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Reckless #4
The Ghost in You
The fourth book in the best-selling Reckless series is here!
Bestselling crime noir masters Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips bring us yet another original graphic novel starring troublemaker-for-hire Ethan Reckless.
Except this time it's the winter of 1989 and Ethan is out of town, so Anna must tackle this job on her own. When a movie scream queen asks her to prove the mansion she's renovating isn't haunted, Anna will stumble into the decades-long mystery of one of Hollywood's most-infamous murder houses... a place with many dark secrets, some of which might just kill her.
Another hit from the award-winning creators of RECKLESS, PULP, MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN JUNKIES, CRIMINAL, and KILL OR BE KILLED -- and a must-have for all Brubaker and Phillips fans!
Bestselling crime noir masters Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips bring us yet another original graphic novel starring troublemaker-for-hire Ethan Reckless.
Except this time it's the winter of 1989 and Ethan is out of town, so Anna must tackle this job on her own. When a movie scream queen asks her to prove the mansion she's renovating isn't haunted, Anna will stumble into the decades-long mystery of one of Hollywood's most-infamous murder houses... a place with many dark secrets, some of which might just kill her.
Another hit from the award-winning creators of RECKLESS, PULP, MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN JUNKIES, CRIMINAL, and KILL OR BE KILLED -- and a must-have for all Brubaker and Phillips fans!
150 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 13, 2022
19 people are currently reading
728 people want to read
About the author
Ed Brubaker
1,797 books3,030 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 247 reviews
December 19, 2023
Anna takes a case while Ethan is out of town.
This one has EVERYTHING.
An Elviraesque client, a mansion with a past, unsolved murders, crooked cops, Catholic school nuns ruining people's lives, Anna's crazy mother, and a missing dog.
I have to be 100% honest, every time I pick up a new Reckless book I think I'm expecting it to be where Brubaker kills off Anna.
And I'm not sure how I feel about that! Part of me is like, don't you dare, Ed! and another part of me is over there in the corner rubbing my hands together in glee.
He's got my attention, at any rate.
I love Ethan & Anna, and this was yet another great addition to the Reckless series.
Highly Recommended.
This one has EVERYTHING.
An Elviraesque client, a mansion with a past, unsolved murders, crooked cops, Catholic school nuns ruining people's lives, Anna's crazy mother, and a missing dog.
I have to be 100% honest, every time I pick up a new Reckless book I think I'm expecting it to be where Brubaker kills off Anna.
And I'm not sure how I feel about that! Part of me is like, don't you dare, Ed! and another part of me is over there in the corner rubbing my hands together in glee.
He's got my attention, at any rate.
I love Ethan & Anna, and this was yet another great addition to the Reckless series.
Highly Recommended.
April 11, 2022
It’s the winter of 1989 and Ethan Reckless is out of town when his assistant, Anna, is approached by a new client: the actor who played the Elvira-esque Evilina. She’s just inherited a mansion in the Hollywood Hills and wants Anna to find out if it’s haunted. Heeeeere’s… The Ghost in You!
I thought Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips had closed out Reckless with last year’s third book, Destroy All Monsters, but I guess they’re gonna keep the series going indefinitely like Criminal. Which is no bad thing as this is a decent title and so is the latest addition, Volume 4: The Ghost in You.
There’s not a whole lot to say about this one. Brubaker and Phillips are a well-oiled machine at this point and Brubaker can put together a solid crime story that’s capably drawn by Phillips and that’s what you get with this book.
I liked reading about the history of the Lamour Mansion and there’s always something going on to more-or-less hold the attention even if it’s the usual features of a crime story that Brubaker’s done many a time before. Similarly, Phillips’ art is fine but he’s not doing anything here that any longtime readers of this creative team hasn’t seen him do in any number of books previously.
But the story just isn’t that exciting and the underwhelming solution left me with the impression that I’d read a soap opera-y Scooby-Doo episode (with the Velma-esque protagonist Anna) .
It’s not a bad comic though and definitely better than the last one - Anna can certainly hold her own as the main character. The Ghost in You is worth a look if you’re a fan of this creative team or crime comics in general but don’t expect anything that amazing. Anyways, glad to know we can expect further Reckless books in the future and here’s hoping this October’s Volume 5: Follow Me Down, about what Ethan was up to in San Francisco while he was away during this book, is even better!
I thought Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips had closed out Reckless with last year’s third book, Destroy All Monsters, but I guess they’re gonna keep the series going indefinitely like Criminal. Which is no bad thing as this is a decent title and so is the latest addition, Volume 4: The Ghost in You.
