Criminal Vol. 3: The Dead and The Dying

This volume just continues to add to the mystique of Brubaker’s Criminal series. The mosaic of characters, history, and lore continues to fall into place as the background of Gnarly, the patron of the seedy Undertow Bar and the Hyde crime family is explored in a trio of stories. We also finally learn of the origin of the Lawless family from Criminal Volume 2.

This fantastic volume has cemented Criminal as one of my all-time favorite non-super hero titles and is now officially on my wish list to complete the rest of the series to read. Brilliant stuff. Brubaker is a master storyteller and it shows on every panel.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Criminal Vol. 2: Lawless

An escapee from a military prison returns to his home town to solve the mystery of his brother’s murder. His list of suspects is comprised of lil' bro’s former crew, whose most recent heist went sour and were the last folks to see him alive. Finding answers will also lead to discovering some painful family secrets as well.

The grit and grime of volume 1 have spilled over into this volume and it totally works. I thought each Criminal volume was a separate story. However, the speakeasy and some characters from volume 1: Coward appear in this story. While Lawless is a stand alone tale, Criminal is a brilliantly crafted series that weaves a mosaic of deceit, sex, and murder. Awesome stuff!

Worth Consuming.

Criminal, Volume 1: Coward

 

Ed Brubaker is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. I love his work on Captain America and I absolutely love his gritty crime tales.

In this book, a criminal with a perchance to run away when heists go bad is recruited to scout out a deal involving stolen diamonds in the local police department’s evidence locker. Added to the mix is a corrupt cop who’s in for the take and the “Coward” couldn’t feel more uneasy with the deal.

As I said before- It’s gritty. It’s harsh. It’s freakin’ awesome. There is some violence, sex, and nudity- so parents don’t let your 10-year olds be running this. But if you’re 18+ and you love Tarantino or Scorsese, this is the book for you. 

Can’t wait for volumes 2 and 3!

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.