Broken Frontier

It all comes tumbling down for Leo in the final chapter of his tale. But not before a little payback.

On the run from drug dealers and corrupt cops, Leo arrives too late to save someone he cares for. There’s still a chance for a kidnapped little girl however and Leo is determined to do right by her and salvage something from this disastrous job. With nothing left to lose, he decides to take on his enemies single-handedly and prepares to assault drug lord Roy-L’s very headquarters. In the process, we learn just what this so-called coward is afraid of and it’s not at all what we thought…

I picked up Criminal on the strength of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ work on Sleeper, one of the finest crime/noir stories to come out of this or any medium in my opinion. Right away, I could tell the duo had another winner on their hands. Brubaker has truly been in his element with this shadowed world of corruption, violence, and deeply flawed, haunted individuals. This concluding chapter of the opening arc exposes a side of Leo we haven’t previously seen and the result is as engrossing as it is shocking. We can’t help but cheer him on against overwhelming odds or to feel his pain as poor decisions and rotten luck build to a nadir of tragedy.

The one aspect I’m still trying to figure out is the significance (if any) of the Dick Tracy-esque comic-within-the-comic, Frank Kafka, Private Eye. Presumably, this is meant to comment on the main story, ala the pirate comics glimpsed in Watchmen. I’m not certain what comment is being made however.

Regardless, half the credit for this series’ effectiveness must go to illustrator Sean Phillips. His moody visuals (and Val Staples’ equally atmospheric colors) perfectly capture the ambiguities and grittiness of Brubaker’s world. Phillips skillfully infers so much about each character’s inner life. Like the best noir stories, his art shows us not just the shadows that surround the characters but the ones that hang heavily on their hearts. Roy-L’s striking resemblance to Michael Clarke Duncan is a bit distracting at times but not a major detriment to the storytelling.

Criminal is a resonant and gripping series with a classic noir sensibility. Fans of the genre or of Brubaker’s work will find much to enjoy on these mean streets.