Criminal: The Deluxe Edition, Vol. 3

Criminal: The Deluxe Edition #3

by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips (Artist)

BRUBAKER and PHILLIPS' hard-to-find CRIMINAL hardbacks are finally back in print, and joining them is the long-awaited CRIMINAL: DELUXE EDITION, VOL. 3.

This oversized deluxe hardback collects several short stories and novellas from the most award-winning team in the history of comics in a fantastically-designed book full of extras -- illustrations, selected articles, interviews, behind the scenes looks, painted covers... and much much more! Collects the SAVAGE SWORD OF CRIMINAL and DEADLY HANDS OF CRIMINAL magazines, the novellas MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN JUNKIES and BAD WEEKEND, and issues 1 and 4 of the newest run of the CRIMINAL monthly series, two full length short stories about the LAWLESS family.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Crime, Fiction, Comic Book, Noir, Thriller

400 pages, Hardcover

First published November 25, 2022

About the author

Ed 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.

Reviews

[Drew Canole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Collecting a bunch of shorter tales, but no less great than the first 2 volumes.


-Criminal, Vol. 7: Wrong Time, Wrong Place (Collects Criminal Special Edition and Criminal 10th Anniversary Special)
-two one-shot issues from the Criminal comics featuring Ricky Lawless

These stories flesh out the Lawless family more with a great story with grown-up Ricky.

-Bad Weekend novella featuring the cartoonist Jacob Kurtz.
-My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies novella featuring the girl Leo saved in Coward.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This new deluxe collection of Criminal collects shorter stories from both the original run and the lastest 2019 run. As usual the stories are top-notch crime stories that interconnect for a big noir tapestry about the Lawless family. We get early stories focusing on a young Tracy Lawless, his tragic criminal father, and we also finally feature Tracy’s brother Ricky Lawless, who’s been a constant spectral influence in the Criminal stories, unseen until now. If you’re a Criminal fan, you already know this stuff is going to be great!

This includes two standalone issues along with the following books:

[OmniBen · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Zero spoiler review) 2.75/5
I can't help but feel a little underwhelmed with the Criminal series as a whole. Sure, volume's one and two very good. Very good in fact. But my expectations were so high for this series that anything short of perfection was always going to be something of a disappointment. But Volume three disappoints completely on its own merit.
It started out quite well with Savage Sword of Criminal, and I began to think that maybe volume three might in fact be the strongest of the lot. Then I was hit with My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies and Bad Weekend, and any initial enthusiasm I had went right out the window, tumbled and scraped over and over again on the asphalt, and was maybe run over once or twice by proceeding cars for good measure. There were a few little 'wrap ups' to character arcs at the end, of which Brubaker's execution was bordering on incompetent, such was his desire, for whatever reason, to be done with this. It felt like a deliberate and malicious flick to the nuts, and on the back of the utter averageness that came before it... No thanks.
This was probably Philips' best effort here, though he didn't exactly cover himself in glory either, even if the material he was working with wasn't exactly his doing.
I'll return to volume's one and two at some point, but three is likely to never leave the shelf again. 2.75/5


OmniBen.

[Blindzider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Savage Sword of Criminal and Deadly Hands of Criminal, I've read before.

My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies was new for me. It's different from other Criminal stories which you can immediately tell by the brighter color palette. Plus, the main character is female which I don't recall this series really having. Just when I was getting restless because I wasn't sure where the story was going, Brubaker adds that twist and it made the whole thing worthwhile.

Bad Weekend, about a comic book artist, wasn't bad, but didn't grab me the way some of the other stories do. It's definitely in the crime fiction realm and was fun to see sort of a behind the scenes for a comic convention.

Orphans, while short was pretty good. Almost the entire volume is about the Lawless family and you can see the evolution of Ricky Lawless as you move through the book. It also drops a bombshell about the future of Teeg which I assume will be the subject of a future story.

This team is still top notch. Criminal might have lost a little bit of luster but it is still of much higher quality than the majority of other books out there.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Criminal's third volume contains the pieces he wrote after the initial run: the somewhat off-kilter My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies and a bunch of shorter pieces. You can tell that Brubaker was trying to explore new vistas, but these pieces end up not being as strong as the early run.

