Ok, I admit it. I was late to the Brubaker party.

With so many good comic books coming out, and comic books being as expensive as they are, it is all too easy to miss some really great stories. I didn’t discover Ed Brubaker’s writing until Books of Doom (click here to read my review), which has been elevated to my short list of all time favorite comic book mini series. Since then I’ve been buying just about everything that Brubaker writes. Luckily that means I wasn’t late to the Criminal party.

Cover to Criminal #1

Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips are publishing a creator owned comic called Criminal through the Marvel Icon imprint. There are no super heroes. So far, there are no good guys. Just criminals (hence the name). It is an excellent read.

The story thus far centers on a career criminal being pulled into masterminding a heist against his better judgment. I don’t want to give away any spoilers because you really should be reading this book, but the story takes some interesting and unexpected turns. Brubaker’s writing is engaging and flawlessly paced, and Phillips’ art work perfectly complements the story and gives each character his or her own distinct look and style.

This is not The Sopranos in comic book form either. Although you get to see the inner workings of a criminal gang, this is a much more noir story. Somehow Brubaker and Phillips have figured out how to bring us along for a ride with some very bad people, without making us despise all of the characters (although I do despise some of them).

If you are not reading Criminal then I recommend you pick it up. It is a fun departure from the more common super hero fare and Brubaker and Phillips are at the top of their game.

So there it is, my first recommendation for 2007. Go out and get your copy of Criminal today!

Ok, I admit it. I was late to the Brubaker party.

With so many good comic books coming out, and comic books being as expensive as they are, it is all too easy to miss some really great stories. I didn’t discover Ed Brubaker’s writing until Books of Doom (click here to read my review), which has been elevated to my short list of all time favorite comic book mini series. Since then I’ve been buying just about everything that Brubaker writes. Luckily that means I wasn’t late to the Criminal party.

Cover to Criminal #1

Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips are publishing a creator owned comic called Criminal through the Marvel Icon imprint. There are no super heroes. So far, there are no good guys. Just criminals (hence the name). It is an excellent read.

The story thus far centers on a career criminal being pulled into masterminding a heist against his better judgment. I don’t want to give away any spoilers because you really should be reading this book, but the story takes some interesting and unexpected turns. Brubaker’s writing is engaging and flawlessly paced, and Phillips’ art work perfectly complements the story and gives each character his or her own distinct look and style.

This is not The Sopranos in comic book form either. Although you get to see the inner workings of a criminal gang, this is a much more noir story. Somehow Brubaker and Phillips have figured out how to bring us along for a ride with some very bad people, without making us despise all of the characters (although I do despise some of them).

If you are not reading Criminal then I recommend you pick it up. It is a fun departure from the more common super hero fare and Brubaker and Phillips are at the top of their game.

So there it is, my first recommendation for 2007. Go out and get your copy of Criminal today!