one is smart and crisp. Just wish an omnibus was available to capture the WHOLE story and not just the first part.
A solid story that can be read by any comic fan regardless of previous knowledge. Very, VERY well done.
You don't need to know ANYTHING about ANY of the characters in Sleeper. You'll get enough information in the comics to propel you quickly through the story. A mix of noir, undercover cop drama, and super powers, this one is smart and crisp. Just wish an omnibus was available to capture the WHOLE story and not just the first part.
A solid story that can be read by any comic fan regardless of previous knowledge. Very, VERY well done.
January 27, 2019
The Point Blank prequel was good not great, but the main run surrounding Holden Carver is Brubaker at his best. Criminal will forever be my #1, but this might be second, ahead of Kill or be Killed.
May 8, 2025
(4,2 of 5 for basically superhero/villain Criminal)
Sleeper is really good, Ed Brubaker takes the Wildstorm "lore" and makes it his dark noir. There is in general similarity with Incognito, but I like the atmosphere in Sleeper much more. I love the desperation of being undercover so deep, that it starts to change you and consume you with fading prospects to achieve something or get out. I also like the jumps between chapters. Like it's always some time distance or change of storyline, then the usual "let's just continue right where we ended". It gives a more episodic feel and also weirdly increases the tension by decreasing tension (one chapter ends with a cliffhanger but the next one just starts calmly somewhere else or some days later). Those are the storytelling nuances which make Ed an acclaimed writer. By itself, it's no rocket science but its perfect execution makes a lot for the atmosphere and momentum of the story. I feared that 25 years later Sleeper would feel old like so many comics which didn't age well (especially in the superhero genre). Yeah, it shows it isn't some recent work of Ed and Sean, but also it feels "it's not that old, isn't it?". And I loved every moment of it.
April 10, 2020
I loved reading this because I’m a huge fan of Le Carré and Chandler type novels so this is really nice to see in a graphic novel format. It would be so easy to butcher this style of writing and to make a derivative version of a spy who came in from the cold but I think that’s an unfair comparison. I feel like Ed’s writing and Sean’s pencils are what makes this idea and style work, it’s amazing I think Ed is going to end up being one of my all time favourite comic writers.
I’m reading so much influential stuff lately it’s great.
I’m very excited to read the second half of this when I can find it and more work with Ed and Sean.
I’m reading so much influential stuff lately it’s great.
I’m very excited to read the second half of this when I can find it and more work with Ed and Sean.
August 1, 2023
You certainly can't complain about the amount of comic content in this collection:
Point Blank is a dense but not difficult to follow preliminary introduction.
Sleeper vol.1 hits all the right Noir tropes and is a mid point highlight.
Sleeper vol. 2 is a paranoid, perma-tense conclusion to this intricately-plotted story.
Bring on Book Two.
Point Blank is a dense but not difficult to follow preliminary introduction.
Sleeper vol.1 hits all the right Noir tropes and is a mid point highlight.
Sleeper vol. 2 is a paranoid, perma-tense conclusion to this intricately-plotted story.
Bring on Book Two.
November 8, 2018
This is a fantastic espionage thriller, better than anything you would see on Netflix or in the theater. The superpowered characters and another level of eerie angst to it, as well.
June 14, 2020
Wow, close to the perfect spy story. The storytelling is brilliant with time jumps between past and present. So much to love with this title!
December 31, 2022
2,5* rounding up to 3*
May 7, 2018
This should be 4.5 but, yeah, this was fucking awesome.
February 26, 2020
3.5 stars. This is two stories that link up but this is one huge book. I am a huge Brubaker/Phillips fan and I did like this spy thriller set in a superhero world. BUT.... I like the newer Brubaker stuff better. This is a pretty long story that I felt could have been a bit slimmer. Its classic noir crime with Brubaker so its hard to turn away, just not my favorite.
September 1, 2019
There’s something truly atmospheric and gruesome about noir fiction that is hard to come by in other stories. With themes of deception, betrayal and murder serving as a blanket to the intimate, lonely and shrewd protagonists, there’s very rarely any truth being openly shared with everyone, as truth is always the ultimate desire for every party. From the Eisner award winner Ed Brubaker, known for his work on several DC and Marvel characters like Batman, X-Men, Daredevil and Captain America, but also for his creator-owned titles like Criminal, Velvet and Fatale, his series Sleeper brings an inexcusably brilliant espionage tale originally published by Wildstorm and featuring characters straight out of Jim Lee’s WildC.A.T.s series. Sleeper is however a noir superhero series of its own that places Alan Moore’s Wildcats villain Tao at the center of the suspense and takes us on a journey through the eyes of a mole within his secret organisation.
