Coward

Crime comics are back, and a great example of this is Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillip's amazing series Criminal. Coward is the first chapter of what promises to be a long-running, complex tapestry of crime and mayhem on the level of 100 Bullets. Leo Patterson is the coward to which the title refers. He is a professional pickpocket who learned the art from his father and uncle. He's never been arrested because he's meticulous about following the rules of his profession. (Like Lee Coburn in Harry in Your Pocket, right?) Of course, trouble begins when two former associates try to recruit him into an armored-car heist. Leo initially refuses because a dirty cop is involved, which is obviously a violation of his rules. But a beautiful former heroin addict named Greta is able to persuade Leo to participate in the crime. Needless to say, Leo is not able to make the scheme follow his 'rules'. Although Leo correctly surmises that there will be a double-cross, he's not exactly sure when the trap will be sprung. After a shootout which leaves Greta wounded and one of his 'friends' dead, Leo and Greta are able to escape with the score (which turns out to be heroin instead of diamonds). After a brief interlude, there are numerous heart-breaking plot twists and further spasms of violence. The ending is extremely dark, but surprisingly hopeful.

Part of the appeal of Criminal is the way each chapter fits into a much larger family saga. Each story arc is self-contained, but the central characters live in the same world and share a similar criminal background. For example, Leo Patterson is led to a life of crime when his father is sent to jail for the murder of Teeg Lawless, who is also a criminal. Future stories revolve around the criminal activities of Teeg's sons, Ricky and Tracy. Each cycle of crime leads to the next, each generation passes its crimes on to the next.

Criminal is everything we expect from noir crime fiction, and the entire series is true to the misanthropic themes of the genre. But we also see that Brubaker's broken misfits are capable of a tremendous amount of honor. And that's what makes it interesting, and cool.

The Beats: A Graphic History

Set against a backdrop of the changing American cultural landscape of the 1950's and 60's, The Beats: A Graphic History is primarily a biographical work which focuses on leading Beat writers Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs. Appropriate to the medium, the graphic novel does not delve too much into literary analysis. Instead, with brutal honesty,swriter Harvey Pekar and illustrator Ed Piskor explore the sometimes sordid but always interesting personal lives and social impact of these and other Beat writers.

For those not familiar with the term, the Beats were known for their rejection of mainstream American values, experimentation with drugs and alternate forms of sexuality, and an interest in Eastern religions. The major works of Beat writing are Allen Ginsberg's Howl (1956), William Burroughs' Naked Lunch (1959) and Jack Kerouac's On the Road (1957). Both Howl and Naked Lunch were the subject of obscenity trials that ultimately helped to liberalize what could be published in the United States. On the Road transformed Kerouac's friend Neal Cassady into a youth-culture hero. Many Beat themes eventually crossed over into mainstream American culture. For example, the television shows Dobie Gillis and Route 66 definitely borrowed from Beat writings, and many musicians such as John Lennon and Bob Dylan were inspired by the Beats, sometimes writing songs with them and even occasionally including them in their on-stage performances.

It is quite interesting indeed to see this subject matter portrayed in the style of Pekar's American Splendor. Known for his ironic depiction of everyday life, Pekar provides a very serviceable overview of a complicated subject. With his help, those not familiar with the Beats can learn quite a bit about the movement, although more research is required to learn something about the key literary works themselves. Those more familiar with the material can gain a very interesting perspective on who these writers really were. With the help of his illustrator, Pekar humanizes the Beats and helps us to understand their struggles and their triumphs, as well as the intense isolation and depression they often experienced.