You can see how that manifests itself in the work, and in the fact that every reader seemingly has a favorite. “It started as a simple heist story and has turned into this multi-generational epic about life outside the law, which sometimes barely even mentions crime.” The three Criminal Deluxe Edition volumes, art by Sean Phillips “Criminal turned out to be not just a straight crime comic, it’s also given us a place to experiment with all kinds of storytelling, to really focus on the characters, and to go to a lot of different places emotionally,” Brubaker said. And there’s a reason they go back, Criminal offers them endless possibilities.

And if Sleeper was where they started to figure things out, then Criminal was where Brubaker and Phillips’ collective voice was refined into the irresistible, unforgettable one they’re known for.Īnd like the title’s rotating cast, Brubaker and Phillips always return to Bay City for more - Criminal is their constant, with one-shots and entire volumes acting as pit stops in-between other works.

Over that period, they’ve published a trio of Deluxe Edition hardcovers, nine other collections, and one graphic novella set in the world of Criminal, releases that formed the foundation of their partnership and the fandom that supports them. But “coming off huge hits” in Death of Captain America for Brubaker and Marvel Zombies for Phillips, “it felt like the time was right to take a risk,” the writer said.ġ6 years later, it’s safe to say Brubaker was correct. This was their first creator-owned series, and when it arrived in 2006, there was little market for crime comics. It’s pretty cool, I think.Ĭriminal, a series that explores a tangled web of criminals that inhabit a fictional city, was a big swing by Brubaker and Phillips. It’s a fun one, and one of eight pieces you’ll find in Neo Noir. If you’re in the market for lots and lots of words from me about what makes this duo special with insight from Brubaker and Phillips themselves, well, do I have the release for you!Īs a little teaser for what will be in this comic, below you can find my write-up about Criminal in full, as I wax ecstatic about that partnership’s first creator-owned project together and why that world is a constant for the duo still, even 16 years later. It’s in Neo Noir: The Worlds of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, an Image Firsts release that is a highlight reel of that pair’s partnership, complete with comic trailers, paths to ordering said comics, and write-ups about their broader collaboration and each of their larger projects together by yours truly. This Wednesday at comic shops everywhere, my work will appear in an actual comic book for the first time ever.

Criminal ed brubaker sean phillips