Criminal: The Last of the Innocent

There is something about Brubaker's writing in this series that is just so silky smooth.  It feels effortless, perfect even.  Not being up on all the top crime writers I can't imagine that Brubaker isn't high among them.  He plays the noir genre like his instrument of choice and even though we know the rules of the game, he still delights us with his turns.  This volume is about a man who decides to murder his rich, cheating wife and pin it on another man.  Now we know that in the world of noir crime never pays, but Brubaker likes to take liberties with the rules, and he doesn't always make people pay in the way you'd expect…
And what they do in this particular story is telling a really fucked up version of Archie, really.  If you're familiar with that gang you'll see how each of those characters translates to the characters here and it's really quite well done - even down to the imitation art work used to show the flashbacks. 
I absolutely love this series and I hope that Brubaker has many many more of these in store.  I know that someone is currently adapting the first trade of Criminal into a film, but I'd love to see the whole world done up properly. 
If you're a fan of noir, crime fiction, or just solid writing in general, do yourself a favour and read this series.

Criminal: The Sinners

Ed Brubaker isn't a good writer. He's a great writer. He's the kind of writer you sit and read and are just in awe of. The kind of writer who makes you think you're wasting your time even trying to be in the same profession that he's in. And when he writes Criminal, he's flawless.

I love this series. It actually very well may be my favourite comic series, and I know that if I ever try to tackle the noir genre, this is going to be my first reference.

It's hard to tell if Brubaker is wrapping the series up with this instalment or if it's just another part of the world - a lot of shit goes down here, and if this is how it ends - it's not a bad way to go out. It's full of all the stuff we've come to expect from this series and noir in general, and it outdoes our expectations. If you have a sense of the rules of noir, you know how things are going to go down sooner or later, but what the great noir writers know is that it's the telling of the tale, that makes it all worth while.

I love this book about as much as anyone can love a book. Once I get through my stack I'm going to revisit this series. It's just so goddamn good.

Criminal: Bad Night

God damn it do I love this book. I read it practically in one sitting. Brubaker knows how to weave a tail and put you right into the skin of his characters. The way he'll weave into other characters P.O.V.'s for a moment or two, just so you can see where they're coming from - even if they are a damaged and deranged bastard. I can't think of a better noir series, not that I'm a big noir expert, but this just soars high above any other crime fiction I've read just for it's purity and grittiness. No one walks away without being punished. I'd love to write in this genre one day. Mine would be more a mixture of this and Damon Runyon combined though I think. Not sure I could go quite as serious and dark as Brubaker, but I'd like to think I could. What a lovely world to play in. I need to pick up my Chandler novels again and start reading them.

Criminal: The Dead & The Dying

Goddamn can Brubaker write noir. It's insane how good these are. What we've got here is a fractured story from three points of view. Nothing new, but he plays in this structure with the finesse of a master. Each story brings you deeper into characters that were merely background performers in the previous books and we start to see just how deep and rich this world really is. The stories are endless, and that's kind of the fun - this can go on as long as Brubaker has ideas and the desire to do so. There is a great television or film series within these books and there would be a lot of fun to figure out what that would be. Been borrowing these books right now, but I can't wait to get my own copies. Beautiful art work, great character work. For any fan of crime fiction, especially noir, this is hard to beat.

Criminal: Lawless

This series just continues to get better. Each trade is a stand alone story with a few returning characters sprinkled in just to let us know that this world has a continuity. Glad to see Leo still kicking around, and Angie working at the Undertow. This book centred on the the theme of revenge and what it means - does it exist? And it's got some interesting answers, or I suppose technically non-answers.

The writing is tight and playful within the world of noir. I imagine that the Sin City series is similar to this regard. I've been borrowing this series but I can see it as something that I might want to have on my shelf one day. If you're a fan of crime fiction, this is a solid series with good characters, themes, and plots.

Criminal: Coward

I'm late to Brubaker's stuff, but glad to be here now. This one popped so much more for me than the other book of his that I read recently. He's got the noir down pat, and also the criminal mind in terms of the worries, concerns, fears, and troubles that I'm sure plague them. I'm not sure how this series is going to work, but it's intriguing so far. It reads more like a film structure, which is fine by me. It's filled with great characters as well as really clever story and plotting. Highly highly recommend this book.