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Incognito
Incognito, Vol. 2: Bad Influences
One of the biggest Hollywood options of the year, nominated for three Eisner Awards, Incognito is finally back for more!
It's apocalyptic pulp noir at its finest!
It's been over a year since Zack Overkill came out of Witness Protection to build a new life. But working for the government isn't that different from being controlled by them, and his new secret identity is becoming more trouble than it's worth... So what will Zack do when tasked with a mission that sends him on a hunt into darkest corners of the super-criminal underworld where he was raised?
Collecting: Incognito: Bad Influences 1-5
It's apocalyptic pulp noir at its finest!
It's been over a year since Zack Overkill came out of Witness Protection to build a new life. But working for the government isn't that different from being controlled by them, and his new secret identity is becoming more trouble than it's worth... So what will Zack do when tasked with a mission that sends him on a hunt into darkest corners of the super-criminal underworld where he was raised?
Collecting: Incognito: Bad Influences 1-5
144 pages, Paperback
First published July 27, 2011
2 people are currently reading
416 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 95 reviews
February 18, 2017
A super-villain, caught, and now hiding in witness protection, has his cover is blown and then is recruited to help catch bad guys. It should be easy, since he used to be one of them, but now he's been infected by empathy, and it's harder than he thought.
Zack Overkill, Zoe Zeppelin, Lazarus, and Simon Slaughter are just some of the characters inside this pulpy, noir, empathetic super-villain story from the super cool Mr. Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. What fun!
Zack Overkill, Zoe Zeppelin, Lazarus, and Simon Slaughter are just some of the characters inside this pulpy, noir, empathetic super-villain story from the super cool Mr. Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. What fun!
May 15, 2012
After I put down Incognito a few months back, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the sequel. Unfortunately, I was on the bottom of the list when it came to borrowing it from my local library. Instead of running to my local Chapters and snagging it as soon as possible, I opted to wait. I received the email that it came in last week and raced downtown to snatch it.
The saga of Zack Overkill (still, one of the best names in comics) continues with Bad Influences. This time around, Zack begrudgingly joins forces with the S.O.S. agency and is given the task of infiltrating an opposing organization. The task in question involves bringing in an undercover rouge agent that well.. stayed rouge.
While all of this is happening, a hooded vigillante is scouring the streets dressed as famed 1930s super-hero killer, Lazarus. While some believe it to be Zack himself, no one knows for sure. Struggling to avoid returning to his old super villan ways, can Zack bring back the S.O.S traitor and escape with his life?
Despite the fact that I gave this book 1 star less than Volume one, I'm hoping it doesn't reflect poorly on the quality. At this point, it's really difficult for Phillips and Brubaker to combine their talents and put out something that is anything less then stellar but while this story is enjoyable, it just falls short of the awesomeness of the original.
That being said, there are some excellent dialogue heavy scenes within these pages:
The problem with the world? Not crime or corruption or poverty or greed.. or all the gray areas that tie them together. No the problem is the people who allow those gray areas to exist in the first place. Because they're a lie, there is no gray in the world. There's only good and evil. Right and wrong. And people who are too weak to believe the truth.. even when it's right before their eyes.
It's time to stop pretending they're innocent.
Brubaker and Phillips are collectively, the man.
PS. There is quite possibly, the BEST introduction I've read attached. Joe Hill writes what is basically a love letter to comics.
The saga of Zack Overkill (still, one of the best names in comics) continues with Bad Influences. This time around, Zack begrudgingly joins forces with the S.O.S. agency and is given the task of infiltrating an opposing organization. The task in question involves bringing in an undercover rouge agent that well.. stayed rouge.
While all of this is happening, a hooded vigillante is scouring the streets dressed as famed 1930s super-hero killer, Lazarus. While some believe it to be Zack himself, no one knows for sure. Struggling to avoid returning to his old super villan ways, can Zack bring back the S.O.S traitor and escape with his life?
Despite the fact that I gave this book 1 star less than Volume one, I'm hoping it doesn't reflect poorly on the quality. At this point, it's really difficult for Phillips and Brubaker to combine their talents and put out something that is anything less then stellar but while this story is enjoyable, it just falls short of the awesomeness of the original.
That being said, there are some excellent dialogue heavy scenes within these pages:
The problem with the world? Not crime or corruption or poverty or greed.. or all the gray areas that tie them together. No the problem is the people who allow those gray areas to exist in the first place. Because they're a lie, there is no gray in the world. There's only good and evil. Right and wrong. And people who are too weak to believe the truth.. even when it's right before their eyes.
It's time to stop pretending they're innocent.
Brubaker and Phillips are collectively, the man.
PS. There is quite possibly, the BEST introduction I've read attached. Joe Hill writes what is basically a love letter to comics.
September 5, 2011
Zack Overkill is on the trail of a superhero killer called Lazarus except he’s taken from his safe world of the good guys and thrown back into the familiar world of the superhero villain. He meets old friends, reacquaints himself with the old ways, and tries to keep from going back to who he used to be – but will he be able to resist temptation?
The Incognito series is probably the least interesting thing that’s come of the Ed Brubaker/Sean Phillips creative team – even more so than the dozy series “Sleeper”. Incognito has an interesting premise – evil supervillain turns good – but the way Brubaker writes it doesn’t make for an interesting read.
