Criminal: Coward

Criminal: Coward, is a giant step out of the super-hero ghetto. In this gritty comic book noir of a heist gone bad, Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips takes us down the mean streets of a big, dark, ugly and violent metropolis found not on a map but inside the novels of tough, brass-knuckled urban poets like Mickey Spillaine, Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain, Jim Thompson and Raymond Chandler. Coward is a worthy addition to the genre. Brubaker and Phillips received two Eisner Award nominations, for Best Writer and Best New Series. “Doing anything outside the norm in the US comics market can be extremely difficult, so I’m really pleased to see the Eisners recognize our hard work. We put our blood and sweat into every issue, and I’m very proud of what Sean and I have done so far, building our world of criminals, con men, and bad habits,” said Brubaker. For those of you who unable to find early issues of Coward at your friendly neighborhood comic shop, the entire story arc will soon be published in a single volume which includes an introduction by Emmy-award winner Tom Fontana (Homicide: Life on the Streets, and Oz.) If you like comic books but hate Men In Tights, this hard-boiled classic by Brubaker and Phillips is a fun and rewarding investment. And, happily, there's not a single cape to be be found.