--

It's ironic that this deluxe edition kicks off with an editorial from Brubaker saying he stepped back from Criminal after "The Last of the Innocents" because he didn't want to get repetitive. Because the first two stories in this deluxe (what was originally V7 of Criminal) are exactly repetitive with "The Last of Innocent": he again contrasts classic comics with modern-day criminality to try and cast spotlight on each, except this time it's 70s B&W comics mags rather than 50s Archies comics.

Savage Sword of Criminal ("Wrong Time"). The first story is a nice look into the psyche of a criminal, one Teeg Lawless. It uses a "savage" sword & sorcery comic to explore Teeg's own self-image: he sees himself as a similarly bloodthirsty barbaria. It's also got a nice bit of mystery, but isn't that special otherwise. Definitely the weakest of the Criminals to date [3/5].

Deadly Hands of Criminal ("Wrong Place"). The next comic jumps forward a few years and instead focuses on Teeg's son, Tracy. Whereas The Last of Innocent and SSoC both used their comics for contrasts with the main characters, Brubaker goes a different direction here. The Deadly Hands comic represents Tracy's own innocence and the continuing story of his life that is being broken by his dad's criminality, leaving him just bits and pieces that he must try to piece together. Where "Wrong Time" was OK, "Wrong Place" is entirely brilliant and heartbreaking — Criminal at its best. [5/5]

Onward to the graphic novel ...

My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies. This is a very different story from the rest of Criminal. Phillips artwork is softened and the coloring is pastel. The story is also a very quiet one, but like the best of Criminal, it goes to the beating heart of a very real character.

And what does one make of the junkie obsession? Is it a real salute to the fact that drugs bring inspiration to some of our greatest artists (before killing them)? Or, is it just a young girl's attempt to rationalize and normalize her mother's own drug habits? The fact that Brubaker makes us ask that question underlines its complexity.

Heck, we don't even know if anything Angie says is true, and we may suspect otherwise given that we open with someone lying about their drug habit. (And Angie certainly doesn't seem this level of junkie when we meet her again in The Knives.) So there are multiple layers to this story [4+/5].

And the other shorts ...

The Night Callers (v3 #1). Kind of weird to have this separated from Cruel Summer, but it's a great look at Teeg just prior to his death, and a nice bit of connective tissue with the earlier stories. It's pure setup, but it's pure setup that makes you want to know what's next [5/5].

Bad Weekend (v3 #2-3+). Jacob's back (chronologically before Bad Night). And at a Criminal comic convention. Brubaker has fun mixing the world of comics with his own Criminal enterprises. The result isn't the best of his Criminal stories: it's heavy on the character, but light on the action. Nonetheless, it's a fun read, and we continue to circle around the story of Teeg's death, as we see it's effect on Ricky, several years after the fact (and several years before his own demise) [4/5].

Orphans (v3 #4). Ah, the missing story (not in the previous TPB collections). And, it turns out there's not too much to it. It's another look at how Ricky is reacting to Teeg's death, and a look at a much younger Leo, but it feels like there's nothing particularly conclusive here. [3+/5].

[DayDay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soooooo gooooood !

[Jessica Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wild ride! Just as good as the other two volumes. I don't want it to end!

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I read this, I went back to the previous books to brush up a little. None of the narratives here are in chronological order and not every Criminal story ties directly to another. But I figured it would help me remember what has happened to these characters. One thing I noticed is how much better Sean Phillips has gotten and how much tighter Brubaker's writing is now. But that doesn't mean the older books are not good. They are really just about my favorite modern comics. Brubaker plans to do these for the rest of his life. And I don't see why he can't. Because once he's written the last interesting story of one of the Lawless brothers, he could write about any one of the interesting side characters that have crossed their paths. Not only are the stories interesting, but the nods to classic Marvel magazines from the 70s are great too. The only thing wrong with this collection is that there needs to be more of it.

[Pavel Pravda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Třetí omnibus obsahuje kratší povídky a jak říká Ed Brubaker v předmluvě, zkoušel co všechno formát Criminalu vydrží. Proto se třeba první dva příběhy prolínají se stránkami komiksů, které hlavní protagonisté čtou. Trošku mi to připomnělo pirátský příběh z Watchmenů. Zde je to záměrně trapná kopie Conana a potom taky Kung-fu vlkodlak ("Museli bejt úplně zhulený"). Zajímavé je, do jakých detailů u těchto čtených komiksů šli. Tím mám na mysli třeba tiráže, sekci s dopisy, reklamy a podobně. Samotné kriminální příběhy jsou skvělé, ale relativně krátké, protože rádoby Conana a vlkodlaka je tam zbytečně moc. První příběh je o Teegovi Lawlessovi. Hrdinou druhého, lehce navazujícího, příběhu je Teegův dvanáctiletý syn Tracy. Je to pěkně drsné nahlédnutí do zkurveného dětství. Tracyho nenávist k otci se tady pěkně zhmotňuje.