It’s written in a post modern style riffing on the pulpy novels of the early twentieth century. This usually means a lot of wink winks to the reader/fan of those old serials and a lot of frustration to the modern reader expecting the depth you usually get in Brubaker’s books, instead getting the simplistic plotting of those pulps along with the lame dialogue, uninteresting plot twists, and lack of characterisation.
The book is a morality play focusing on what makes someone good or someone bad which is alright if done well but it also tries to be an action thriller/mystery at the same time so with so many targets he has to hit, Brubaker hits none of them instead opting to try for all ideas and giving the reader a thin, insubstantial story instead of the richness you get in his other works, notably the Criminal series.
This is basically a very weak version of a Criminal story only with lots of people wearing masks and capes. Even Sean Phillips’ artwork seems very rushed and uninteresting here. I wanted to like the book but found it lacked too much in every department – writing, artwork, story, and enjoyment. All surface and no depth, I expected better from these two experienced artists. Try the “Criminal” series if you’re looking for a good read from these guys.
The Incognito series is probably the least interesting thing that’s come of the Ed Brubaker/Sean Phillips creative team – even more so than the dozy series “Sleeper”. Incognito has an interesting premise – evil supervillain turns good – but the way Brubaker writes it doesn’t make for an interesting read.
It’s written in a post modern style riffing on the pulpy novels of the early twentieth century. This usually means a lot of wink winks to the reader/fan of those old serials and a lot of frustration to the modern reader expecting the depth you usually get in Brubaker’s books, instead getting the simplistic plotting of those pulps along with the lame dialogue, uninteresting plot twists, and lack of characterisation.
The book is a morality play focusing on what makes someone good or someone bad which is alright if done well but it also tries to be an action thriller/mystery at the same time so with so many targets he has to hit, Brubaker hits none of them instead opting to try for all ideas and giving the reader a thin, insubstantial story instead of the richness you get in his other works, notably the Criminal series.
This is basically a very weak version of a Criminal story only with lots of people wearing masks and capes. Even Sean Phillips’ artwork seems very rushed and uninteresting here. I wanted to like the book but found it lacked too much in every department – writing, artwork, story, and enjoyment. All surface and no depth, I expected better from these two experienced artists. Try the “Criminal” series if you’re looking for a good read from these guys.
August 21, 2014
I like a little espionage mixed with my invulnerable fisticuffers. Give me a dose of Ellis' Secret Avengers...or better: hand me Brubaker's Captain America when Bucky returns and croaks quietly about all that Soviet brainwashing. Yeah, that'll do nicely.
So when Brubaker changes gears on his little Irredeemable project and slides drily from noir to spy thriller? I'm game (or so those black kids on the corner keep telling me - are they secretly insulting the nerdy white dude? And if they are, would I notice?).
Something struck me as funny (weird) as I was reading some griff dialogue: it has the same "men in need of Vaseline for that burning roughness coming out of their head holes" B-movie intensity as the branching pseudo-RPG dialogue in my video games. "Hopin' old friendships you burned still mean something..." "No, I'm hoping old friends remember it's better to be on my good side."
Master Chief would be proud.
Kraft would like a slice of that cheese back.
Funny thing, once I smelled the fromage, it was hard to take the hard-tack dialogue seriously anymore.
Didn't matter too much though - sparse dialogue keeps the action moving along well.
I watched this book heading towards a happy ending, and a growing sense of "what the fuck" dread came over me. I wanted to escape but my decisions kept closing in on me, like a pack of rabid chihuahuas. How do you bail out of a speeding car and not get banged up?
Whoa, Brubaker-speak just tried to infect me.
Lucky for me, the ending took a nice depressing turn outta almost nowhere. Well, I guess when you pursue a villain who's gone all Apocalypse Now on the outfit, it's hard to come outta that unscathed.
Didja know that I've never seen Apocalypse Now all the way through? I think I've sat down four times to watch it, and every time I end up falling asleep. It's like a hypnotic drug for me. I think it's responsible for my inability to consume large amounts of hallucinogens.
So when Brubaker changes gears on his little Irredeemable project and slides drily from noir to spy thriller? I'm game (or so those black kids on the corner keep telling me - are they secretly insulting the nerdy white dude? And if they are, would I notice?).
Something struck me as funny (weird) as I was reading some griff dialogue: it has the same "men in need of Vaseline for that burning roughness coming out of their head holes" B-movie intensity as the branching pseudo-RPG dialogue in my video games. "Hopin' old friendships you burned still mean something..." "No, I'm hoping old friends remember it's better to be on my good side."
Master Chief would be proud.
Kraft would like a slice of that cheese back.
Funny thing, once I smelled the fromage, it was hard to take the hard-tack dialogue seriously anymore.
Didn't matter too much though - sparse dialogue keeps the action moving along well.
I watched this book heading towards a happy ending, and a growing sense of "what the fuck" dread came over me. I wanted to escape but my decisions kept closing in on me, like a pack of rabid chihuahuas. How do you bail out of a speeding car and not get banged up?
Whoa, Brubaker-speak just tried to infect me.
Lucky for me, the ending took a nice depressing turn outta almost nowhere. Well, I guess when you pursue a villain who's gone all Apocalypse Now on the outfit, it's hard to come outta that unscathed.
Didja know that I've never seen Apocalypse Now all the way through? I think I've sat down four times to watch it, and every time I end up falling asleep. It's like a hypnotic drug for me. I think it's responsible for my inability to consume large amounts of hallucinogens.
