Reader Response to Criminal #1
Here's the first review sent in by a reader. Bubba in Atlanta, Georgia wrote this last night after he read the first issue of CRIMINAL.
I've always been more of a Batman fan than a fan of comic books in general, so for me the original appeal to Ed Brubaker's Gotham Central was the chance to see how Gotham's Finest were affected by the city's costumed vigilante. The comic succeeded on that front, to the degree that Batman's presence was often felt even when he was "off-screen," but I soon became more interested in the lives of those who served on Gotham's Major Crimes Unit; I wanted to keep up with Sarge, Crowe, Driver, and Romy as much as see cameos by Batman, Robin, Joker, and Two-Face.
That was no small feat, and I was thrilled when I first read about Criminal, and especially when I saw the PDF "trailer." Here was a look at crime and punishment from the other side of the law, grounded in the reality of a world without superpowers, from Gotham Central's Ed Brubaker.
I picked up the copy Oxford Comics had reserved for me last night, and I read it twice before going to bed. I wasn't disappointed.
Criminal #1 achieves what I think is the most difficult thing to do within the limitations of a comic book, balance.
There is balance in the rhythm of the plot. The issue avoids the trap of decompression that's ensnaring a lot of monthly titles, but it tells a dense story without committing the opposite sin of losing the reader. A lot happens, but each event and even each line of dialogue seems to come logically from what preceded it -- or foreshadow revelations that are heading our way.
There is balance between the single issue and the larger narrative. We have only the introduction of a five-issue story -- a story made much more sinister by the issue's final page -- but the part that we see is not left unresolved, as the reader discovers whether our pickpocket buys "the pitch" for the upcoming heist; I can enjoy the complete work of the single issue while anticipating what comes next.
There is balance in characterization. In just 22 pages, we're introduced to Leo and a half-dozen people in his life, and the creators manage to avoid both reducing the characters to caricature and making their personalities inscrutable. While one could easily describe who each character is -- the crooked thug of a cop, the epileptic con-man -- each character seems truly real.
And there is balance in the artwork. While I am typically drawn to a series by its writer first -- Brubaker, Joss Whedon, Paul Dini -- I've come to realize that bad art can sink a book and good art can help it soar. And this book soars thanks to Sean Phillips's art. His work is clear, gritty, and realistic just as the story requires, but it also stands up on its own. A rainy train station, a worried man sitting on his couch, a crowd in Chinatown, and a nod to my favorite donut shop are all beautifully done, but the art isn't showy and thus does not interrupt the flow of the narrative.
There is more to rave about. Michael Mann's Heat is one of my favorite movies, so the premise of a big heist attempted by professional but all-too-human criminals is an instant winner for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the two-page back-up of prose from the perspective of Gnarly the bartender. I liked the "writer's page" and am looking forward to learning what Ed Brubaker likes in terms of crime sagas in film and on TV. And, creator-owned under Marvel's Icon imprint, the comic eschews advertising until after the writer's page, a small decision that proves important as it keeps the reader "in the story."
And above all this, Criminal #1 ascends from well-executed pop art in the genre of crime fiction to true literature by raising an intriguing question: is the criminal Leo a survivor because he's a genius or because he's a coward -- or, in crime and perhaps in all our lives, is there really a significant difference between the two?
Heat explored the tension between work and family, and it appears that this story will explore the connection between intelligence and fear. I look forward to that exploration even if doesn't lead to a definitive answer. In the meantime, I give Criminal my highest recommendations.
E-mail your CRIMINAL reviews and comments to A Criminal Blog.
I've always been more of a Batman fan than a fan of comic books in general, so for me the original appeal to Ed Brubaker's Gotham Central was the chance to see how Gotham's Finest were affected by the city's costumed vigilante. The comic succeeded on that front, to the degree that Batman's presence was often felt even when he was "off-screen," but I soon became more interested in the lives of those who served on Gotham's Major Crimes Unit; I wanted to keep up with Sarge, Crowe, Driver, and Romy as much as see cameos by Batman, Robin, Joker, and Two-Face.
That was no small feat, and I was thrilled when I first read about Criminal, and especially when I saw the PDF "trailer." Here was a look at crime and punishment from the other side of the law, grounded in the reality of a world without superpowers, from Gotham Central's Ed Brubaker.
I picked up the copy Oxford Comics had reserved for me last night, and I read it twice before going to bed. I wasn't disappointed.
Criminal #1 achieves what I think is the most difficult thing to do within the limitations of a comic book, balance.
There is balance in the rhythm of the plot. The issue avoids the trap of decompression that's ensnaring a lot of monthly titles, but it tells a dense story without committing the opposite sin of losing the reader. A lot happens, but each event and even each line of dialogue seems to come logically from what preceded it -- or foreshadow revelations that are heading our way.
There is balance between the single issue and the larger narrative. We have only the introduction of a five-issue story -- a story made much more sinister by the issue's final page -- but the part that we see is not left unresolved, as the reader discovers whether our pickpocket buys "the pitch" for the upcoming heist; I can enjoy the complete work of the single issue while anticipating what comes next.
There is balance in characterization. In just 22 pages, we're introduced to Leo and a half-dozen people in his life, and the creators manage to avoid both reducing the characters to caricature and making their personalities inscrutable. While one could easily describe who each character is -- the crooked thug of a cop, the epileptic con-man -- each character seems truly real.
And there is balance in the artwork. While I am typically drawn to a series by its writer first -- Brubaker, Joss Whedon, Paul Dini -- I've come to realize that bad art can sink a book and good art can help it soar. And this book soars thanks to Sean Phillips's art. His work is clear, gritty, and realistic just as the story requires, but it also stands up on its own. A rainy train station, a worried man sitting on his couch, a crowd in Chinatown, and a nod to my favorite donut shop are all beautifully done, but the art isn't showy and thus does not interrupt the flow of the narrative.
There is more to rave about. Michael Mann's Heat is one of my favorite movies, so the premise of a big heist attempted by professional but all-too-human criminals is an instant winner for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the two-page back-up of prose from the perspective of Gnarly the bartender. I liked the "writer's page" and am looking forward to learning what Ed Brubaker likes in terms of crime sagas in film and on TV. And, creator-owned under Marvel's Icon imprint, the comic eschews advertising until after the writer's page, a small decision that proves important as it keeps the reader "in the story."
And above all this, Criminal #1 ascends from well-executed pop art in the genre of crime fiction to true literature by raising an intriguing question: is the criminal Leo a survivor because he's a genius or because he's a coward -- or, in crime and perhaps in all our lives, is there really a significant difference between the two?
Heat explored the tension between work and family, and it appears that this story will explore the connection between intelligence and fear. I look forward to that exploration even if doesn't lead to a definitive answer. In the meantime, I give Criminal my highest recommendations.
E-mail your CRIMINAL reviews and comments to A Criminal Blog.
posted by ADD at 12:52 PM
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