The Biggest Score Yet (Criminal #11 Review)
CRIMINAL #11
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Sean Phillips
Colorist: Jacob Phillips
Publisher: Image
Rating: 10/10
The penultimate issue of the "Cruel Summer" arc is here. The heist that Teeg has been planning, the one that will be the biggest score he's ever seen, is all going down in this issue. But we all know this arc is supposed to be the final days of Teeg Lawless, so what could possibly go wrong for this infamous criminal? Guess you'll just have to read to find out.
Yet again, Brrubaker and Phillips just keeping upping the stakes and it each issue is better than the last. But I guess that's what they have always done. They continuously top themselves. This issue is a perfect example of that. This entire issue is the one we've all been waiting for. Teeg's final heist. What we get to see is every little aspect of the heist and even as things seem to be going his way, he still can't help but feel like something is off. That's a what you get when you've been pulling heist all your life, his instincts are on point. There is something weird it's just not what he could have possibly expected.
I think this issue might just be one of the best issues of Criminal ever produced. Even though it's the 7th part of an 8 part story, it can be read on it's own. You can get a complete story without having read any prior issue, which is no small feat in today's comic book market. Watching the entire heist go down was epic, everything fell into place and went off without a hitch, for the most part.
Brubaker writes a hell of a story, but like I always say, it's Phillips that gives life to these dark tales. I love the way he composes each scene and builds tension from panel to panel. He does it in such a way that you almost feel as if you're apart of the heist and are just itching to get out of there already.
With only one issue left in this arc, and one hell of a cliffhanger in this one, I wonder how all the players/pieces will come together. It's been one hell of a ride. It also seems that this arc might be the final one for awhile, since I don't see any solicits past January. But any CRIMINAL fan knows, it's only a matter of time before it returns. At least we know they're working on an OGN (PULP) which comes out in May. But I do hope they return to CRIMINAL sooner rather than later.
Will we finally see more of how Ricky Lawless ends up on his path of crime? What will happen to Jane? Does Detective Farraday get his man? So much stuff to wrap up, you can bet it's gonna be one explosive finale.