October 22, 2015
This is a noir Brubaker, mashed up with superhero and early pulp influences. This is a story of a villain trying to make his way up to anti-hero, Zack Overkill. The challenge is sympathy, or insight, neither of which really happens, and you don't like the guy, but that in itself is pretty interesting, to have this guy be the guy you are reading a story about. I don't like the story so much, really. Didn't grab or surprise me.
Not Brubaker and Phillips at their ver best, but it's still Brubaker and Phillips.
Not Brubaker and Phillips at their ver best, but it's still Brubaker and Phillips.
October 2, 2012
I didn't get into this one quite as much and while I'd already sent for the third in the series, if it doesn't draw me back it will probably be the last I read.
Here we have, as you know if you've read the first volume of this graphic series, the story on an ex-super villain who now works with the "good guys". Sadly things just don't go well.
This is a world that is seemingly made up of nothing but shades of gray (I'm not sure if there are more than 50 shades or not). Good and evil intermingle and trip over one another getting so confused that it seems the participants themselves can't always tell the difference. In the midst of this morass a protagonist arises who sees things in only black and white.
Humm.
Anyway, an adult graphic novel. The art is okay, it goes for showing action but seems to me at times to be a bit "hurried"...maybe just me. Lots of "adult" subject matter, lots of violence etc. It will probably hold interest of most...though my mind did tend to wander off now and again.
Well somehow I thought it sounded much better than it was. May be just me of course, but it mostly left me cold. Try it yourself if you liked the first, Good luck. LOL
Here we have, as you know if you've read the first volume of this graphic series, the story on an ex-super villain who now works with the "good guys". Sadly things just don't go well.
This is a world that is seemingly made up of nothing but shades of gray (I'm not sure if there are more than 50 shades or not). Good and evil intermingle and trip over one another getting so confused that it seems the participants themselves can't always tell the difference. In the midst of this morass a protagonist arises who sees things in only black and white.
Humm.
Anyway, an adult graphic novel. The art is okay, it goes for showing action but seems to me at times to be a bit "hurried"...maybe just me. Lots of "adult" subject matter, lots of violence etc. It will probably hold interest of most...though my mind did tend to wander off now and again.
Well somehow I thought it sounded much better than it was. May be just me of course, but it mostly left me cold. Try it yourself if you liked the first, Good luck. LOL
February 23, 2012
Bad Influences picks up right where the first volume of Incognito left off. Zack is now working for the government, taking down supercriminals like he used to be. It's not that much more satisfying for him than his life in witness protection had been, but he seems to be trying to assimilate. Until he's sent undercover into the criminal underworld he left behind.
There's a grim inevitability about Zack's story here. Not necessarily a bad thing with Brubaker, but this volume just feels so much more rushed and shallow than the previous one. It's still enjoyable, but not really up to the usual Brubaker standards.
There's a grim inevitability about Zack's story here. Not necessarily a bad thing with Brubaker, but this volume just feels so much more rushed and shallow than the previous one. It's still enjoyable, but not really up to the usual Brubaker standards.
November 23, 2022
With so many interesting plot points alluded to in the first volume, it's a bit of a disappointment to go in a previously un-mentioned direction for the second arc.
June 7, 2014
Wow, I am tempted to give this five stars because I felt like Brubaker/Phillips have done something so outstanding and distinctive here. I think that for superhero/villain fiction lovers, you don't really get tired of the genre, but at the same time, you want something different. Seeing these concepts through a distinctive lens is vital and refreshing. That's definitely what Brubaker/Phillips are doing with this series. I'm not a huge fan of crime fiction, but there is something appetizing about seeing the viewpoint of a supervillain who essentially parted ways with his old life and has forged a new one, not exactly certain about who he is meant to be. However, he realizes he doesn’t want to be the man he used to be. He’s not comfortable in that skin at all anymore. He looks back at things and sees the horror evident on a daily basis in his past life, things that wouldn’t have bothered him in the least or pricked his moral compass. He’s developed a conscience and he cannot go back to being immured to the ugly deeds of his cohorts, which he finds out the hard way when asked to go undercover and retrieve an SOS operative who went native.
But Zack faces the dilemma that I imagine many reformed criminals face. He isn’t allowed the clean slate he would hope for. People don’t give him a chance to be the new person, but the old cronies don’t want him back either.
This graphic novel is really deep beneath all the obvious violent and off color content. It’s a character story wrapped in a fast-paced, superhero action-thriller. Zack still isn’t the nicest guy, but there is something very sympathetic about him in his journey from villain to would-be antihero.
I had a horrible shock of realizing that there is no third volume in publication. I heartily hope that it’s in the works because I need to know there is more and things don’t end the way this volume ended. Zack’s journey is far from over, and this reader is not ready to disengage just yet.
Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.
PS. If they make a movie, Jeremy Renner should play Zack.
But Zack faces the dilemma that I imagine many reformed criminals face. He isn’t allowed the clean slate he would hope for. People don’t give him a chance to be the new person, but the old cronies don’t want him back either.
This graphic novel is really deep beneath all the obvious violent and off color content. It’s a character story wrapped in a fast-paced, superhero action-thriller. Zack still isn’t the nicest guy, but there is something very sympathetic about him in his journey from villain to would-be antihero.
I had a horrible shock of realizing that there is no third volume in publication. I heartily hope that it’s in the works because I need to know there is more and things don’t end the way this volume ended. Zack’s journey is far from over, and this reader is not ready to disengage just yet.
Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.
PS. If they make a movie, Jeremy Renner should play Zack.