There’s not a whole lot to say about this one. Brubaker and Phillips are a well-oiled machine at this point and Brubaker can put together a solid crime story that’s capably drawn by Phillips and that’s what you get with this book.
I liked reading about the history of the Lamour Mansion and there’s always something going on to more-or-less hold the attention even if it’s the usual features of a crime story that Brubaker’s done many a time before. Similarly, Phillips’ art is fine but he’s not doing anything here that any longtime readers of this creative team hasn’t seen him do in any number of books previously.
But the story just isn’t that exciting and the underwhelming solution left me with the impression that I’d read a soap opera-y Scooby-Doo episode (with the Velma-esque protagonist Anna) .
It’s not a bad comic though and definitely better than the last one - Anna can certainly hold her own as the main character. The Ghost in You is worth a look if you’re a fan of this creative team or crime comics in general but don’t expect anything that amazing. Anyways, glad to know we can expect further Reckless books in the future and here’s hoping this October’s Volume 5: Follow Me Down, about what Ethan was up to in San Francisco while he was away during this book, is even better!
November 3, 2022
And she don't fade
The ghost in you
She don't fade
Inside you the time moves
And she don't fade--Psychedelic Furs
The Ghost in You is Reckless #4 by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, and while it seems like a light diversion from the central Reckless direction, focusing as it does on (buddy, assistant, Dr. Watson) Anna’s taking on her own independent tec work, I still loved it. Oh, for these guys it may be a three star book, maybe, an interlude with Anna backstory to make her seem more like a full partner (up from mere sidekick) to Ethan Reckless, but it is still much better than most comics work out there.
The story opens with Anna shot and passing out, last recalling a pulpy fifties movie, Naked Kiss, featuring one of the Scream Queens, which is your light-hearted key to this issue: Fun sixties and seventies suspense stories. But the story takes place in 1989, in a vintage movie theater, so there are at least two or three layers of nostalgia going on here. Always a pleasure.
So Lorna Valentine, the former Evillina, walks into the El Ricardo (the B movie theater) and Ethan is away on another case we’ll learn about in volume 5, so Anna takes the case: Lorna wants to know if her new house, the Lamour Mansion, is haunted. Anna was a fan of Evillina on tv, so duh, she takes the case, also knowing the apparent curse of murders in the mansion which is in the Hollywood Hills.
Just to tread lightly back on the territory of another Hollywood Brubaker-Phillips classic, The Fade-Out, but the Lamour Mansion was once owned by a movie star, whose wife was killed there, and who himself died soon after. Hey, we learn that the movie star didn’t believe in banks and may have buried some of his fortune in the walls! Let’s go there late at night and see if we can find it!
Anna consults Madame Marlena, a psychic, which connects to her mother’s tarot card experiences, which leads to her seeing her mom for the first time in three years. And oh, yeah, when we figure out who is behind what is goin’ on in the house, we learn how Anna gets stabbed, and a little bit later Ethan returns to help seal the deal on the case. A pulpy noir story, a fun ride!
PS: The first time we meet Anna, I thought she was kind of a bespectacled Moneypenny, or even a version of Brubaker and Phillip’s own Velvet. . . but now I think she is a bit like Daniel Clowes’s Ghost World’s (1990) Enid Coleslaw (the Ghost in You!--bingo, Brubaker!) I mean, besides the Psychedelic Furs ref, of course.
The ghost in you
She don't fade
Inside you the time moves
And she don't fade--Psychedelic Furs
The Ghost in You is Reckless #4 by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, and while it seems like a light diversion from the central Reckless direction, focusing as it does on (buddy, assistant, Dr. Watson) Anna’s taking on her own independent tec work, I still loved it. Oh, for these guys it may be a three star book, maybe, an interlude with Anna backstory to make her seem more like a full partner (up from mere sidekick) to Ethan Reckless, but it is still much better than most comics work out there.
The story opens with Anna shot and passing out, last recalling a pulpy fifties movie, Naked Kiss, featuring one of the Scream Queens, which is your light-hearted key to this issue: Fun sixties and seventies suspense stories. But the story takes place in 1989, in a vintage movie theater, so there are at least two or three layers of nostalgia going on here. Always a pleasure.
So Lorna Valentine, the former Evillina, walks into the El Ricardo (the B movie theater) and Ethan is away on another case we’ll learn about in volume 5, so Anna takes the case: Lorna wants to know if her new house, the Lamour Mansion, is haunted. Anna was a fan of Evillina on tv, so duh, she takes the case, also knowing the apparent curse of murders in the mansion which is in the Hollywood Hills.
