'Criminal' is one of the best ongoings of the moment and a perfect reason to actually buy and read monthly books. With it's shorter arcs and bonus material it's a no brainer actually. Let's hope this goes on for a while because it's a great world that deserves to be visited every month. Read Full Review

The issue is pure brilliance with a level of meta that you're not sure what is what isn't true. For comic historians and fans, there's so much to enjoy about the issue and for those you have gone to a certain convention, the locations shown are recognizable. This is a comic that can be enjoyed for it's noir and crime focus and loved that it's so much more. Read Full Review

This issue is unlike anything I have ever seen from this series, as I said above, but it isn't without it's share of crime and criminals as the title would suggest. Making for a very interesting dynamic is the relationship between the narrator, a young failed comic artist, and his former idol, Read Full Review

"Criminal" is a nearly flawless return to the series with writing and art so perfectly executed you'll be amazed that it didn't just blink into existence. Read Full Review

Sean Phillips art is beautifully gritty and detailed. There is so much visually to take in and the convention panels are filled with some incredibly fun background details. Read Full Review

A glorious nod to the golden age of comics, with all its frailties and triumphs, brought to life by the powerhouse team of Brubaker and Phillips. Read Full Review

Criminal would be worth the read even if it was just about getting to know the creative team's capabilities. Terrific writing along with a spectacular artwork makes me glad that I picked this up and even more anxious for the next installment. Read Full Review

The brilliant part of this title is the fact that we're subjected to both sides of Hal's story. We're left to deduce for ourselves about whether or not who he seems to be is actually who he is or if there's something larger at work. For me, the idea of figuring this out along with the gritty realism of the title itself is enough for me to want to continue to read on. Read Full Review

It's a fun and surprisingly light chapter in what looks like is going to be a dark and twisty story. Read Full Review

Jumping from one story to another when the book is only on it's second issue is quite a bold move, but it was executed so well that I have no complaints about it.

This is a completely different story from the previous one.

Um... Okay then? I hope this seemingly random jump to a completely different story (taking place decades later I believe) comes to something, because in and off itself it's kind of a silly cheap trick. That aside, the story itself is... pretty good. It still has that super strong narrative voice that Brubaker does so well, and Phillips are is, of course stunning, but there's something insubstantial and indulgent about this story and how long it takes to actually go anyway. There's a pretty absurd amount of trivia about fictional comic book history, mixed in with some real stuff, that's, like, cool, but not really interesting or that informing to the characters nor narrative. I also feel like I've seen Jacob's story in Bad Night and this doesn't add anything more to him than that fantastic story already did.

Maybe I've gone crazy and this will all make sense eventually, but from where I'm sitting right now, this issue was a pretty big disappointment. more

+ Like • Comments (2)

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DDJamesB - Mar 8, 2019

Clearly you didnt read the afterwords of the first issue. He specifically said each month will be different, in the same world but also can stand alone.

NoShape - Mar 9, 2019

Nope, I did. The first story did not stand alone, it was the start of a story.

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