May 27, 2018
I loved this one more. I felt like they did a better job with the pacing of the story. Also, we get to go deeper into Zach psyche and it was really well done.
On the other hand, the ending of vol2 was way better but it leaves you wanting more of Incognito !!
On the other hand, the ending of vol2 was way better but it leaves you wanting more of Incognito !!
June 5, 2017
I like the world, but this story didn't grab me, which is unusual for a Brubaker book.
November 15, 2025
Great follow up, pretty concistent
June 28, 2015
I don't know, but I think I actually liked this second (and final?) volume of Incognito more than the first one. Having fully sent Zack Overkill over to the side of good (despite his penchant for, well, murder), we get a different kind of story than we got the first time around. While that one was solid, it feels like a lot of the setup in that story allowed Brubaker to go down these much more plot-oriented avenues a little further. There's a lot more world building and exploration this time around, too, which I greatly appreciated. I feel like I could read a dozen books in this series.
In this volume, Zack is tasked with re-infiltrating the criminal world he was so recently yanked out of, despite the fact that basically no one will ever trust him again after the revelation that he started working for the feds. I thought Brubaker's approach to this dilemma was realistic and still interesting, despite the fact that on the surface it felt like a very easy premise to get bombarded by logic problems. Zack essentially beats his way back into the scene, and I loved every minute of it.
My only real problem with this book is the ending. While it's kind of oddly satisfying, it only really feels like the ending to a middle chapter of a larger story. As far as I can tell, though, Incognito is done. There've been no murmurs about it in years, and Brubaker and Phillips have moved on to Fatale. It feels like Zack Overkill has kind of been dumped. The ending can stand on its own, I guess, but leaving it where it stands feels kind of unfulfilling to me. Maybe I just love traditional storytelling or something, who knows!
In this volume, Zack is tasked with re-infiltrating the criminal world he was so recently yanked out of, despite the fact that basically no one will ever trust him again after the revelation that he started working for the feds. I thought Brubaker's approach to this dilemma was realistic and still interesting, despite the fact that on the surface it felt like a very easy premise to get bombarded by logic problems. Zack essentially beats his way back into the scene, and I loved every minute of it.
My only real problem with this book is the ending. While it's kind of oddly satisfying, it only really feels like the ending to a middle chapter of a larger story. As far as I can tell, though, Incognito is done. There've been no murmurs about it in years, and Brubaker and Phillips have moved on to Fatale. It feels like Zack Overkill has kind of been dumped. The ending can stand on its own, I guess, but leaving it where it stands feels kind of unfulfilling to me. Maybe I just love traditional storytelling or something, who knows!
April 3, 2012
I've figured it out. Sean Phillips is to blame for the rash of recent copycats in the Image artist pantheon. Everyone and their ma wants to emulate his style. But when you copy a copy of a copy, it loses more and more of the original flavor.
Don't get me wrong, this isn't Phillips fault. I just finished reading this volume and realized that this is what had been bothering me. It's like everyone who does the art for a hardboiled book is trying to get either his or Maleev's feel and it is infuriatingly awful.
Want to see the originator of all the new Image books? Go way, way back in time and pick up 'Sleeper'. Been loving Phillips work ever since then. And yes, I know, his work now looks a little like a sloppy Mignola, but it's still top of the line.
As for this story? Who cares. 'Incognito' should have been a one-and-done story because the original volume was pure genius. I guess Brubaker is really running out of ideas because not only is there this second volume of 'Incognito' but now his Captain America series is going to be featuring the same super-powered witness protection story. Christ.
Art Grade: A
Writing Grade: C
Don't get me wrong, this isn't Phillips fault. I just finished reading this volume and realized that this is what had been bothering me. It's like everyone who does the art for a hardboiled book is trying to get either his or Maleev's feel and it is infuriatingly awful.
Want to see the originator of all the new Image books? Go way, way back in time and pick up 'Sleeper'. Been loving Phillips work ever since then. And yes, I know, his work now looks a little like a sloppy Mignola, but it's still top of the line.
As for this story? Who cares. 'Incognito' should have been a one-and-done story because the original volume was pure genius. I guess Brubaker is really running out of ideas because not only is there this second volume of 'Incognito' but now his Captain America series is going to be featuring the same super-powered witness protection story. Christ.
Art Grade: A
Writing Grade: C
December 14, 2016
Zack is an SOS agent now, working directly with Zoey Zeppelin. It chafes but at least he's allowed to keep his powers and bash heads from time to time. When he goes undercover to extract a deep-cover SOS agent who's gone native, he wrestles with the changes in the world he left behind. And with the changes in himself, as he finds that things he once enjoyed/tolerated (eg children in pit fights) now piss him off. There's a puzzling side story in which a vigilante runs around murdering criminals.
I've read worse, but this is not up to Brubaker/Phillips' usual standards. Overkill keeps making the same dumb mistake () and the book fails to acknowledge that he's doing it. The Lazarus subplot feels stapled on and gets no resolution. And we're left with a big cliffhanger ending that's still hanging almost six years later. An unfortunate fate for a great character.
I've read worse, but this is not up to Brubaker/Phillips' usual standards. Overkill keeps making the same dumb mistake () and the book fails to acknowledge that he's doing it. The Lazarus subplot feels stapled on and gets no resolution. And we're left with a big cliffhanger ending that's still hanging almost six years later. An unfortunate fate for a great character.