Just to tread lightly back on the territory of another Hollywood Brubaker-Phillips classic, The Fade-Out, but the Lamour Mansion was once owned by a movie star, whose wife was killed there, and who himself died soon after. Hey, we learn that the movie star didn’t believe in banks and may have buried some of his fortune in the walls! Let’s go there late at night and see if we can find it!
Anna consults Madame Marlena, a psychic, which connects to her mother’s tarot card experiences, which leads to her seeing her mom for the first time in three years. And oh, yeah, when we figure out who is behind what is goin’ on in the house, we learn how Anna gets stabbed, and a little bit later Ethan returns to help seal the deal on the case. A pulpy noir story, a fun ride!
PS: The first time we meet Anna, I thought she was kind of a bespectacled Moneypenny, or even a version of Brubaker and Phillip’s own Velvet. . . but now I think she is a bit like Daniel Clowes’s Ghost World’s (1990) Enid Coleslaw (the Ghost in You!--bingo, Brubaker!) I mean, besides the Psychedelic Furs ref, of course.
March 7, 2023
"[Anna's] first thought that hit her was 'Ethan is going to be so pissed.'" -- the opening narration
Ethan's not the ONLY one feeling that way - the Brubaker/Phillips Reckless crime-drama series continues a downward spiral for me with the fourth volume The Ghost in You. I had hoped after reading the third book Destroy All Monsters last week - which I thought was okay, but not nearly as good as the dynamic volumes one and two - that the subsequent story would bring things back in line. No such luck. Although many GR reviewers have given this high marks I was often bored and underwhelmed with the mediocre plot that seemed like a glorified episode of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? but populated by cursing grown-ups with messy personal lives. Also, I wasn't a fan of the shift in focus here from Ethan Reckless - he provides the narration, but otherwise only makes a late cameo appearance - to the previously supporting 'Gal Friday' character of the joyless Anna Keller. Even with the explanation of her backstory (bad relationships with mom, ex-boyfriend, and/or authority figures = yawn!) she remained an uninteresting cipher, and it was like reading The Maltese Falcon but instead of shadowing Sam Spade you experience story with Effie Perine in the lead role.
Ethan's not the ONLY one feeling that way - the Brubaker/Phillips Reckless crime-drama series continues a downward spiral for me with the fourth volume The Ghost in You. I had hoped after reading the third book Destroy All Monsters last week - which I thought was okay, but not nearly as good as the dynamic volumes one and two - that the subsequent story would bring things back in line. No such luck. Although many GR reviewers have given this high marks I was often bored and underwhelmed with the mediocre plot that seemed like a glorified episode of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? but populated by cursing grown-ups with messy personal lives. Also, I wasn't a fan of the shift in focus here from Ethan Reckless - he provides the narration, but otherwise only makes a late cameo appearance - to the previously supporting 'Gal Friday' character of the joyless Anna Keller. Even with the explanation of her backstory (bad relationships with mom, ex-boyfriend, and/or authority figures = yawn!) she remained an uninteresting cipher, and it was like reading The Maltese Falcon but instead of shadowing Sam Spade you experience story with Effie Perine in the lead role.
May 22, 2022
Just as Reckless might have been threatening to become a bit formulaic, Brubaker throws us a great twist and has Ethan Reckless' sidekick Anna carry the adventure herself in a story that starts off a little bit lighter than usual but eventually gets to the same tone Brubaker and Phillips are known for.
Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips are at the top of their game, and their work is pretty much the only thing in comics I try to read close to its publication date.
Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips are at the top of their game, and their work is pretty much the only thing in comics I try to read close to its publication date.
April 18, 2022
This was fantastic!
Every series in the Reckless series has been amazing and this is no exception!
The story this time focuses on Anna as she takes on the case of some Lorna Valentine who seems to be based on the Elvira actress and then we have her trying to find her dog and like see if the house Lorna has recently acquired is haunted or not and that takes us in the world of deep secrets, 80s dark magic belief and puts Anna in some serious peril even at the cost of her some life and deep secrets that might change a lotof what she believes and her new-found relationship with her mothrt maybe?!
Its an epic volume and I love the way the whole thing is told from Anna's perspective and the twists are surprising and I love the way it wraps up with this optimistic ending and then the inclusion of Lorna and her mother was awesome and really flehes out her backstory and the 80s setting is great again, tapping into the popular zeitgeist of that period in fun and fascinating ways and the art of Phillips is always great, makes you nostalgic for that period and then the great ending with Ethan and a teaser of the 5th book to come! Just an amazing read so a sure shot recommendation from me!
