CRIMINAL 2 #3

Review by: Neb

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Size: pages
Price: 3.50

I don’t normally place my books in any particular order when I read them, but when Criminal comes out, I make an exception to this practice.  It’s just one of those books that is so special, so amazing, that it must be read last because it may just taint my view of other books.  And sometimes, I may just hate the world when I finish, and it’s just not fair to the other books in my stack.

With today’s release, Brubaker and Phillips have done it again.  They’ve composed a noir tale that features a character built for self destruction.  I’ve really enjoyed the experiment they’ve done with these last three issues.  In tying them together, the reader is able to see the same story (or parts of that story) from different perspectives, and it’s created this tapestry of lies and deceit that coalesces into a pure noir tragedy.

In this issue, we see the story from the perspective of the female of the story.  In any good noir story, there’s always a dame, and this dame causes a lot of trouble.  In the first issue of this arc, she lead to Jake ending his boxing career.  In the second issue, she’s a victim to Teeg Lawless.  And in this issue, we find a character that’s broken, who has been beaten and destroyed by life.  She’s been chewed up and spit out, and somehow survived although happiness and fulfillment evade her.  This is a character who is truly damned.  As the reader of this issue, we know her fate, but this knowledge helps us sympathize with her.  And when I relfect on her fate, I can’t help but feel bad for her.  She’s just an innocent woman that life kicked around.

It’s obvious that Brubaker is constructing a masterpiece of noir fiction in the pages of this comic.  He’s constructing a deep and moving storytelling experience, and as a comic reader, I couldnt’ be happier to be along for the ride.  Enough can’t be said about his co-conspirator, Sean Phillips.  His penical are simply amazing and his use of darkenss in this issue only compliments the dark times of this characters life.  He has this amazing ability to create a noir film on paper, and I simply can’t speak enough on the craftsmanship that goes into each and every panel.

If you don’t read Criminal, do yourself a favor and pick up the next issue.  If you’re a fan of any sort of crime drama, you’d be hard pressed not to like this series.  Next issue, the team jumps onto a new story with new characters, and it’s a perfect jumping on point.

Story: 5 - Excellent
Art: 5 - Excellent

Comments

  1. Awesome review Neb. Words like "masterpiece" and "noir film on paper" fit this book perfectly.

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