December 29, 2012
I really wanted to like this book more. Maybe I'm just not "getting" it, I don't know... After reading this book, and the more I think about it, the more I'm of the opinion that Brubaker (& Phillips, I guess) should've let Incognito stand on its own and leave it at that. This sequel does NOT live up to the original.
Still, there were some good bits to it, but weighed against the endless set-ups, the twists, and the too-quick wrap-up at the end (with the protagonist locked away with other super-villains), they are just not *enough*.
Still, there were some good bits to it, but weighed against the endless set-ups, the twists, and the too-quick wrap-up at the end (with the protagonist locked away with other super-villains), they are just not *enough*.
April 1, 2012
I didn't enjoy this volume as much as the first one, but it has a lot of cool scenes and expands on what a modern world with pulp heroes and villains would be like. Brubaker adapts the Conrad Heart of Darkness plot as Zack takes off in search of a rogue federal agent. He appears to go rogue and descends into a literal criminal underground, an abandoned subway station. Mostly I found the ending to be a real downer, but fans of film noir may like it more. A third volume could redeem this story.
July 19, 2017
I wish I could have asked the writer, at the time, what his hurry was so he could have slowed this story down, developed the characters (like, at all) and given more time to let this unfamiliar world and its different locations explain themselves. The central question is an interesting one, but it gets buried in the confusion of trying to follow the storyline.
September 13, 2011
Unlike other readers, I enjoyed this more than volume 1. It seemed more comfortable in its own skin, with a more solid sense of character and world. Strong plotting with less emphasis on establishing the tone and feel of the series, just getting on with the business of the story.
January 23, 2013
No me enganchó ni me sorprendió tanto como el tomo 1. Pero aunque no alcanza el listón puesto por el tomo 1, tampoco es que sea una mala historieta. Le sobran algunas secuencias y se desaprovechan otras, pero el universo de Incógnito sigue ganando consistencia.
October 24, 2012
Worthy follow-up but not as good as the first trade. The ending leaves you a bit dissapointed.
April 13, 2015
Brubaker's continuation of Zach Overkill's story was just as much fun as the first volume. I like crime comics, as well as superhero comics so this was right up my alley.
May 18, 2015
Not as good as the first one,but different from most hero stories.
May 15, 2022
(Zero spoiler review for the series as a whole) 3.25/5
I was waiting for it, and its finally happened. A Brubaker created story that I wasn't really a fan of. After Fatale and The Fade Out, I had been waiting with baited breath each time I started a new Brubaker/Philips story, expecting this to finally be the one that couldn't live up to the others. Velvet (not drawn by Philips) was expected to be this book, although it disappointed me by being yet more awesomeness from Brubaker. Maybe these guys just never penned anything average? I thought to myself. Although on my next Brubaker title, I finally found it. That inevitable dip in form. The difficult third album. I really just never got into Incognito. At least far less than I have all of his other creator owned stories. I'm yet to read any of Brubaker's superhero runs, yet I know some of them get plenty of praise. I do hope they are better than this was though.
The book just never really get off the ground for me. I never really cared for Zack, the main protagonist, as Brubaker doesn't seem quite sure who he is throughout the 11 issue run of the book. Continually deliberating and debating on who he is and who he wants to be (and not in an interesting, existential way). it came across annoyingly indecisive rather than engagingly explorative. None of the side characters get fleshed out much either. It really comes across as a B grade super hero run, with a little bit of noir throne in, because, well... it's Ed Brubaker. And with the B grade superhero story comes some of the less enjoyable tropes of the genre. Plot conveniences run rampant throughout this story, which had me rolling my eyes on more than one occasion. While there were one or two side characters that piqued my interest, they were too few and too far between. I was invested in basically every character in Fatale, despite its continually expanding cast of characters. Here, I just couldn't bring myself to see these as little more than two dimensional tough guys/gals. I'm not a massive fan of superheroes in general, though when I heard the idea for this story before I purchased the book, I was instantly sold. Knowing if there was anyone that could get me to care about OP superheroes, it was Brubaker, with his dark and gritty style. Whilst they are not instantly comparable, Miller's Sin City is something closer to what I thought it was, or wanted this to be. Incognito can barely bring itself to stand in the shadow of Sin City, much to my disappointment.
Philips isn't on top form here either, with only Staples on colouring duty covering himself in anything closely approximating glory. Introducing some 70's style, washed out brightness atop Philip's still reliable and enjoyable artwork.
I wanted to prove myself wrong yet again. that Brubaker and Philips could do no wrong. That everything these two men touch can do nothing but turn to gold. Sadly, Incognito proved the possible one speedbump on their smooth and spectacular highway. Still, these guys on a bad day is still better than two thirds of the other stuff out there. 3.25/5
OmniBen.
I was waiting for it, and its finally happened. A Brubaker created story that I wasn't really a fan of. After Fatale and The Fade Out, I had been waiting with baited breath each time I started a new Brubaker/Philips story, expecting this to finally be the one that couldn't live up to the others. Velvet (not drawn by Philips) was expected to be this book, although it disappointed me by being yet more awesomeness from Brubaker. Maybe these guys just never penned anything average? I thought to myself. Although on my next Brubaker title, I finally found it. That inevitable dip in form. The difficult third album. I really just never got into Incognito. At least far less than I have all of his other creator owned stories. I'm yet to read any of Brubaker's superhero runs, yet I know some of them get plenty of praise. I do hope they are better than this was though.