Every series in the Reckless series has been amazing and this is no exception!
The story this time focuses on Anna as she takes on the case of some Lorna Valentine who seems to be based on the Elvira actress and then we have her trying to find her dog and like see if the house Lorna has recently acquired is haunted or not and that takes us in the world of deep secrets, 80s dark magic belief and puts Anna in some serious peril even at the cost of her some life and deep secrets that might change a lotof what she believes and her new-found relationship with her mothrt maybe?!
Its an epic volume and I love the way the whole thing is told from Anna's perspective and the twists are surprising and I love the way it wraps up with this optimistic ending and then the inclusion of Lorna and her mother was awesome and really flehes out her backstory and the 80s setting is great again, tapping into the popular zeitgeist of that period in fun and fascinating ways and the art of Phillips is always great, makes you nostalgic for that period and then the great ending with Ethan and a teaser of the 5th book to come! Just an amazing read so a sure shot recommendation from me!
August 25, 2022
One of the better books in this series, but that's just because I like Anna a lot. And it's interesting to see how she supposedly grew up.
Slight deduction of points for having the mystery solved for us in a multi-page info dump - it's just kind of crude.
Sean Philips' art is, as always, excellent.
Slight deduction of points for having the mystery solved for us in a multi-page info dump - it's just kind of crude.
Sean Philips' art is, as always, excellent.
September 16, 2022
This fourth volume changes the script and has Ethan's sometimes sidekick Anna take the lead role.
We're nearing the end of the 80s, 1989! Wait, will the fifth volume be 90s? That'd be cool. 80s nostalgia is getting overworked these days.
"When a movie scream queen asks her to prove the mansion she's renovating isn't haunted, Anna will stumble into the decades-long mystery of one of Hollywood's most-infamous murder houses... a place with many dark secrets, some of which might just kill her."
If I'm being honest as much as I love Brubaker/Philips I am getting tired of this series. There's not enough character development over the volumes to keep me interesting in what happens in the next book.
We're nearing the end of the 80s, 1989! Wait, will the fifth volume be 90s? That'd be cool. 80s nostalgia is getting overworked these days.
"When a movie scream queen asks her to prove the mansion she's renovating isn't haunted, Anna will stumble into the decades-long mystery of one of Hollywood's most-infamous murder houses... a place with many dark secrets, some of which might just kill her."
If I'm being honest as much as I love Brubaker/Philips I am getting tired of this series. There's not enough character development over the volumes to keep me interesting in what happens in the next book.
April 27, 2022
“Ruh-roh, Relma! Rhosts!”
"Jinkies!"
“And I would have got away with it too if it weren’t for that meddling kid and her dog.”
While Ethan is away, Anna goes full Velma and gets her Scoob on! She even gets an Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, stand-in as a special guest star who needs someone to investigate her haunted murder house and find her missing Scrappy-Doo.
That stuff is all secondary to the character-driven sections though as Anna -- who finally gets a last name -- introduces us to her less-than-reliable mother.
Another fine-but-still-sort-of-disappointing entry in the Reckless series.
I never get tired at marveling at Anna's ridiculous giraffe neck on the cover though. She reminds me of Hooty from "The Owl House." Ooooh, they should have done a tribute to that instead of the tired Scooby stuff!
"Jinkies!"
“And I would have got away with it too if it weren’t for that meddling kid and her dog.”
While Ethan is away, Anna goes full Velma and gets her Scoob on! She even gets an Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, stand-in as a special guest star who needs someone to investigate her haunted murder house and find her missing Scrappy-Doo.
That stuff is all secondary to the character-driven sections though as Anna -- who finally gets a last name -- introduces us to her less-than-reliable mother.
Another fine-but-still-sort-of-disappointing entry in the Reckless series.
I never get tired at marveling at Anna's ridiculous giraffe neck on the cover though. She reminds me of Hooty from "The Owl House." Ooooh, they should have done a tribute to that instead of the tired Scooby stuff!
June 21, 2025
Really enjoyed this one!
This is the fourth reckless book in the series but this is different as it follows Anna rather than Ethan which was a nice switch up. As far as the story goes it was an interesting mystery, but as always with these books it was fun to get more information about Anna and what’s going on in her life.
Overall this was a fun read, looking forward to the next one!
This is the fourth reckless book in the series but this is different as it follows Anna rather than Ethan which was a nice switch up. As far as the story goes it was an interesting mystery, but as always with these books it was fun to get more information about Anna and what’s going on in her life.
