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amphigorist's review against another edition
4.0
At least as good as the first one. Have a feeling that these won't stick to me (while the storytelling is great and the vibes are good, nothing about it is particularly innovative or challenging) and I'll be tempted to revise my opinion downward in a few months, but I really enjoyed these while I was reading them.
stopnodont's review
4.0
I actually read this out of order by accident - I read book three (Destroy All Monsters) before this book (technically book two). It still worked fine since the only real continuity between the first three books is the setting and premise.
This was my least favorite of the three I've read thus far, but still very good. It's starting to seem like this author/artist duo just doesn't miss.
This was my least favorite of the three I've read thus far, but still very good. It's starting to seem like this author/artist duo just doesn't miss.
john0824's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
ogreart's review against another edition
4.0
Takes place a couple of years after the first volume. This one is just as good, maybe a little better. There's more character development. Good plot. The sense of foreboding that permeates the book was well done.
jakewritesbooks's review
5.0
If the first book in the series was a fun, exciting ground rule double, this one is an out-of-the-park home run. A great crime thriller exploring the seedy history of 70s Los Angeles and how it abutted the 80s. Sean Phillips' art work does the story justice. These books are absolutely fantastic and I don't know why I put off reading them for so long. One of my favorite new finds of 2022.
wesleyboy's review
5.0
Excellent
Excellent
Excellent
Just read it.
Read all of these.
2nd read: Still excellent, story feels a bit rushed compared to the first volume.
Excellent
Excellent
Just read it.
Read all of these.
2nd read: Still excellent, story feels a bit rushed compared to the first volume.
3rian's review
4.0
Ed Brubaker has yet to disappoint. I immediately loved [b:Reckless|55054792|Reckless|Ed Brubaker|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1598834626l/55054792._SY75_.jpg|85848059] when I'd read it last year and was excited to learn that he and his creative partner Sean Philips had decided to continue it as a series of pulp-inspired standalone graphic novels. Ethan Reckless is an immediately intriguing character, a former FBI agent that sustained a traumatic brain injury in the line of duty. He's lost his capacity for emotions but not his sense of right and wrong. He's now operating off the grid in 1980s Los Angeles as a sort of "fixer" - i.e., if you can find him (and have the cash), he'll resolve whatever (or whomever) is giving you trouble...even if it needs to get messy. He's got support from a former bureau contact and a young woman named Anna that lines up jobs for him. How they met is a story yet to be told.
I immediately found Ethan to be a compelling character. He's aware that he's not who he once was since his injury and that his reactions to situations aren't always appropriate. He's also relentlessly driven to pursue justice. This story finds Ethan falling into a relationship of sorts, only to then get pulled into a dark mystery involving a missing relative, a Satanic cult, and the cursed production of a lost b-movie. The gorgeous art, the cool muted colors, the blunt narrative style...as with the first volume, the presentation grabbed me and wouldn't let go. Similar to other works by this team, this volume is drenched in style and atmosphere, moving along at a steady clip while remaining unpredictable.
As with his stunning genre work in [b:Velvet|31812382|Velvet|Ed Brubaker|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1490753990l/31812382._SX50_.jpg|52467158] and [b:The Fade Out|30325339|The Fade Out|Ed Brubaker|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1549543378l/30325339._SY75_.jpg|50818979], I find it a pleasure to travel back through the decades and explore the seedier sides of those eras through Brubaker's work. Not always pleasant, but never boring
I immediately found Ethan to be a compelling character. He's aware that he's not who he once was since his injury and that his reactions to situations aren't always appropriate. He's also relentlessly driven to pursue justice. This story finds Ethan falling into a relationship of sorts, only to then get pulled into a dark mystery involving a missing relative, a Satanic cult, and the cursed production of a lost b-movie. The gorgeous art, the cool muted colors, the blunt narrative style...as with the first volume, the presentation grabbed me and wouldn't let go. Similar to other works by this team, this volume is drenched in style and atmosphere, moving along at a steady clip while remaining unpredictable.
As with his stunning genre work in [b:Velvet|31812382|Velvet|Ed Brubaker|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1490753990l/31812382._SX50_.jpg|52467158] and [b:The Fade Out|30325339|The Fade Out|Ed Brubaker|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1549543378l/30325339._SY75_.jpg|50818979], I find it a pleasure to travel back through the decades and explore the seedier sides of those eras through Brubaker's work. Not always pleasant, but never boring
jhouses's review
3.0
Otro gran comic noir con el sello Brubaker. Es el segundo de una serie con el mismo protagonista pero no se resiente de no haber leído el anterior. Continuaremos.