The book just never really get off the ground for me. I never really cared for Zack, the main protagonist, as Brubaker doesn't seem quite sure who he is throughout the 11 issue run of the book. Continually deliberating and debating on who he is and who he wants to be (and not in an interesting, existential way). it came across annoyingly indecisive rather than engagingly explorative. None of the side characters get fleshed out much either. It really comes across as a B grade super hero run, with a little bit of noir throne in, because, well... it's Ed Brubaker. And with the B grade superhero story comes some of the less enjoyable tropes of the genre. Plot conveniences run rampant throughout this story, which had me rolling my eyes on more than one occasion. While there were one or two side characters that piqued my interest, they were too few and too far between. I was invested in basically every character in Fatale, despite its continually expanding cast of characters. Here, I just couldn't bring myself to see these as little more than two dimensional tough guys/gals. I'm not a massive fan of superheroes in general, though when I heard the idea for this story before I purchased the book, I was instantly sold. Knowing if there was anyone that could get me to care about OP superheroes, it was Brubaker, with his dark and gritty style. Whilst they are not instantly comparable, Miller's Sin City is something closer to what I thought it was, or wanted this to be. Incognito can barely bring itself to stand in the shadow of Sin City, much to my disappointment.
Philips isn't on top form here either, with only Staples on colouring duty covering himself in anything closely approximating glory. Introducing some 70's style, washed out brightness atop Philip's still reliable and enjoyable artwork.
I wanted to prove myself wrong yet again. that Brubaker and Philips could do no wrong. That everything these two men touch can do nothing but turn to gold. Sadly, Incognito proved the possible one speedbump on their smooth and spectacular highway. Still, these guys on a bad day is still better than two thirds of the other stuff out there. 3.25/5
OmniBen.
January 27, 2023
In Bad Influences, Zack Overkill tries to infiltrate his former organization to bring down a former S.O.S. operative.
While there are many elements I enjoyed (e.g., the underground criminal system), ultimately, I was left feeling a bit disappointed by this volume. The story felt like a bullet point - one that I suspect is needed to get to the big bad in a potential volume 3 (more on this below). And while Phillips is usually pretty sharp, I didn’t quite feel like he brought his A or even B game to the task. The art looked/felt rushed.
As another reviewer here put it, this world is seemingly made of nothing but shades of gray; there really doesn’t seem to be a clear line delineating good vs evil. Because of this, and honestly because of other reasons, Zack’s character just doesn’t feel as fleshed out or as compelling as he should. While Brubaker often does a fairly good job at world building, I don’t think he succeeds here. Everything feels surface level. Perhaps the story could have benefited from adding another issue.
Lastly, this was yet another opportunity to have the big bad face Zack Overkill, and yet not cigar. I didn’t quite like where Zack ended in the story, but I suspect that Brubaker and Phillips are counting on being able to tell that story in a third installment. However, they better hope that people are still interested in revisiting the character and story. As it stands, this was a drop in quality from what’s already a book that doesn’t quite hit in the same way as their Criminal series, which I recommend more than this one.
Overall, this gets a 5/10 from my end. The art didn’t quite do enough to bring the score higher.
While there are many elements I enjoyed (e.g., the underground criminal system), ultimately, I was left feeling a bit disappointed by this volume. The story felt like a bullet point - one that I suspect is needed to get to the big bad in a potential volume 3 (more on this below). And while Phillips is usually pretty sharp, I didn’t quite feel like he brought his A or even B game to the task. The art looked/felt rushed.
As another reviewer here put it, this world is seemingly made of nothing but shades of gray; there really doesn’t seem to be a clear line delineating good vs evil. Because of this, and honestly because of other reasons, Zack’s character just doesn’t feel as fleshed out or as compelling as he should. While Brubaker often does a fairly good job at world building, I don’t think he succeeds here. Everything feels surface level. Perhaps the story could have benefited from adding another issue.
Lastly, this was yet another opportunity to have the big bad face Zack Overkill, and yet not cigar. I didn’t quite like where Zack ended in the story, but I suspect that Brubaker and Phillips are counting on being able to tell that story in a third installment. However, they better hope that people are still interested in revisiting the character and story. As it stands, this was a drop in quality from what’s already a book that doesn’t quite hit in the same way as their Criminal series, which I recommend more than this one.
Overall, this gets a 5/10 from my end. The art didn’t quite do enough to bring the score higher.
January 21, 2018
Book Info: This collection contains
Incognito: Bad Influences
issues #1-5.
ABSOLUTE RATING: {3+/5 stars}
STANDARDIZED RATING: <3/5 stars>
It's been a year since former supercriminal and WitPro informant Zack Overkill went legit and pledged his loyalty to the S.O.S. (Special Operations Service). During his time as a law enforcement agent, it's been a string of ups and downs, but he's taken on numerous big-shot "science-villains" on exciting missions, and figures being allowed to freely use his abilities is better than going back to life as powerless nobody. And if ever he doubted whether or not he made the right decision, there was still the wild sex with Zoe Zeppelin to keep him around. So things were going great, for the most part, and Zack seemed to be grudgingly acclimating to life as one of the good guys. But when he has the misfortune of running into and old man with a decades-old grudge, things take a turn for the worst, and Zack quickly finds himself working a dangerous undercover operation hunting a defected S.O.S. operative while dodging bounty hunters sent by his old boss (i.e. crime lord Black Death).