Overall this was a fun read, looking forward to the next one!
August 28, 2023
Historia centrada en Anna que baja de intensidad (y de alcance) respecto a los tres primeros tomos. No se saltan tiburones pero tampoco ofrece nada especialmente memorable. Y estos tebeos empiezan a ser muy caros como para entrar en esta dinámica.
April 22, 2022
4.5
Somehow these keep getting better and better, another stellar crime noir masterpiece from Brubaker and Phillips.
Somehow these keep getting better and better, another stellar crime noir masterpiece from Brubaker and Phillips.
October 3, 2022
In this book, the series takes a little break from following Ethan. And this time, his friend, projectionist, and fan-favorite, Anna Keller, takes center stage as she takes on a strange case while Ethan is on a job in Frisco. And the series feels fresher for it!
A B-movie scream-queen from Anna’s childhood hires Anna to investigate whether or not her newly inherited Hollywood mansion is haunted. I love the mystery and mythology of older Hollywood and this book, even more so than previous Reckless books, is an homage to that time and culture. I love the break from Ethan as the main character and the further deepening of Anna's backstory. The quirkiness of the mystery fits Anna well. A great resolution and final scene helps make this another great installment, and one of the series' best!
A B-movie scream-queen from Anna’s childhood hires Anna to investigate whether or not her newly inherited Hollywood mansion is haunted. I love the mystery and mythology of older Hollywood and this book, even more so than previous Reckless books, is an homage to that time and culture. I love the break from Ethan as the main character and the further deepening of Anna's backstory. The quirkiness of the mystery fits Anna well. A great resolution and final scene helps make this another great installment, and one of the series' best!
May 23, 2022
I thought that this volume, with its focus on Anna instead of Ethan, wasn't likely to have the umph of the others, with their uniquely broken character. And I suppose that's the case, because the ending of this volume, when Ethan returns to narrative duties, reminds me how much I like that style.
But it's nonetheless yet another excellent volume. Brubaker gives even more delightful depth to Anna's past and present. We get a terrific mystery, with yet more neat supporting cast, and a few surprising twists at the end. And I _really_ want to know what happened in San Francisco.
But it's nonetheless yet another excellent volume. Brubaker gives even more delightful depth to Anna's past and present. We get a terrific mystery, with yet more neat supporting cast, and a few surprising twists at the end. And I _really_ want to know what happened in San Francisco.
June 28, 2022
Over the past couple of Reckless books we've learned a bit more about Ethan's relationship with his plucky assistant Anna, so it's nice that in this book she gets her own solo adventure.
A combination of a spooky murder house, old Hollywood and dysfunctional families make this an enjoyable read.
The entire series is interesting because the books are narrated by an older Ethan from some unknown point in the future, so while it arguably removes some of the tension knowing that one way or another he survives it still allows for that hint of mystery in not knowing what's coming next.
A combination of a spooky murder house, old Hollywood and dysfunctional families make this an enjoyable read.
The entire series is interesting because the books are narrated by an older Ethan from some unknown point in the future, so while it arguably removes some of the tension knowing that one way or another he survives it still allows for that hint of mystery in not knowing what's coming next.
February 5, 2023
I really liked this one. Brubaker and Phillips Reckless run has been a good. Not over reaching or ground breaking just telling a really good story. This being one that features Anna who was a supporting character in the first three volumes. Note Ethan Reckless is away on a case.p and we get more of a mystery tale then an 80's action flick. I'm sure the next one will be great it's clear the creators have this down to a science after creating books together for 20+years
November 19, 2023
That was a blast! This was one of my favorite so far of the Reckless series! They just keep on getting better and better. This story had everything my heart loves, creepy thrills, crime, and old Hollywood era lore.
August 8, 2022
Reckless 04: The Ghost in You, by Ed Brubaker (Script), Sean Phillips (Art), and Jacob Phillips (Coloring) is part four – published in April 2022 - of this red-hot modern crime noir series.
It’s the winter of 1989 and Ethan is out of town, so Anna must tackle this job on her own. When a movie scream queen asks her to prove the mansion she's renovating isn't haunted, Anna will stumble into the decades-long mystery of one of Hollywood's most-infamous murder houses... a place with many dark secrets, some of which might just kill her.
Loved that Anna has a starring role in this one. Good story as usual. Looking forward to part five coming out in Ocotober.
Themes: Hollywood LA 1989, how Anna met the scream queen, Lorna Valentine, famous murder house, the Magnificent Madame Marlena, a missing dog, mommy issues.