Třetím příběh se jmenuje "Mí hrdinové byli vždycky feťáci". Dost podivný název, který ale začne dávat smysl. Takhle povídka klame tělem. Skoro až do konce netušíte, proč v této knize je a k čemu to všechno povede. Když to pak na konci zjistíte, tak si to pravděpodobně dáte znovu od začátku, abyste si ověřili, že všechno sedí. Nejzajímavější je však na této povídce koloring. Styl, jaký dosud nebyl v žádném předchozím příběhu Criminalu použitý, ale je částečně používaný v dalších příbězích. Možná je to i tématem této povídky, že zde byl takový styl použit. Je to světlejší, barevnější a celkově "ležérnější". Jakoby byly hrubým štětcem řešené větší plochy bez přílišného lpění na obrysech kresby. Hodně mi to sedlo.

Zklamala mě povídka "Noční rozhodnutí", podle které se jmenuje celá kniha. Ona sama o sobě povedená je, ale čekal jsem ultimátní dlouhý příběh, ale je to jenom povedený začátek něčeho, co není v této knize dál vyprávěno. Prostě je to najednou ukončené a nashledanou. Snad BBart vydá knihu Cruel Summer, která na "Noční rozhodnutí" navazuje.

Jestliže se prvními dvěmi příběhy prolínaly komiksy čtené hlavní postavou, pak "Zlý víkend" jde tématicky ještě dále a je o komiksových autorech, comics-conech a komiksových originálech. Ale také o výčitkách a zahořklosti. Kriminálníci tady hrají až druhé housle. Ed Brubaker tady umě fabuluje příběh, ve kterém se mísí skuteční a smyšlení komiksoví autoři, a celé to na mě působí jako Edův dárek skalním komiksovým fanouškům. Poslední povídku 'Sirotci" nemá cenu více rozebírat. Je to jenom krátký střípek do mozaiky celého rozmáchlého světa Criminalu.

Bonusy jsou jako obvykle velmi obsáhlé. V poznámkách k příběhům odhaluje Ed Brubaker detaily ze svého dětství a mládí. Určitě to nebylo jednoduché, ale spíše hodně divoké. Nemůžou chybět obálky, ilustrace, komiksové upoutávky, eseje, ukázky scénáře a skicáře.

[Cody Wilson]

In the third compendium of Criminal, writer Ed Brubaker and artist Sean Phillips continue to deliver compelling crime comics with a surprising amount of empathy. I appreciate that the creative team branches out from their well-trodden territory of burnt-out, middle-aged men in this volume. I’m a sucker for stories that explore the consequences of crime on younger characters, and the opening two stories check in on the deplorable Teeg Lawless and delve into the damage he does to his sons. These stories make good use of 70s Marvel comics as a framing device, and the pastiche on teen drama of this era is entertaining and spot-on.

The novella My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies represents the meat of this compendium and the strongest story in all of Criminal for my money. Brubaker and Phillips present the tragic story of Ellie, a young woman who idealizes the lifestyles of addicts as she grapples with the childhood loss of her mother, a former addict. Sean Phillips offers his most nuanced character acting to date in this novella, and Brubaker scripts Ellie with empathy while avoiding a romanticization of her addiction. What truly elevates this story is Jacob Phillips’ pastel, impressionistic palette. While Val Staples’ colors on earlier Criminal issues are competent, Jacob exhibits an abstract sensibility that elevates his father’s relatively sparse linework. (Elizabeth Breitweiser’s colors earlier in the compendium are also stellar but Jacob is clearly operating at another level here.)

This compendium’s other highlight is the novella Bad Weekend, in which cartoonist Jacob Kurtz is tasked with supervising cranky industry veteran Hal Crane at a comic convention. I feel like creators are generally too quick to indulge in navel-gazing about the comic industry, and there is an element of “inside baseball” to Bad Weekend. But Brubaker/Phillips fortunately avoid fanboyish gushing around comics and instead offer a biting commentary touching on why so little progress has been made for creators’ rights over the decades. The fact that these creators have escaped the unrewarding grind of Marvel and DC comics to publish work that they fully own like Criminal adds another layer of meaning to this story. Bad Weekend represents the cream of the crop for “comics about comics.”