Before sitting down to start this book, I actually first referred to the plot synopsis I wrote for my review of book one. This was back when I was doing that for every book I read. (I know, I know: who the fuck writes full synopses for comic book reviews? I've since learned this was way too impractical to maintain – especially since my reviews are now too long to accommodate a synopsis without hitting GR's alphanumeric character cut-off – but I guess I was still trying to hone my craft as a reviewer through experimentation.) It's strange, but I almost forgot how unbelievably plot-heavy volume one was. If I had to guess, Brubaker was worldbuilding with the intent of forging a full comic universe out of this title – or at least a couple more books – and for some reason abandoned or postponed further work on it. This cluttered plotting was a significant failing of the first installment, so I was immediately glad to see this one was an issue shorter in length.
Sadly, and in spite of this promising difference, Bad Influences proves itself to be inferior to it's predecessor in every way. Mainly, I think it was a bad idea for Brubaker to try and take what he did with Sleeper and essentially turn it on its head with this book; like Sleeper's Holden Carver, Zack Overkill is put in a position where he must infiltrate a criminal organization, and this setup begins to mess with his sense of right and wrong. The distinction here is that Holden is a genuinely good guy who's understandably forced to do bad things to preserve his cover, while Zack is a good guy who slowly gravitates back to his old ways simply because the idea of being good sickens him. Honestly, I'm starting to wonder exactly how sympathizable the guy ever was (even as far back as volume one), but his whole "goodness-is-weakness" schtick seemed cliche and simplistic in it's presentation. If part of the problem here was supposed to be Zack's sudden discomfort with no longer being able to condone the rape of mentally enslaved prostitutes or cheer as drugged-up 10-year-olds literally tear each other apart in a cage for sport, I don't see how Brubaker saw that as an internal conflict I could possibly relate to.
And it really disappointed me to see the writer continue to provide as much backstory here as he did in book one. I suppose it may have helped a little to make his setting feel more lived-in, but it ultimately did more harm than good since much of this extra information wasn't relevant to plot progression. And if it wasn't obvious enough before, the way he went about doing all this really made it clear to me that he wanted to write additional Incognito books. For example, Brubaker ends up throwing us a curveball concerning the true nature Zack's origins, and the story ends with a sense that there's still much that could have been explained. But that aside, there felt like slightly more of an emphasis on mystery than there was on suspense, and that was unfortunate, since that thriller aspect was perhaps the prime strength of the previous book. I'm pretty sure I would've been more invested in Zack's struggles if only Brubaker could have recaptured the inescapable menace and desperation that made book one so intense.
[As a member of the S.O.S., Zack's now too safe to be interesting, and the story looses it's edge as a result.]
In terms of the drawings by Sean Phillips, there's more of the same – quality illustrations greatly suited for the noir storytelling genre. But compared to what I recall when I first encountered him years ago, I find Phillips' style more minimalist and somewhat less impressive. I doubt I can call him one of the best illustrators in the business anymore, but he's still one of my favorites, and his alternating, colored lighting effect brought a unique flavor to this book which I thought added an appropriately moody atmosphere.
[(Zack Overkill vs. the sexy, Man-Eating Prostitute, signed by Sean Phillips.) Don't ask – go out and read the book to find out more!]
I honestly believe Incognito could have been a truly great series, but I think it best that Brubaker just lets it go right here. Bad Influences turned out to be a pale imitation of the previous book, and I'm not even all that curious to see the unfinished plot strands resolved. But since he ended the book in a potentially promising manner, maybe he should consider handing the reigns over to another talented writer, and hope they could find a way to revitalize the title.
ABSOLUTE RATING: {3+/5 stars}
STANDARDIZED RATING: <3/5 stars>
It's been a year since former supercriminal and WitPro informant Zack Overkill went legit and pledged his loyalty to the S.O.S. (Special Operations Service). During his time as a law enforcement agent, it's been a string of ups and downs, but he's taken on numerous big-shot "science-villains" on exciting missions, and figures being allowed to freely use his abilities is better than going back to life as powerless nobody. And if ever he doubted whether or not he made the right decision, there was still the wild sex with Zoe Zeppelin to keep him around. So things were going great, for the most part, and Zack seemed to be grudgingly acclimating to life as one of the good guys. But when he has the misfortune of running into and old man with a decades-old grudge, things take a turn for the worst, and Zack quickly finds himself working a dangerous undercover operation hunting a defected S.O.S. operative while dodging bounty hunters sent by his old boss (i.e. crime lord Black Death).
Before sitting down to start this book, I actually first referred to the plot synopsis I wrote for my review of book one. This was back when I was doing that for every book I read. (I know, I know: who the fuck writes full synopses for comic book reviews? I've since learned this was way too impractical to maintain – especially since my reviews are now too long to accommodate a synopsis without hitting GR's alphanumeric character cut-off – but I guess I was still trying to hone my craft as a reviewer through experimentation.) It's strange, but I almost forgot how unbelievably plot-heavy volume one was. If I had to guess, Brubaker was worldbuilding with the intent of forging a full comic universe out of this title – or at least a couple more books – and for some reason abandoned or postponed further work on it. This cluttered plotting was a significant failing of the first installment, so I was immediately glad to see this one was an issue shorter in length.