5 Stars
It’s the winter of 1989 and Ethan is out of town, so Anna must tackle this job on her own. When a movie scream queen asks her to prove the mansion she's renovating isn't haunted, Anna will stumble into the decades-long mystery of one of Hollywood's most-infamous murder houses... a place with many dark secrets, some of which might just kill her.
Loved that Anna has a starring role in this one. Good story as usual. Looking forward to part five coming out in Ocotober.
Themes: Hollywood LA 1989, how Anna met the scream queen, Lorna Valentine, famous murder house, the Magnificent Madame Marlena, a missing dog, mommy issues.
5 Stars
August 14, 2024
Fantastic.
October 11, 2022
With Ethan out of town, Anna tackles a ghostly presence in a midnight movie star's Hollywood mansion. The Ghost in You isn't exactly riveting, but it's also something of a palate cleanser in comparison to some of the darker entries in the Reckless series.
The mystery is ultimately fairly simple - the real excitement in The Ghost in You comes from the fleshing out of Anna's character as we meet her mother and gain some backstory. The Reckless series is really Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips at their best.
The mystery is ultimately fairly simple - the real excitement in The Ghost in You comes from the fleshing out of Anna's character as we meet her mother and gain some backstory. The Reckless series is really Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips at their best.
May 5, 2022
A part of me wishes I was in a scorched earth 2050 able to just mainline volume after volume of Reckless. I’ll just have to settle for the still astonishing biannual release Brubaker and Collins churn out this fun, thrilling comic. Recommend to all into noir, and grateful this volume spotlights the best sidekick in comics.
September 24, 2022
This time out, Ethan's assistant, Anna, takes the lead, in a mystery that involves an old horror host and the "haunted" mansion that she's renovating. Good mystery, though not quite as strong as the last go-around. Still, I'll be here for as long as Brubaker and Phillips keep turning these out. Really loving picture of Los Angeles in the 80s.
June 29, 2022
A deviation from the lead but no dropoff in quality. IF only he would write them faster.
February 25, 2024
A mild step down from the previous entries just in that it doesn't feel quite as hard-boiled, but Anna's a great character in her own right, so seeing her branch off on her own mystery works pretty well in the long run. Always a bit tough, though, when the book series is called "Reckless" and doesn't feature the guy named "Reckless" in it almost at all. Still, I love the nod to weird Hollywood murder houses and local TV personalities. LA is filled to the brim with narcissists and I love seeing the myriad of ways those personalities manifest themselves in a town that's too full of them to breathe.
Brubaker & Phillips! I'll never stop likin' 'em!
Brubaker & Phillips! I'll never stop likin' 'em!
September 1, 2022
Reckless has been a good series so far, and this volume is by far the weakest. I like Anna as a character, but I couldn't give less of a shit about her strained relationship with her mom. So that means I'm bored with about a quarter of this entire volume.
The rest is fine, if a bit formulaic for a mystery story. And I'm really here for Ethan. Again, Anna is fine but if I bought a ticket to a James Bond movie and he didn't show up until the last 20 minutes, I'd be slightly annoyed.
The rest is fine, if a bit formulaic for a mystery story. And I'm really here for Ethan. Again, Anna is fine but if I bought a ticket to a James Bond movie and he didn't show up until the last 20 minutes, I'd be slightly annoyed.
May 15, 2022
The Ghost in You: A Reckless Book
"The Ghost in You" is the fourth addition to Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips' Reckless graphic novel series. Unlike the previous graphic novels, this one focusses on Anna, instead of Ethan, who only makes an appearance in the final pages of the book.
The story takes place in late 1989. While Ethan is in San Francisco, working on a case, Anna starts working for one of her childhood heroes, Lorna Valentine, who used to be a star in horror B-movies, back in the 60s and 70s. She inherited a big mansion in the Hollywood Hills that's been thought to be haunted and while she was working on the renovations there, weird things started happening. After her dog disappears, she goes to Anna and she wants her to investigate what's happening. Anna starts working on the increasingly complicated case, while her personal life complicates things even more. Her relationship with her alcoholic mother was always bad and they hadn't talked in three years, but while Anna is working on the case, she comes back into her life, announcing her upcoming wedding.
This was an incredible graphic novel. At this point I think that Ed Brubaker is my favorite writer working in the industry today and his collaborations with Sean Phillips are always mind blowing.