At any rate, I have no notes for this volume of Criminal by Brubaker/Phillips, which remains the most consistent creative team in comics. This compendium is a must-read for anyone who has enjoyed reading their other work.

[Gergő Esze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Az hagyján, hogy a tisztán koszos-büdös realista krimiként megírt sztorik mennyire jók a Criminalban, de ezek a különböző fura módon kifacsavart metasztorik is nagyon jól működnek. Már a két kis képregényes Lawless apa-fiú kapcsolatot is nagyon bírtam, de ami utána a Bad Weekendben történt azon teljesen letettem az állam. Brubaker iszonyatosan ügyes író, hogy egy ennyire személyes sztorit és a képregény készítés világát, hogyan tesz a Criminal univerzum teljes értékű részévé. Pedig elsőre nem sok minden állhatna ennél távolabb az elkeseredett bűnőzők világától. Benne van egy egész korszak lenyomata, miközben szokás szerint izgalmas a krimi, a karaktereket megveted miközben azért drukkolsz valamiféle megváltásért, teljes értékű Criminal sztori.
Miután pedig mindezt elmondtam be kell valljam, hogy nekem mégis legjobban a My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies volt a kedvencem. Rendkívül jól megírt dráma, több csavarral is a sztoriban, plusz külön nosztalgikus volt, mikor saját fiatalkorom "hősei" vannak felemlegetve buborékról buborékra.
Mindig Brubaker zsenije jut eszembe először erről a sorozatról, hiába szolgáltat Sean Philips vizualitása tökéletes atmoszférát a történeteknek. Eddig is élveztem az ő rajzait, de a nagy kiugrást nem láttam, sőt egy kicsit úgy érzem, hogy eddig egysíkú volt, akárhogy is próbált Brubaker a történetvezetéssel variálni. Itt viszont megmutatta magát Philips is, sokkal több fajta stílusban, más színvilággal (tudom, nem ő színezi), más érzelmek belerajzolásával.
Mindenki örülhet aki még nem olvasta, hogy érkezik végre a Criminal magyarul és akármennyire is érzem azt, hogy a harmadik kötet a jelenlegi kedvencem, de a Criminal az első számtól kezdve a krimik egyik legjobbja (direkt nem krimi képregényt mondtam).

[Richard Guion · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so glad that I got these three Criminal Deluxe volumes and read them over the course of a few weeks. I had read one of the arcs several years ago, Bad Weekend, about an old comic book artist who wants to steal back his original art, from a wealthy collector who resembles David Mandel (ex-Seinfeld writer and a huge collector of comic book art). But when I read it back then, I had no idea who Ricky Lawless was, or Jacob, the artist behind the Frank Kafka comic strip. There’s a couple of stories featuring Jacob in the previous stories, and with that background, it makes Bad Weekend all the sweeter. Similarly, the story arc titled My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies, this features the grown up version of the little girl who appeared in the very first Criminal story, with Leo Patterson. These are both fabulous stories in this volume, and Brubaker not only comes up with great crime noir elements but he infuses it with bits of his own personality as well. Sean Phillips artwork is a perfect match for this material. You have to read Cruel Summer right after this one, it’s required reading.

[Craig Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

to no surprise the 3rd and final ( kinda ) Criminal Deluxe Edition is absolutely perfection.

the short stories are some of the best in the entire series for me and this was no different, just something about how brubaker tells such a interesting and great story in such little time, no stories ever feel rushed or underutilised, Brubaker and Phillips do something really unique and paying tribute to older comics while also continuing to tell a storyline inside the Criminal universe.

My Heroes have always been junkies and Bad Weekend were both fantastic also, i don’t have much to say about them but these 2 novels are some of the best stories in the criminal world, the first story uses a character we slightly met ages ago in such a awesome way , and it also builds more on another character we first met in the beginning, which i hope leads to a continuation in the future, that’s something i love about these books aswell, they’re all standalone but there’s always a way to continue telling these stories with the characters which i absolutely adore

another 5/5 from this phenomenal Duo

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tight, fierce collection of stories about...well...criminals. Each tale has the fierce, grim cynicism of the best noir, meaning, it feels less pulpy and exploitative, and more broken. Each tale is narrated from a variant perspective, and many are interwoven with sections from the comic books that are read by the different protagonists. Rough as it is, each tale of brutality, cold-eyed self-interest, and betrayal is utterly unromanticised. These are not good people, in almost every instance, and while we come to understand them, their brokenness is a horror.