Sleeper Book One is a reprint of Ed Brubaker’s Sleeper Series and includes the prequel story Point Blank (issues #1-5) as well as the first two volumes of the Sleeper series (issues #1-12). In Point Blank, Ed Brubaker and Colin Wilson explore the origin story of John Lynch through the eyes of Cole Cash, a former member of Team 7 and the WildC.A.T.s who is mostly known today as Grifter. After being suddenly contacted by Lynch, Cole Cash finds himself investigating an assassination attempt that will lead him in a déjà-vu situation with a shocking twist forcing him to cross paths with Holden Carver.
In Sleeper, the story follows Holden Carver and his infiltration within a post-human organisation led by the mysterious figure Tao. While avoiding to blow his cover, he’s forced into making ties with strange individuals while also trying to find his way out of his dangerous predicament.
What’s most astonishing about this series is the universe in itself. This is far from being a superhero story. It is, before anything else, an espionage story in which beings with superpowers exist. How Ed Brubaker makes them blend into the background seamlessly is magnificent as you never find yourself wondering where they came from or why they’re there. In fact, most characters have something special to them, such as the protagonist of Sleeper, Holden Carver, who can absorb pain inflicted to him in order to transfer it to anyone he desires, instantly killing them. How they’ve learned to harness their powers is just as intriguing as what they do with them within the secret organisation. Simply put, the introduction of new characters with their unique abilities is only the topping to what is already a marvellous espionage story.
The artwork is also worth bringing into the spotlight. First with Collin Wilson in Point Blank and then Sean Phillips in Sleeper, they both brilliantly set the atmosphere to their noir crime story. Heavy on shadows and inclined towards darker colour tones that often portray the dark nights in its pitch-black glory and its purple tonality, Sleeper truly captures the vibe it needs to tell its espionage story. On the other hand, Point Blank draws upon more vibrant colours to lay its focus on the crime setting rather than its espionage angle. In fact, the artwork, while different in style, is also different in objective, as it respects the intention of the story. This being my first rodeo with Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, I’m definitely excited to visit more of their work in particular and discover the stories they’ve created together.
Sleeper Book One is a reprint of Ed Brubaker’s Sleeper Series and includes the prequel story Point Blank (issues #1-5) as well as the first two volumes of the Sleeper series (issues #1-12). In Point Blank, Ed Brubaker and Colin Wilson explore the origin story of John Lynch through the eyes of Cole Cash, a former member of Team 7 and the WildC.A.T.s who is mostly known today as Grifter. After being suddenly contacted by Lynch, Cole Cash finds himself investigating an assassination attempt that will lead him in a déjà-vu situation with a shocking twist forcing him to cross paths with Holden Carver.
In Sleeper, the story follows Holden Carver and his infiltration within a post-human organisation led by the mysterious figure Tao. While avoiding to blow his cover, he’s forced into making ties with strange individuals while also trying to find his way out of his dangerous predicament.
What’s most astonishing about this series is the universe in itself. This is far from being a superhero story. It is, before anything else, an espionage story in which beings with superpowers exist. How Ed Brubaker makes them blend into the background seamlessly is magnificent as you never find yourself wondering where they came from or why they’re there. In fact, most characters have something special to them, such as the protagonist of Sleeper, Holden Carver, who can absorb pain inflicted to him in order to transfer it to anyone he desires, instantly killing them. How they’ve learned to harness their powers is just as intriguing as what they do with them within the secret organisation. Simply put, the introduction of new characters with their unique abilities is only the topping to what is already a marvellous espionage story.
The artwork is also worth bringing into the spotlight. First with Collin Wilson in Point Blank and then Sean Phillips in Sleeper, they both brilliantly set the atmosphere to their noir crime story. Heavy on shadows and inclined towards darker colour tones that often portray the dark nights in its pitch-black glory and its purple tonality, Sleeper truly captures the vibe it needs to tell its espionage story. On the other hand, Point Blank draws upon more vibrant colours to lay its focus on the crime setting rather than its espionage angle. In fact, the artwork, while different in style, is also different in objective, as it respects the intention of the story. This being my first rodeo with Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, I’m definitely excited to visit more of their work in particular and discover the stories they’ve created together.
July 9, 2024
I have to admit, this one took me awhile to get through. If a graphic novel is engaging and compelling, it usually captures me from the beginning, making me want to keep reading until I finish. I would consume it within one sitting and want more. It's like a great meal that leaves a person hungry for more.
This wasn't the case with this comic book series. It surprised me too, because writer Ed Brubaker and artist Sean Phillips are my favorite duo when it comes to gritty graphic novels. They have a great resume of wonderful gems: "The Fade Out," "Criminal," "Kill or Be Killed," "Fatale," "Reckless," "Night Fever." I thought for sure that I would fall immediately in love with this early work of theirs. It seemed like an easy sell: a double agent with superpowers attempts to infiltrate a criminal organization in a world of superheroes.