This graphic novel was a bit different from the previous ones of the series, because while the narration is still by Ethan Reckless, the protagonist is Anna. She has many similarities with Ethan, but they are undoubtedly also very different from one another. Anna is much younger, she has different problems, different abilities and a different approach to life. Her cynical and nihilistic view of the world is not as cynical as the one of the typical noir/pulp protagonist. This kind of a semi-nihilistic approach to things is apparent in the majority of Ed Brubaker's crime works. That's why I think that his writing resembles Raymond Chandler's style, because even if his characters claim to be cynical, they still care for many things and have very strong compassion. Other than that, in general, Anna is a great protagonist. The fact that the entire graphic novel focuses on her, helps with getting way deeper into her character and her history. She's very interesting and well written and so is her relationship with her mother. I found this aspect of the comic very realistic. Ed Brubaker loves writing characters with a troubled family life and at this point he has clearly mastered it. The way he handles Anna's relationship with her mother is great and it all makes a lot of sense with her character. Other than Anna, Ethan's short appearance at the end is great and it's a very good example of how strong his relationship with Anna is. Also, even though he's absent for the majority of the story, we read his narration, which is extremely well written, as always. I strongly believe that one of the most important things for a good crime comic/movie/book is a good narration and Ed Brubaker never lets me down with this (well, maybe except for "Friday", but we are not talking about that one).
The crime aspect of the story is very interesting. From about halfway into the comic I had an idea of what would happen, but it was way more complicated than I expected and it had some very unexpected twists. Other than that, I appreciated how the mystery involved the silent film era of Hollywood, an era I adore. I still haven't read "The Fade Out", but if I'm not mistaken this has to do with the silent film era as well, so Ed Brubaker probably shares my appreciation for this period in film history.
The artwork by Sean Phillips is stunning as always. The character designs are distinct from one another and the characters are easy to tell apart. The facial expressions are always very clear and in general his artwork is easy to read, but it's also beautiful. The mansion and all the backgrounds are gorgeous, his use of shadows and inking is really fantastic and his understanding of direction and perspective is amazing.
The coloring by Jacob Phillips is also amazing. Maybe it's because they are father and son, maybe it's because they are both extremely talented or maybe it's because of an entirely different reason, but Sean and Jacob have incredible chemistry. Jacob clearly understands his father's art and with his colors he manages to elevate it to a whole new level. I absolutely love the colors he uses and also the way he uses them. Most of the colors are pale and strong colors, like bright reds, are used in panels with a lot of action or violence. This helps emphasize these panels and make them even more powerful.
Overall, this was an incredible crime graphic novel, with perfectly written characters, beautiful artwork and a great message. There are no good cops.
10/10
"The Ghost in You" is the fourth addition to Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips' Reckless graphic novel series. Unlike the previous graphic novels, this one focusses on Anna, instead of Ethan, who only makes an appearance in the final pages of the book.
The story takes place in late 1989. While Ethan is in San Francisco, working on a case, Anna starts working for one of her childhood heroes, Lorna Valentine, who used to be a star in horror B-movies, back in the 60s and 70s. She inherited a big mansion in the Hollywood Hills that's been thought to be haunted and while she was working on the renovations there, weird things started happening. After her dog disappears, she goes to Anna and she wants her to investigate what's happening. Anna starts working on the increasingly complicated case, while her personal life complicates things even more. Her relationship with her alcoholic mother was always bad and they hadn't talked in three years, but while Anna is working on the case, she comes back into her life, announcing her upcoming wedding.
This was an incredible graphic novel. At this point I think that Ed Brubaker is my favorite writer working in the industry today and his collaborations with Sean Phillips are always mind blowing.
This graphic novel was a bit different from the previous ones of the series, because while the narration is still by Ethan Reckless, the protagonist is Anna. She has many similarities with Ethan, but they are undoubtedly also very different from one another. Anna is much younger, she has different problems, different abilities and a different approach to life. Her cynical and nihilistic view of the world is not as cynical as the one of the typical noir/pulp protagonist. This kind of a semi-nihilistic approach to things is apparent in the majority of Ed Brubaker's crime works. That's why I think that his writing resembles Raymond Chandler's style, because even if his characters claim to be cynical, they still care for many things and have very strong compassion. Other than that, in general, Anna is a great protagonist. The fact that the entire graphic novel focuses on her, helps with getting way deeper into her character and her history. She's very interesting and well written and so is her relationship with her mother. I found this aspect of the comic very realistic. Ed Brubaker loves writing characters with a troubled family life and at this point he has clearly mastered it. The way he handles Anna's relationship with her mother is great and it all makes a lot of sense with her character. Other than Anna, Ethan's short appearance at the end is great and it's a very good example of how strong his relationship with Anna is. Also, even though he's absent for the majority of the story, we read his narration, which is extremely well written, as always. I strongly believe that one of the most important things for a good crime comic/movie/book is a good narration and Ed Brubaker never lets me down with this (well, maybe except for "Friday", but we are not talking about that one).