The writing is dead on, sharp, smart, and insightful. The inking is simultaneously sophisticated and expressive, with great paneling and color work. And the "comix-within-the-comix"...which vary appropriately in style and execution...are brilliant.

Why only four stars? Well, it's a four point three, mostly because dang it's rough. Not just because of the violence, or the carnality, but the utter lostness and isolation of the souls portrayed.

[Dan Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume of the Criminal Deluxe edition had the feeling of being a pastiche of a lot of little side projects Ed Brubaker wanted to put out there. Also being a meta-comic about comics.

It wasn't so much a continuation of anything as it was a collection of stories in the same setting. I'm still not sure how I feel about the retro comics throwback sections. The fan letters, the cheezy ads, the spoof of Conan comics or teen werewolf kung-fu comics. They were all fun and well done but to what end?
They were good literary props to have some window dressing in the background while illustrating a kid's escape into fantasy, I suppose. Or an adult convict escaping the same way. Though how somebody in a cell would enjoy a comic I don't really know. If you've got endless hours to kill what good is a 20 page comic book?

All my heroes are junkies was well drawn and poignant but the ending was too telegraphed.
The cantankerous old comic felt too close to being a true story about the comic book industry.

[Fandom SK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recenziu pre Fandom.sk napísal Ivan Kučera:

Séria Criminal (viď. spoločná fotka) pojednáva o antihrdinoch, ktorí sa dostali do problémov, a je otázne, či ich prežijú. Scenárista Brubaker a jeho dvorný ilustrátor Sean Phillips nás prvými dvoma omnibusmi rozmaznali do takej miery, že hoci i tretí predstavuje nadpriemer, už to proste nie je ono.

Brubaker v úvode priznáva, aké je ťažké pokúšať sa prekonať diela tak špičkovo hodnotené a uznávané, ako Criminal 1 a 2. Zároveň však dodáva, že ten svet je natoľko rozrastený, až v rámci neho môže rozprávať – dá sa povedať –, „všetko“. Aj príbeh o mladej žene, ktorá sa počas odvykačky zamiluje do jedného mladíka. Baví vás to, ale nechápete, čo to má spoločné s Criminalom. Na konci sa dozviete...

Celú recenziu nájdete na Fandom.sk https://www.fandom.sk/clanok/recenzia...

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

While it’s great like the entire Criminal backlog, for me this was not as strong as the first two volumes. That’s mostly just because I prefer the longer stories and this is largely a collection of single issue stories. The exception to this is All My Heroes Are Junkies, a novella that stood out when it was released. It also pads the book with supplemental materials like essays, story notes, and covers, but those are all pretty interesting for fans. It seems like there will eventually be a fourth deluxe volume because they were missing the largest story arc from the last monthly Criminal run, so they will probably wait until a couple more stories are put out before collecting another compendium volume. The design of the book is as good as it gets, the best way to read these Criminal stories.

[Nicko · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*
*Disclaimer: I read this whole book but logged in MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN JUNKIES and BAD WEEKEND individually. I’m using this log solely to log in the last two one-shots that come in this edition. Rating reflects the last two one-shots.*

I think my favorite of the one-shots, THE NIGHT CALLERS and ORPHANS, would be ORPHANS because it was entertaining to see a drugged up Ricky Lawless try to make amends with Leo. What I’m finding out I love about the crime genre through Brubaker and Phillips is that it’s drama heightened from the adrenaline of all the danger. It’s brief, but, the conflict we see between Ricky and Leo here is compelling because of the fact that what they’re dealing with — dead bodies, dead fathers, and crime jobs — is the root of their friendship.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is excellent! Now...I will say I did not enjoy it as much as Deluxe Volume 1 and 2...but does it hold its own? Yes! Does it entertain? Yes! I have always enjoyed Ed Brubaker written work, but now I find myself sitting here trying to decide if he could be my favorite...he sits right there with Scott Snyder and Brian Azzarello. (I keep Grant Morrison in his own league) This volume contains (like the previous) three TPB's worth in this one volume and it delivers the gritty amazing world you have been accustomed to. I don't think this one is as needed as the other 2 (I feel if you own volume 1, it's a crime not to have volume 2), but boy does it add more flavor and garnish to an already excellent plate of stories.

