Criminal is a solid idea. The success of the book lies in the character work and the grittiness of the world. It's an unforgiving world with murder, deception and mistrust. If any of those things interest you then I would pick this up. If you enjoyed a good Conan magazine back in the day then you will love this comic book as well. It's amazing just how similar Conan-like Lawless actually is in this story. Fantastic comic book. One of the very best you will find. Read Full Review

While the cover price is nearly half the cost of a trade paperback, Criminal: Savage Edition One Shot is more than a comic book. It is an experience. It effortlessly weaves two disparate stories together to give the reader nearly 50 pages of cover-to-cover awesomeness. New readers and fans of the series alike will get their crime comic fix with this title. Read Full Review

To me, this is an important comic. Not often does a comic feel genuinely timeless, but I can imagine myself reading and enjoying this book back in 1976 as much as I can imagine myself reading and enjoying this book in 2030. Longtime fans of Criminal are well served with the backstory for a well-known but little seen character, and brand new readers are effortlessly introduced to this sordid and dangerous world. This comic balances fantasy and cold reality without going overboard on either, and in the end were left with something that is both extreme but accessible. Im eager to say Ill be rereading this issue for years to come; talk about a special edition. Read Full Review

That connection is an uncomfortable one, and it's intended to be. Brubaker and Phillips have never pulled any punches in Criminal. Their heroic figures are always destined for a tragic end, and the ugliest characters they present tend to enjoy success. The irony and cruelty contained in Criminal isn't just a play at classic EC crime comics though, it's a funhouse mirror reflection of humanity. Criminal Special Edition isn't a story that we are supposed to be able to view as pure fiction; that's Zangarr's tale. The world of Teeg Lawless is the same one we're trapped in, one filled with criminals and comics fans just like us. Read Full Review

Hard hitting, violent and bloody. Criminal may be a tough read for some but it is a joy for most. Read Full Review

1970s prison drama = check. Crime noir done to perfection = check. Death by comic book? Double check. Say what? Read the book congregation. This is a straight-forward, yet nuanced story that is well worth your time and cash. Read Full Review

A great one-shot that will nodoubt throw you into the same place I'm in: wanting to get all of the other issues immediately. Read Full Review

Well, thanks for taking the time out to do this for us, Ed. Its an absolute honor. Not only am I a huge fan of your work, but when i started out with another site a few years back, you actually retweeted something I said (looking for followers, or some such) and my Twitter blew up and weve just grown from there. So, thanks for that. It meant a lot to me. So thank you, and heres to much more from you and Sean, whether itsCriminalorThe Fade Outor whatever else thats on its way. Read Full Review

While it isn't a story with huge plot ramifications, this "Criminal" one-shot is a welcome return to one of this team's most enduring creations. Any "Criminal" is better than none at all and, hopefully with the franchise now being published by Image, the gang will come back to visit this universe more often. Read Full Review

Totally awesome in several ways, this one shot is a must-have for Brubaker and crime-noir fans. I highly recommend tracking down the special "magazine" version!