Category Archives: Noir Comics

My copy of the Criminal Deluxe Edition

The following is my review of the second installment of the noir comics series Criminal by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. Mr. Brubaker has said that the reason he created Criminal was so he could write several noir crime fiction stories featuring unique characters under the same umbrella. So it is with this second trade paperback in the series. The characters of the first are either gone entirely or make fleeting appearances throughout. Because this story differs enough from the first, I’m going to run it through our noir definition so far:

1. The Seedy Underworld

We return to Central City in this trade, a blacker shadow of New York than we are typically comfortable with. The Christmas season is our time-frame, though it’s lacking in spirit and cheer. The most prominent returning hub is a bar called The Undertow (originally called The Undertown, but the neon ‘n’ has been out for years). Symbolism drips from the name alone, because we can infer that those who visit such a dive are being “towed” deeper into the underworld.

Tracy and Ricky Lawless

2. The Anti-Hero

Tracy Lawless has just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq with a chip on his shoulder. That chip being the murder of his little brother Ricky. The pain Tracy feels is caused more by the guilt of past sins against his brother than by the murder itself. He has always felt that he abandoned him to an abusive father and a bed-ridden mother in a selfish act to crawl out of that hell. He’s in Central City for revenge and closure, closure that he may never find.

3. The Femme Fatale

Mallory. She may be linked to the murder of Tracy’s brother Ricky, she oozes sex appeal, and there is no end to her cigarette supply. Need I say more?

sexy tendrils of smoke caressing her skin...

4. Misogyny

Misogyny in this noir comic is hard to write about without dropping spoilers. But let me just say that the same theme of emasculation presents itself where our femme fatale is concerned. Tracy is warned that he should be wary of Mallory’s advances, because it may in fact lead to his downfall… (Also, it’s somewhat implied that she has an insatiable sexual appetite. Think Angelina Jolie’s character in Gone in 60 Seconds, turned on by crime, raunchy in the extreme. Very misogynistic writing).

5. Redemption

“Lawless” is drenched in the theme of Redemption. But I would argue that it is a selfish brand at best. As much as Tracy may believe that he is attempting to redeem his brother from unjust murder, he is truly craving redemption for himself. Throughout the entire story he is driven by guilt not by love. Criminal volume 2 is about redeeming a damned family.

infiltrating his brother's old crew.

6. Loss of Innocence

Tracy and Ricky share the trauma of an abusive childhood. Their father, Teeg Lawless, is one of the most brutal sonofabitches ever to pass through Central City (We learn his story in volume 3 of Criminal). His horrendous impact on his children casts a pall over the entire plot. You can’t “get” Tracy without “getting” Teeg.

7. Eroticism

Rounding out this near perfect example of noir crime fiction, the theme of eroticism does present itself in several ways in “Lawless.” I will mention two of them: 1) The leader of the Ricky’s old gang is really into S&M (you don’t see anything crazy, but it’s implied) and 2) the femme fatale Mallory at one point dons a nun costume for some sexy foreplay with Tracy.

the pain of an abusive father never subsides.

“Lawless” is a feather in the cap of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ noir comics catalog. The art was better than “Coward,” and the script was masterful. Well done. (Below is one of my favorite pages, split into three different images. The getaway is taking place on Christmas Night, and the red and blue color motif was breathtaking).  My Criminal Deluxe Edition is from Amazon.com.

Congrats to Jessica C. ! She is the winner of Noirwhale’s very first Noir Giveaway! I’ll be putting Criminal Vol. 1 in the mail today! Here is here Noir Definition:
“Beautiful dark shadows neon lights Smoking Anti-Hero detective seductive murderess.”

one of the greatest noir comics ever created

Those of you who interact with me on a daily basis know that my affection for Ed Brubaker‘s Criminal series runs deep… too deep… like, suspiciously deep. All I can say is that I see it as a crown jewel in the realm of noir comics. Perhaps my infatuation stems from the fact that “Coward” was my first, and you never forget your first (that was more sexual than I intended). The best part about reading Brubaker is that you can tell that he is a huge noir crime fiction fan, and that he is as invested in his characters as you are. Perfectly counterpointing his creative narrative is the seedy pulpy art style of Sean Phillips. Seriously, this creative team could not be more elite. We are talking Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan style noir comics team up.

So, I’m settling into a bit of a tradition here on noirwhale.com: the first part of any series that I review will be held up to the noir definition as has been previously described. I believe this will give us a great foundation for evaluating any work in the noir genre.

1. The Seedy Underworld

Noir York City. Present day. Crooked cops, crooked schemes, and a pay day around the corner. Superb.

just a taste...

2. The Anti-Hero

Possibly the best character in any noir that I have read, Leo Patterson plays with the reader’s emotions because he is so dang likable. He takes care of his dead father’s best friend Ivan (an Alzheimer/Heroin addicted old man) with a tenderness that can only be described as familial. Also, he cares for each of the people he works with, and he won’t take chances with their lives. He isn’t a risk taker, and he follows his own code to a fault. Because of this, Leo has gained a reputation in the criminal underworld that is two-fold: Some say he is the best thief in the business and others say he is a coward.

“Prisons are full of assholes who valued their own lives only slightly more than other people’s. And I’m not ending up on death row because some moron listened to too much hip hop growing up.” -Leo Patterson a.k.a. “Coward”

3. The Femme Fatale

A dame what goes by the name of Greta is the femme fatale for this noir comic. While she plays the typical role of causing the anti-hero to compromise his code, she also becomes the catalyst for the new code which he adopts at the end of the trade (no spoilers this time). She also is always portrayed (and treated by Leo) as an equal, a confidant, and a partner, which is definitely a stretch for our noir definition. A revision required perhaps?

the plot (like so much smoke) thickens...

4. Misogyny

One of the most interesting aspects of this noir comic is its lack of traditional misogyny. Ivan, the demented old man that Leo cares for, is the only one who seems to show any disrespect for women. I think there is method in this because I believe that Brubaker wrote Ivan into the story as a representation of the “old-school” noir crime fiction, a time when women were objects instead of equals. Ivan represents a dying age, and his misogyny looks childish compared to the genuine respect and care for Greta displayed by Leo.

“Does what it take to survive change you —  to the point where you are no longer who you are? To the point where, though your body survives, the deepest part of you — the human part– does not?” -Tom Fontana

5. Redemption

Leo grew up in the world of noir crime. Back in the old days, his father Tommy and his “Uncle” Ivan ran the most successful pick-pocket crew in New York City. But now things are different, and Leo is struggling to come to grips with all of that. His father was shanked to death in prison, and Leo is terrified of ending up the same way. Ivan, Leo’s only living representation of that bygone era (and by extension his father), is a constant reminder of how things will never be the same. “Coward” is a classic story of a son striving to redeem his father by escaping his own seemingly predestined fate (Luke Skywalker).

babies and bullet holes

I love this book. I love this series even more. READ IT! (I got my copy of “Coward” a Criminal Edition from Amazon.com) Also, check back with me the first Monday of June! I’ll be making a big announcement concerning “Coward”!