I’m not sure how Ed Brubaker will be spending his time after he leaves Marvel. (You would think he would be hired as a consultant, if not writer, for the next Captain America movie.) I suspect he will be doing things that he expects to be more lucrative than writing comics. I hope some very talented up-and-coming writers can fill the void left by Brubaker, otherwise, fans will miss him dearly. This comic is classic Brubaker, the writer who has been profoundly influenced by Hollywood spy stories, including the Bourne movies and James Bond. This story even shows the unlikely influence of the film “Black Swan.” The plot seems to end predictably and somewhat tritely, but Brubaker has a trick or two up his sleeve to show us that the resolution will not be quite that easy.
In the world of comics, the artists are the actors. Artists have to read the script, and (among other things) do the job of the actors in a screen or stage play. Penciler Michael Lark performs all of the roles in this comic admirably. His leading characters are sexy, and employ the facial expressions and gestures of talented actors.