The crime aspect of the story is very interesting. From about halfway into the comic I had an idea of what would happen, but it was way more complicated than I expected and it had some very unexpected twists. Other than that, I appreciated how the mystery involved the silent film era of Hollywood, an era I adore. I still haven't read "The Fade Out", but if I'm not mistaken this has to do with the silent film era as well, so Ed Brubaker probably shares my appreciation for this period in film history.
The artwork by Sean Phillips is stunning as always. The character designs are distinct from one another and the characters are easy to tell apart. The facial expressions are always very clear and in general his artwork is easy to read, but it's also beautiful. The mansion and all the backgrounds are gorgeous, his use of shadows and inking is really fantastic and his understanding of direction and perspective is amazing.
The coloring by Jacob Phillips is also amazing. Maybe it's because they are father and son, maybe it's because they are both extremely talented or maybe it's because of an entirely different reason, but Sean and Jacob have incredible chemistry. Jacob clearly understands his father's art and with his colors he manages to elevate it to a whole new level. I absolutely love the colors he uses and also the way he uses them. Most of the colors are pale and strong colors, like bright reds, are used in panels with a lot of action or violence. This helps emphasize these panels and make them even more powerful.
Overall, this was an incredible crime graphic novel, with perfectly written characters, beautiful artwork and a great message. There are no good cops.
10/10
July 30, 2023
Reckless never had the intensity of Brubaker’s previous works but this one is the weakest by far.
Focused on Anna and a haunted house mystery it diffuses a very strong Scobidoo vibe- all the more with Anna’s Velma looks- despite rare bursts of violence.
Phillip’s art is honestly disappointing at this stage and I’m getting tired of Jacob’s sugary colors.
My review of the the previous volume spoke of getting cozy. Rhymes with lazy.
Focused on Anna and a haunted house mystery it diffuses a very strong Scobidoo vibe- all the more with Anna’s Velma looks- despite rare bursts of violence.
Phillip’s art is honestly disappointing at this stage and I’m getting tired of Jacob’s sugary colors.
My review of the the previous volume spoke of getting cozy. Rhymes with lazy.
November 17, 2022
Anna takes a case while Ethan is out of town. Very Scooby Doo: is the haunted house really haunted?? Or is the mean neighborhood cop just trying to scare off the new owner so he can find the buried treasure?
There are a lot of elements to love. A haunted old Hollywood mansion. An Elvira Mistress of the Dark character. A peek into Anna's personal life. The deft handling of the Brubaker/Phillips team.
A reliably entertaining entry in the series.
--------------------------------------
SECOND READ
...to refresh my memory because this one takes place concurrent with the just-released book 5.
I love the mundane realism of this series. When Anna Even Ethan is only as tough as a modestly tough human being.
There are a lot of elements to love. A haunted old Hollywood mansion. An Elvira Mistress of the Dark character. A peek into Anna's personal life. The deft handling of the Brubaker/Phillips team.
A reliably entertaining entry in the series.
--------------------------------------
SECOND READ
...to refresh my memory because this one takes place concurrent with the just-released book 5.
I love the mundane realism of this series. When Anna Even Ethan is only as tough as a modestly tough human being.
December 5, 2023
Lectura 277 El fantasma dentro de ti de Brubaker/Phillips
Traducción Gonzalo Quesada
¿Un tomo centrado en Anna llevando sola un caso? Por supuesto. Historia consistente que sirve para mostrar algo de la complicada relación con su madre. Como suliempre una historia estupenda.
4/5
Traducción Gonzalo Quesada
¿Un tomo centrado en Anna llevando sola un caso? Por supuesto. Historia consistente que sirve para mostrar algo de la complicada relación con su madre. Como suliempre una historia estupenda.
4/5
January 6, 2024
4.5 Stars
In this volume, the main character, Ethan, is out of town, and his assistant, Anna, takes center stage. And ironically, this my favorite volume of Reckless so far.
The story seemed a little more on track and easy to follow than previous volumes, and the art was great as usual.
Really enjoyed this one, too bad there's only one more volume in the series. (So far?)
In this volume, the main character, Ethan, is out of town, and his assistant, Anna, takes center stage. And ironically, this my favorite volume of Reckless so far.
The story seemed a little more on track and easy to follow than previous volumes, and the art was great as usual.
Really enjoyed this one, too bad there's only one more volume in the series. (So far?)
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