That turned out not to be the case. "Sleeper" took me awhile to get into as a graphic novel because the superhero world and the spy aspect to it seemed too unfamiliar to me. It left me a bit confused and uninvested because I couldn't really follow anything. Like our central protagonist, I found myself unable to decide where I stood. I just did the best to follow as much as I can hoping things picked up as I continued on.
Thankfully, they did. It took awhile, but I ended up enjoying this book despite how rough it was for me in the beginning. The spy world depicted here felt very real and intense. It was just so cool to see our protagonist Holden Carver, a spy with a superpower tasked with hijacking an organization and struggling to find his way through the murkiness of his profession, deal with the pains and struggles in doing his job. In that sense, I was able to relate to him even though he seemed a bit reserved and closed off in the beginning.
Brubaker's hardboiled writing combined with Sean Phillip's incredible gritty artwork really helped me to continue on reading. Otherwise, I would have given up and cut my losses.
While this book may not be favorite in their resumes, it certainly was a unique one and I will continue to read more of their work as I can.
This wasn't the case with this comic book series. It surprised me too, because writer Ed Brubaker and artist Sean Phillips are my favorite duo when it comes to gritty graphic novels. They have a great resume of wonderful gems: "The Fade Out," "Criminal," "Kill or Be Killed," "Fatale," "Reckless," "Night Fever." I thought for sure that I would fall immediately in love with this early work of theirs. It seemed like an easy sell: a double agent with superpowers attempts to infiltrate a criminal organization in a world of superheroes.
That turned out not to be the case. "Sleeper" took me awhile to get into as a graphic novel because the superhero world and the spy aspect to it seemed too unfamiliar to me. It left me a bit confused and uninvested because I couldn't really follow anything. Like our central protagonist, I found myself unable to decide where I stood. I just did the best to follow as much as I can hoping things picked up as I continued on.
Thankfully, they did. It took awhile, but I ended up enjoying this book despite how rough it was for me in the beginning. The spy world depicted here felt very real and intense. It was just so cool to see our protagonist Holden Carver, a spy with a superpower tasked with hijacking an organization and struggling to find his way through the murkiness of his profession, deal with the pains and struggles in doing his job. In that sense, I was able to relate to him even though he seemed a bit reserved and closed off in the beginning.
Brubaker's hardboiled writing combined with Sean Phillip's incredible gritty artwork really helped me to continue on reading. Otherwise, I would have given up and cut my losses.
While this book may not be favorite in their resumes, it certainly was a unique one and I will continue to read more of their work as I can.
March 24, 2021
That rare beast: a comic book thriller that is engaging and riveting from beginning to end. No, I'm not aware too much of the background of The Authority or of the alternate reality it issues forth from but I'm very familiar w/the concept of a Super-Hero populated world that has real-world problems, dilemmas, vices and human failings. Or, in this instance, Post-Human failings. I was surprised to be honest at how much I would like this because I've read some of Ed Brubakers crime comics in the past and I wasn't too entirely impressed by them. I thought that the plots if written out as actual crime novels wouldn't be too singular. As well I wasn't a fan of Sean Phillips art work in those aforementioned comics. Sean's art is dark, blocky and heavy-lined much like Mike Mignola's art. Still it works in this book, the subject matter cries out for the heavy lines, blocky style of a twisted paranoid world where the characters (and the reader) are unsure if they are heroes or villains. Terrific stuff. I checked this out of the library which of course always seems to have the first volume of a comic series but never a succeeding volumes. This one ends on a cliff-hanger which I wasn't expecting I thought this might be a self-contained story, so I'm guessing I'm going to be making some ebay purchases in my future.
March 1, 2021
This came highly recommended and I've enjoyed other works by Brubaker and Phillips in the past.
If my math is right, this series is (much?) older than say Fatale or The Fade Out. It felt jam-packed with tropes I think most readers are already very familiar with, and it rarely strayed from them making this overall pretty disappointing. I think Brubaker was still feeling out and honing his noir style and would only hit his stride later with Criminal and the aforementioned series.
I may have complained in the past that Phillips' artwork can be erratic. That is, the rendering of a character can vary enough frame by frame to resemble a new different character and this can lead to confusion while trying to follow the action. Weirdly I feel in this earlier work he was far more consistent.
I wanted to like this more. I preferred Oeming and Bendis' Powers series for Superhero Noir goodness.
