Baggage going in: I've been a fan of writer Ed Brubaker for a while--15 years, to be exact, ever since reading his serialized "An Accidental Death" story. The man is at his best when writing about the dark side of human nature. I also enjoy what he's been doing on Captain America (he was the guy who killed him off) and The Immortal Iron Fist. I don't purchase a lot of crime comics, however, because they rarely hold my attention.
You know you're reading the right comic when: The main character, Leo, starts planning a diamond heist with a pair of crooked cops. You get an idea of how canny this dude really is, and you begin to root for a career criminal who lives by his own set of rules.
I have ADD--boil it down™: A meticulous professional and his motley crew are recruited for a score on a police evidence van that escalates into something more dangerous than they bargained for...the characters are beautifully written and you care about every flawed one of them, especially the junkie/mentor Ivan...Sean Phillips' art is raw and bold and perfect for this story...the "Franz Kafka, Private Eye" comic strip felt unnecessary...this is not a feel-good story for readers who want a "freeze frame as they laugh" ending--this is about damaged souls from south of the law who know where they're headed...if it was a movie it would've been directed by John Frankenheimer or William Friedkin.
Final word: Pure, uncut crime comic smack you'll want to shoot up with a rusty syringe.
Hardcore rating: 4 out of 5 "Hardcore, Chucks"
3 comments:
I give it 5 out of 5. The follow-up arc "Lawless" was pretty good too, but I loved the character of Leo in "Coward." Great stuff.
As for Iron Fist? Day-um! So freaking good.
Are you a fan of Alex Ross? He's going to be at Woodfield Mall on Dec. 1 from 1-4...I'm not a comic book fan, but I was at the Anamationart.com store today and picked up a flyer...
McGone: I'm going to get the Lawless trade when it comes out. The first arc of Iron Fist set things up nicely, and I didn't much like the character when I was a kid.
Valerie: Alex Ross is a man-god, but I don't like him enough to wait in those long lines.
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