Welcome back, Donist World Denizens! For those of you new to our site, I’m Donist, and I am joined by Donist World CFO the Reverse Obie* (my friends’ Boston terrier whose fur recently swapped colors) and by our marketing director/administrative assistant/taco connoisseur Tulip. Oh…my…god, Denizens. I had the most amazing food at Corazón Cocina today: a short rib taco and a chorizo with potato taco alongside their chips and guacamole. I tried to refrain from telling my puppy executive team about it, but I just couldn’t help myself. They are so mad that I didn’t bring them back anything that they stopped talking to me. I later told them that I also had the “Restraint” brown ale from Institution Ale Company and…I guess you can say they are upset as Reverse Obie calmly walked over to the corner of the meeting room of our corporate office (Mom’s basement) and peed. Care to make a guess as to who is running downtown to pick them up some tacos and pick up some brewskis on the way? Anyhow, be kind to each other, mind your health and sanity, treat your friends to some tacos, keep your pets safe, cherish the ones you love, hydrate, and read some great comics. Thank you for reading!
*Obie, through his dabbling in arcane magiks mixed with ancient corrupt business practices, has had not just the colors of his fur switched, but a complete overhaul of his work ethic as well…I think I’m kinda okay with the mishap.
Not sure what “Comics Lust” is about? Take a look at the
Introduction to “Comics Lust” post or take a look at the static “
Comics Lust Table of Contents” page to jump to a topic.
Comics Lust
Five Furious and Fast: Ed Brubaker (Part 1)
When you think of modern crime comics, the first name that should come to mind is Ed Brubaker, followed by his longtime collaborator, illustrator Sean Phillips, and rightfully so on both accounts. However, despite Brubaker currently focusing entirely on his creator-owned series, it’s worth mentioning some of his past phenomenal runs at the Big Two, where he successfully tackled some of their most prominent characters. Today, we’ll take a shotgun approach to his broad stable of comics.
(Written by Ed Brubaker, illustrated by Sean Phillips, originally published in 2003 by Wildstorm, a DC Comics imprint)
I don’t know what put the first trade in my hands—maybe it was a review I read somewhere, maybe it was my love of his work on a certain Marvel superhero book I adore—but whatever prompted me to buy this series, I was in no way prepared for the fantastic, intense story that would ultimately pull me in deep. Holden Carver is a sleeper agent deep undercover within a massive crime organization run by the criminal mastermind Tao. Every day is a balancing act to keep from being discovered and keeping himself in the good graces of those whose service looks to corrupt his soul. But Holden’s nearly completed his mission. It’s almost time to come out of the cold after all this time. But there’s a problem: his handler, the only person who knows he is on the side of good, lies in a deep coma and may never awaken. Now, Holden has to avoid former colleagues who see him as a traitor while trying not to plummet ever-deeper into a world of evil and treachery. If this isn’t enough to grab your attention, you should also know there’s a subtle element of superpowers that some of the characters rely upon. Again, this book caught me by surprise and both season one and two (24 issues in total, and each collected in their own trade) are must-read comics. This was also my first exposure to Phillips’s work, whose exceptional storytelling, and ability to use heavy shadows to impart a crucial noirish tone to perfectly complement Brubaker’s words make this grossly underrated series something that should be on everyone’s favorite bookshelf. Oh...there’s also a prequel titled
Point Blank (written by Ed Brubaker, illustrated by Colin Wilson) that I have not yet read, but will do so in the very near future; the latest
Sleeper: Season One trade contains the five issues of this story as well as the first 12 issues of
Sleeper. A new printing of
Sleeper: Season Two comes out in early 2019!
(Written by Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction, illustrated by David Aja and others, originally published in 2006 by Marvel Comics)
I’m pretty sure
The Immortal Iron Fist was my first exposure to Brubaker’s writing. So, yeah, I was a little late to the party on his older titles, but that just meant I had a bank of material to quickly catch up on. I’ve been an Iron Fist fan for most of my life, which mixed with the buzz about this comic made the purchase a no-brainer. I was blown away by what I read. Danny Rand fighting Hydra goons, a resurrected Steel Serpent, a second Iron Fist named Orson Randall (who is freaking badass), appearances by Luke Cage and the Daughters of the Dragon, and seven mystical cities that participate in Kung-Fu tournaments, made this book everything I could ever want. Plus, it’s all gorgeously illustrated by Aja whose thrilling action scenes draw particular attention to critical blows with magical names like the “Palm of Forty Sorrows” and “Good Fortune Thunder Kick.” I hadn’t even finished the first issue and I was head over heels in love…I only wish the team’s run lasted longer than sixteen issues but, hey, I’ll take what I can get. If you love Brubaker, you need this. If you love the character of Iron Fist, you need this. Straight up, you need this. Want to read it all in one shebang? Then check out
The Immortal Iron Fist: The Complete Collection Volume 1.
