Incognito (Marvel – Brubaker / Phillips)
From the creators of Criminal and Sleeper comes the most insane and evil super-villain comic you’ve ever read! What if you were an ex-super villain hiding out in Witness Protection… but all you could think about were the days when the rules didn’t apply to you? Could you stand the toil of an average life after years of leaving destruction in your wake? And what if you couldn’t stand it? What would you do then?
INCOGNITO – a twisted mash-up of noir and super-heroics – by best-selling creators Ed Brubaker (The Death of Captain America) and Sean Phillips(Marvel Zombies) with Val Staples on colors.
And continuing Criminal’s single issue tradition, each issue of Incognito has more pages of story content, as well as articles on pulp and noir and behind the scenes looks!
2009 is only 2 weeks old but already I have my best new book of the year,
Ed Brubaker’s and Sean Phillips’ “Incognito”, Marvel-Icon. Get this book!
So, I’ll admit Ed Brubaker, while acknowledging his excellence as a Master story teller, has never really ‘spoken’ to me for some reason. There’s no point in going into why, as if I would even know. However, I was eagerly anticipating “Incognito’s” release, mostly on the strength of Sean Phillip’s art. I expected it to be good, but not this good.
Issue #1 was a flawless comic story. I don’t toss out praises that lightly, but this book absolutely seamless. As far as single issues go, this book will be in my top 5 of all time for a long time. From the start this story sucks you right in, accompanied by that horrible sucking sound as you find yourself identifying with a not necessarily likeable, morally sketchy character.
Sean Phillip’s art hasn’t been this crisp and good in awhile (I say this having only glanced through the Criminal books). Whatever the subtle changes he made for this book, have made has lead to more clearly and nuanced art. Now Mr. Phillips has always been a Master, it’s now with the more precise line work, he’s better.
But the star of the book is Mr. Brubaker’s story, which Phillips’ art compliments rather than competes or interferes with, as in so many books these days. This is an absolutely brilliant piece of graphic story telling.
You need to do yourself a favor and get a hold of this book. You need to do your friends a favor and get them to get a hold of this book. If the tired, old, mainstream comic
re-lauches and cross-overs have you down this book will elevate you. If the tired, old, mainstream could elevate itself to this level instead of trying to elevate profits…God, if it could all be this good.
A+, Potential classic required reading
