Reviews

Criminal (2006), Volume 1 by Ed Brubaker

zsherwo1130's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

guppyur's review against another edition

3.0

Glad I gave this another try. One of the better written comics I've read, out of the set that don't have Alan Moore's name on them. Good character work, decent art.

geekwayne's review against another edition

5.0

'Criminal, Vol. 1: Coward' proves why comics are a completely valid medium for telling just about any kind of story. Here we have a tightly plotted story and excellent art woven together to create a gripping story.

Leo is from a family of thieves, and he's excellent at planning heists, but he knows you always need a backup plan. Without one, you end up dead, or in prison like his father. When someone comes to him with a plan to rob an armored truck full of police evidence, he's immediately wary and wants no part in it. When leverage is applied, he is forced into a dangerous job, but comes up with a plan that might work. Do things go wrong? Of course they do. Is Leo ready for them? I'll leave that for you to find out. There are some twists and turns in this book that are simply gut-wrenching. There are also characters here who will live in your memory, from Leo's heroin addicted grandfather with Alzheimer's to Greta, who just wants to make enough money so that her daughter can have a real life.

I really loved this book. The writing by Ed Brubaker is great as is the art by Sean Phillips. This book was one of the best reviewed comics of 2006. If you like a good underbelly crime book, I can't recommend it enough.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, Image Comics, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the privilege of reviewing such an amazing graphic novel.

chloekg's review against another edition

2.0

It’s fun and driving, dark and gritty, but overall it feels amateurish and poorly paced. The positives are colorful characters, nice set-up, a few panels of comedy and even fewer of meaningful relationship building. Unfortunately, all the emotional development is wasted with punchy conclusions. Bam. New event. Bam. Moving on. Bam. More loss. Bam. New sequence. There’s no time for lingering on loss or character growth. The villains receive one or two panels of introduction and then remain flat movers of plot. The “bigger picture” of the heist is all talking head, deus ex machina, perfect-character-at-the-perfect-time. The art is scribbly, murky colored pastels. It shows us locations and boxes of faces. Occasionally, there are complex expressions, but most don't hit the mark. A fun ~45 minutes and then a couple moments of disappointment that I paid $7.50 for those minutes.

cornhub's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

kennisn's review against another edition

5.0

A great crime story told from the perspective of a criminal, a coward, and an expert, who get's in too deep and is forced to break the rules that has kept him alive in the risky business he's in. If you're the type of person who normally reads "capes and cowls" comic books, this one reads like one. It's got action set pieces and the protagonists expertise cowardice is almost like his super power. A really good read that I would definitely recommend.

arf88's review against another edition

5.0

I think this has become my favourite comics by this duo. I can't say I was ever really blown away by the art like I was with The Fade Out, but the story more than makes up for it.

Such a wonderful, subversive take on the heist narrative. There is a plot to this, but that's not what makes this such a good read. This shines with the treatment of it's protagonist. Such a deep, complex, sad character. And while his little "twist" at the end isn't all that original when it comes to this sort of character, I loved it all the same.

duparker's review against another edition

4.0

I was drawn to the artwork to read this comic, but the noir story kept me going. I read it all in a few hours. The text is tight and wound around a great story. The artwork is realistic but done in an artistic way that engulfs and expresses the text perfectly.

foofers1622's review against another edition

4.0

I love the idea of this series. It's like the 7 deadly sins of being a criminal.

arbaazk1999's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5