billyjepma's profile picture

billyjepma 's review for:

Reckless by Ed Brubaker
4.75
challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This is a banger of a graphic novel, just as sharp as it is angry. It goes all-in on the old-school pulp aesthetics and tone but laces it with a razored edge that’s scathingly modern.

Brubaker is a writer I’m just getting acquainted with, but I can already tell his storytelling style will become a favorite. He’s so intentional, so precise with how he carves his way into a story, a character, a tone. What’s so gratifying about it, too, is that Brubaker is obviously a master of his craft but hasn’t let himself lose the joy of that craft.

And Philips’ art, damn. So much expression and so much personality packed into vibrant, hazy, sun-tinged grittiness. It’s got an aesthetic that’s at once remarkably cinematic but unmistakably grounded in the comic book medium and its many unique gifts. Layouts, coloring, line works, framing: every page here practically sings.

I’m so glad I get to read two more of these this year.