Sadly, and in spite of this promising difference, Bad Influences proves itself to be inferior to it's predecessor in every way. Mainly, I think it was a bad idea for Brubaker to try and take what he did with Sleeper and essentially turn it on its head with this book; like Sleeper's Holden Carver, Zack Overkill is put in a position where he must infiltrate a criminal organization, and this setup begins to mess with his sense of right and wrong. The distinction here is that Holden is a genuinely good guy who's understandably forced to do bad things to preserve his cover, while Zack is a good guy who slowly gravitates back to his old ways simply because the idea of being good sickens him. Honestly, I'm starting to wonder exactly how sympathizable the guy ever was (even as far back as volume one), but his whole "goodness-is-weakness" schtick seemed cliche and simplistic in it's presentation. If part of the problem here was supposed to be Zack's sudden discomfort with no longer being able to condone the rape of mentally enslaved prostitutes or cheer as drugged-up 10-year-olds literally tear each other apart in a cage for sport, I don't see how Brubaker saw that as an internal conflict I could possibly relate to.
And it really disappointed me to see the writer continue to provide as much backstory here as he did in book one. I suppose it may have helped a little to make his setting feel more lived-in, but it ultimately did more harm than good since much of this extra information wasn't relevant to plot progression. And if it wasn't obvious enough before, the way he went about doing all this really made it clear to me that he wanted to write additional Incognito books. For example, Brubaker ends up throwing us a curveball concerning the true nature Zack's origins, and the story ends with a sense that there's still much that could have been explained. But that aside, there felt like slightly more of an emphasis on mystery than there was on suspense, and that was unfortunate, since that thriller aspect was perhaps the prime strength of the previous book. I'm pretty sure I would've been more invested in Zack's struggles if only Brubaker could have recaptured the inescapable menace and desperation that made book one so intense.
[As a member of the S.O.S., Zack's now too safe to be interesting, and the story looses it's edge as a result.]
In terms of the drawings by Sean Phillips, there's more of the same – quality illustrations greatly suited for the noir storytelling genre. But compared to what I recall when I first encountered him years ago, I find Phillips' style more minimalist and somewhat less impressive. I doubt I can call him one of the best illustrators in the business anymore, but he's still one of my favorites, and his alternating, colored lighting effect brought a unique flavor to this book which I thought added an appropriately moody atmosphere.
[(Zack Overkill vs. the sexy, Man-Eating Prostitute, signed by Sean Phillips.) Don't ask – go out and read the book to find out more!]
I honestly believe Incognito could have been a truly great series, but I think it best that Brubaker just lets it go right here. Bad Influences turned out to be a pale imitation of the previous book, and I'm not even all that curious to see the unfinished plot strands resolved. But since he ended the book in a potentially promising manner, maybe he should consider handing the reigns over to another talented writer, and hope they could find a way to revitalize the title.
April 9, 2019
The main character is a bad guy turned good. His mission has him return to the underworld he knows so well, but his heart isn't in it any. His evil ways are behind him. Still, he feels sorry for the old haunts he revisits. The good guys are winning and the underworld is getting smaller and more depressing.
Zack 'Overkill' Overton is in the witness protection program for the good guys in SOS. He was grown in a lab to be one of Lazarus's replacement bodies, but has turned away from his evil ways. An attempt on his life by Ignatius Beekman makes him the perfect choice for bringing in another SOS agent. Simon Slaughter was infiltrated in Level Nine, a terror organization, but hasn't contacted SOS in months. SOS stages Zack's escape so he can enter Level Nine.
Zack 'Overkill' Overton is in the witness protection program for the good guys in SOS. He was grown in a lab to be one of Lazarus's replacement bodies, but has turned away from his evil ways. An attempt on his life by Ignatius Beekman makes him the perfect choice for bringing in another SOS agent. Simon Slaughter was infiltrated in Level Nine, a terror organization, but hasn't contacted SOS in months. SOS stages Zack's escape so he can enter Level Nine.
September 29, 2017
Il team creativo alla base di Criminal, nonché uno dei migliori sceneggiatori ultimamente in forza alla Marvel. Insomma, una garanzia. Continuano le avventure di Zack Sterminio, che questa volta si trova a reinserirsi nel sottobosco malavitoso per conto dei SOS, alla ricerca di una personcina piuttosto pericolosa, che per nome di battaglia ha scelto Massacro. Seguono incontri, scontri, sangue e luci fioche, contraddizioni e conflitti interni nella migliore tradizione noir. Il fatto che si tratti di supereroi è giusto un marginalissimo tocco di colore. Come nel primo volume di Incognito, alcuni scambi di battute sono da oscar. Il volume chiude con Zack in carcere, incastrato dalla situazione che ha messo in moto. Non vedo l'ora che esca il prossimo.
December 20, 2021
A former supervillain, now good guy on the side of the 'good' government agency, is now sent undercover back to the supervillains. It's got all the drapings of the usual Brubaker/Phillips crime stuff, but now it's got superheroes! My problem is that as it goes on it becomes less noir-with-supervillains and more supervillains-with-noir, and an abrupt ending that left me feeling confused as to where the intentions of this series lie. But it has some gorgeous artwork, an enjoyable enough protagonist, and some neat twists and turns along the way that kept me occupied.
June 20, 2018
Zack Overkill is basically being used by the government( in guise of being in a witness protection program).Zack isn't sure who to trust and runs into issues and people from his past.How does he handle all this?Read on.
When backed against a wall how would anyone react?The introduction by Joe Hill made me laugh in agreement.He hit the nail on the head.
When backed against a wall how would anyone react?The introduction by Joe Hill made me laugh in agreement.He hit the nail on the head.
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