(Written by Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka; illustrated Michael Lark, Stefan Gaudino, Greg Scott, Kano, and others, originally published in 2003 by DC Comics)
When the television show
Gotham was announced, many in the comics community hoped the show would be based on Brubaker and Rucka’s cult-favorite comic
Gotham Central; although there are traces of the much-revered comic book series in the show, it just isn’t the same thing. Thankfully, we got 40 fantastic issues to read and reread when we need one of the best crime dramas in comicdom. Essentially, this is the story of the Gotham City police department and trials they endure in the line of their work. The writers collaborated on the first story arc before splitting writing duties to where Rucka wrote about the police on the day shift with Brubaker taking the night shift. Stories dealt with cold/unsolved cases, run-ins with various costumed villains, corrupt cops, a lesbian officer being outed to the department, and so much more, with the Batman making only brief appearances yet his existence proving to be a major factor in the lives of everyone. This multiple-award-winning comic is the real deal and is something fans of crime procedurals and damn-fine comics absolutely must seek out.
Four trades will get you sorted proper.
(Written by Ed Brubaker, illustrated by Sean Phillips, originally published in 2016 by Image Comics)
Ever wonder what life would be like for an actual vigilante? The lies that person would have to tell to explain the lack of sleep, the steady stream of injuries, and the inevitable retreat from friends and family? The lengths this person would have to go through in the name of justice would surely be devastating to not just his victims but to many innocents no matter how tangentially they are connected to him. Meet Dylan: a depressed college student whose failed attempt at suicide leaves him making a bargain with a supposed demon who requires that the young man kill in order to continue living. But was the demon real or a delusion? Dylan only knows that his pain and illness stops the moment he kills his first “evildoer.” Thus, his journey begins and the lives of those around Dylan steadily begin to fall apart. A quick, 20-issue series that is as fascinating and addictive as it is bleak.
Four trades collect it all, but as much as I enjoyed this comic, the granddaddy of all Brubaker and Phillips’s crime work is without a doubt…
(Written by Ed Brubaker, illustrated by Sean Phillips, originally published in 2006 by Marvel Comics and currently being reprinted by Image Comics)
Criminal is a series of standalone story arcs that can cover anything from a bank heist to revenge to murder to gambling to drugs to sexual obsession. The beauty of this long-running series is that you can pick up any trade and be able to easily follow the story, but as you move from story arc to story arc, you begin to notice that characters flow in and out from time to time and are clearly all part of the same world, just from differing times.
Criminal returns in 2019, but no need to wait as there are a bunch of compelling noir tales to keep you busy until then:
- Criminal Vol. 1: Coward - The story that started it all. Leo is your go-to-guy if you need a heist carried out, but Leo will ONLY take the job if almost all of the risk can be mitigated. But sometimes, the reward—and a particularly convincing woman—is worth the risk.
- Criminal Vol. 2: Lawless - The Lawless family name carries a certain weight and ruthlessness, and when Tracy Lawless returns home to find those who killed his kid brother, and no one better stand in his way.
- Criminal Vol. 3: The Dead and the Dying - One story from three points of view weave and interlock together into a whole.
- Criminal Vol. 4: Bad Night - Maybe Jacob’s life falling apart wasn’t enough. Maybe he needs to fall further as obsession and greed gnaw at his soul. One bad night is all it takes.
- Criminal Vol. 5: The Sinners - One year after the events of “Lawless,” Tracy Lawless returns as crime bosses are dropping like flies and Tracy is tasked with finding out who is killing them.
- Criminal Vol. 6: The Last of the Innocent - All seven Criminal trades are great, but this one is by far my favorite. Riley Richards is willing to throw away a life others would kill for, as he willingly returns to the seedy world he left behind and begins plotting murder. Nostalgia and a yearning for times past make “The Last of the Innocent” an absolute must-read.
- Criminal Vol. 7: Wrong Time, Wrong Place - We return to the Lawless family as Teeg Lawless brings his son, a young Tracy, along on a hit job.
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the immensely talented Brubaker, but this list should keep you good and busy until the next time. Take care.
Comics Lust 12/8/2018
No comments:
Post a Comment