[Sebastian Lauterbach · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would call this filler stories, to flesh out the world setup in Vol. 1 & 2.

My heroes have always been junkies was the standout story in this volume for me, mainly because the revelation at the end was well done.

The other stories do highlight how much the creative team loves comics as they put a lot of references to comics in their stories.

But the stories themselves aren't particularly interesting or add a lot to the criminal narrative in my opinion.

Artwork is still alright.

I would honestly recommend to skip this volume, even if you liked Vol. 1 & 2, or at least try before buy.

[Pavel Chodúr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moji hrdinovia boli vždy feťáci, je asi najlepší príbeh, aký som v celej sérií čítal. Čo je samo o sebe pomerne odvážne tvrdenie, pretože Brubakerov a Phillipsov svet milujem a každý ďalší príbeh ma baví v niečom inom, ale vždy je pútavý a zaujímavý. Ale akási nostalgickosť a iný prístup ma v tomto prípade uchvátili. Dáva to predchádzajúcim postavám hĺbku, hoci sa tu len mihnú. Ten svet milujem a som rád za malé zárezy u postáv, ktorým sme dovtedy nevenovali pozornosť. Dúfam, že séria bude pokračovať. Kopec vecí sa ešte nevyriešilo...alebo inak, nechcem aby boli vyriešené, pretože verím, že sa k nim dá vrátiť a že ma dokážu znova posadiť s úžasom na gauč. Milujem to.

[Lalith · Rating 4 out of 5]

As long as Brubaker and Phillips keep putting out material I will keep on buying it. It's been about ten years since I read the original two Criminal Deluxe books, so the callbacks were almost completely wasted on me, but that didn't stop each story from being incredibly engaging with a variety of characters who are all broken in their own ways.

This review does scant justice to the series, and though the stories stand alone I do highly recommend picking up the previous books and reading them first.

[Willie Gillis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is by far my favorite volume of Criminal yet. A lot of these stories are prequel or sequels to stories that we have already been presented. This is a good thing because it widens the Criminal universe even more. You find out more motivations for several characters and their actions behind them.

I remember now why I loved this series so much. It’s dark and gritty and unforgiving in the storytelling. I’ll keep reading it as long as there are more stories to tell.

[JaumeMuntane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brillante universo de historias noir en la que se van mezclando varios personajes magníficamente desarrollados. Arte en mayúsculas. Obra maestra absoluta.
PD: Mención especial para la historia "Mis héroes siempre han sido yonquis" por el cambio de escenario (clínica de desintoxicación), el tono trágico excelentemente conseguido, el dibujo de Sean Phillips y el uso de colores cálidos y pastel en una historia noir por parte de Jacob Phillips.

[Adam Šilhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nevím proč, ale jak jsem byl z předchozích nadšený, tak tady mi to přišlo jen dobré.

My heroes have always been junkies mi na první přečtení přišlo dost vydařené, ale když už jsem věděl jak se příběh bude vyvíjet, tak to na mě tak nepůsobilo.

A už si pořádně nepamatuji předchozí příběhy, tak jsem neměl ten krásně nostalgický pocit + některé věci jsem asi tolik neocenil.

[Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips are killing it again. The collection is whiskey-soaked, reeks of cigarrettes, and filled to the brim with junkies, murderers, and the scum of the earth.

I personally wasn't a huge fan of The Savage Sword of Criminal or Deadly Hands of Criminal, which is the only reason this got a 4 instead of a 5. I adored My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies and Bad Weekend is frankly a masterpiece.

[Blair Hoyle]

While still being yet another incredible collection of Criminal stories, the third volume is filled with graphic novellas and one-shots that are a bit different than what I'd come to expect from the series. Bad Weekend (which I'd previously read) and Deadly Hands of Criminal are my favorites of the bunch. The latter is just so sad, man.

[Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Public library copy.

I don't own any of the works from this volume but I do own all the trades from the works prior to this collection. Looks like I'll need to double dip and purchase the Criminal series all over again as these fine hard covers pack a lot of heat.

[John Watts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just love the Brubaker / Phillips partnership, outstanding story telling with superb artwork. Various criminal moments told over 6 or so stories. Brutal here and there, twists, entertaining throughout.

[Devin · Rating 3 out of 5]

My least favorite out of the three deluxes. It just felt like they were running out of ideas here. It’s still not bad, but also not very enjoyable. It’s mostly short stories. Bummer that it ended this way.