If my math is right, this series is (much?) older than say Fatale or The Fade Out. It felt jam-packed with tropes I think most readers are already very familiar with, and it rarely strayed from them making this overall pretty disappointing. I think Brubaker was still feeling out and honing his noir style and would only hit his stride later with Criminal and the aforementioned series.
I may have complained in the past that Phillips' artwork can be erratic. That is, the rendering of a character can vary enough frame by frame to resemble a new different character and this can lead to confusion while trying to follow the action. Weirdly I feel in this earlier work he was far more consistent.
I wanted to like this more. I preferred Oeming and Bendis' Powers series for Superhero Noir goodness.
April 2, 2023
Wow, this was INTENSE. I was prepared for another of those standalone Ed Brubaker noir-style things but got a deep classic Wildstorm story that STILL had the noir touches and some very deep espionage trickery. It's hard to tell a good double agent/deep cover story but WOW, this is really one of those books that managed to do just that. And that just speaks to the quality of Brubaker's vision.
This was a bit of a tough read as it's hard to keep tabs on everything that had been going on and which was true and which wasn't. But that's also the fun of the book and that's what made it quite the good spy thriller but set in a world with heroes and of course our post-human protagonist.
And there's a Season Two!
This was a bit of a tough read as it's hard to keep tabs on everything that had been going on and which was true and which wasn't. But that's also the fun of the book and that's what made it quite the good spy thriller but set in a world with heroes and of course our post-human protagonist.
And there's a Season Two!
May 6, 2019
Supervillainous noir that delivers exactly what you'd expect. The first part is a standalone story that serves as an intro and is a clever mystery in the rough vein of memento. The rest is the story of a double agent who can't come home.
There is a bit of casual transphobia and the sexual politics are just a bit crass. Miss misery could have been an interesting critique of the traditional feminine role under a patriarchal society but functions as a traditional femme fatale, which is fine but seems like a missed opportunity.
Overall it was a gripping read and I'm keen to read the next volume.
There is a bit of casual transphobia and the sexual politics are just a bit crass. Miss misery could have been an interesting critique of the traditional feminine role under a patriarchal society but functions as a traditional femme fatale, which is fine but seems like a missed opportunity.
Overall it was a gripping read and I'm keen to read the next volume.
April 23, 2023
This title along with Authority, and Planetary are Synonymous in my mind when I think of Wildstorm and what a great publisher they once were. They were very edgy and graphic for the Era and really helped to push the superhero genre into some interesting directions. Here we get a Cold War-esque tale full of espionage and a character that has been in deep cover for so long his loyalties are beginning to blend to the point they aren't sure who's side they are really on.
I'd recommend this one to anyone wanting to explore the Wildstorm universe, and Brubaker/ Phillips aficionados.
I'd recommend this one to anyone wanting to explore the Wildstorm universe, and Brubaker/ Phillips aficionados.
May 13, 2019
Sleeper is a "spy left out in the cold" crime noir imagined in the Wildstorm universe of superheroes. The plot twists and atmosphere blends the three genres well, but the characters on both sides of the conflict are limp and forgettable. Fans of either DC or Marvel might imagine the same story with better characters and wonder what might have been.
March 30, 2020
Tak kapitalnego wprowadzenia dawno nie czytałem. Inspiracja i trochę hołd dla Christophera Nolana. Potem było bardzo dobrze. Krótkie, rzeczowe rozdziały wypełnione akcją i treścią. Finał przewidziałem, tj. ostatnie sceny. Należało się tego spodziewać, ale nie przeszkadzało mi to. Odrobina przewidywalności miała wpływ stabilizujący. :) Czekam z niecierpliwością na drugą, finałową część.
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March 15, 2021A fun espionage thriller enhanced by the wrinkle of superpowers. Very much a morality play that considers the ethics of actions undertaken in the name of national security. Art added a scratchy, dark vibe to the plot that meshed well with Brubaker's almost noir script. Recommended if people want twisty spy comics.
March 23, 2022
So I enjoy a Brubaker / Philipp graphic novel any days of the week , I love noir .. the mystery, the solving etc this novel had all this but seems rushed. There was room for more character development. It is a healthy dose of science fiction and mystery two of my favorite genre, may be that’s why I wanted more.
May 28, 2024
One of the best superhero noir stories ever
I recently reread this and even after all these years this book still continues to hold up.
I wish we saw more of this in modern comics.
I recently reread this and even after all these years this book still continues to hold up.
I wish we saw more of this in modern comics.
November 2, 2024
This is the fourth or so time I’ve tried reading this, and I finally got into it! The first story is tough to get into because it deals so much with the DC Wildstorm universe, which I know nothing about. Brubacher and Phillips really come through with the noir spy story that is Sleeper.
September 30, 2018
3.5 stars
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