Cruel Summer

BRUBAKER & PHILLIPS' CRIMINAL epic, collected for the first time in trade paperback.

In the summer of '88, Teeg Lawless comes home to plan the biggest heist of his career. But Teeg's son Ricky and his friends are starting down the same dark path their fathers are on, and this is about to become the worst summer of their lives.

An epic tale of tragedy handed down from generation to generation, CRUEL SUMMER is a crime comic masterpiece from the most celebrated noir masters in the industry, creators of CRIMINAL, FATALE, KILL OR BE KILLED, THE FADE OUT and the RECKLESS series of graphic novellas.

Collects CRIMINAL #1 and #5-12 with additional behind-the-scenes material.

LIBRARY JOURNAL (STARRED) -- In the summer of 1988, vicious career criminalTeeg Lawless becomes infatuated with Jane, a mysterious con artist drawn to hisferocity, much to the chagrin of Teeg's 16-year-old son, Ricky. Unnerved atseeing his father embrace something like domesticity, Ricky becomes increasinglyreckless and erratic, alienating best friend Leo, a young thief who prideshimself on his overly cautious approach to criminal activity. Teeg enlists Leo'sfather to help him pull off a major heist he believes will provide him and Janewith a fresh start. But when Jane and Ricky form a bond, and a private detectiveobsessed with saving Jane from a life on the run arrives in town, all involvedare set on a collision course that can only end in tragedy. VERDICT Thepowerhouse creative team of Brubaker and Phillips (Pulp) combine elements ofnoir and coming-of-age stories in this psychologically and emotionally complexdrama about desperate men and women daring to strive for better lives in aviolent world where hope and love are dangerous liabilities.

Ed Brubaker is one of the most acclaimed writers in comics, winning five best writer Eisner and Harvey Awards in the last ten years. His bestselling work with Sean Phillips on Criminal, Incognito, Fatale, and The Fade Out has been translated around the world to great acclaim, and Marvel's movies featuring his co-creation, The Winter Soldier, have all been international blockbusters. Ed lives in Los Angeles with his wife and their crazy dog, where he works in comics, film, and television, most recently on HBO's new hit series Westworld.

Drawing comics professionally since the age of fifteen, Eisner Award winning Sean Phillips has worked for all the major publishers. Since drawing Sleeper, Hellblazer, Batman, X-Men, Marvel Zombies, and Stephen King's The Dark Tower, Sean has concentrated on creator-owned books including Criminal, Kill Or Be Killed, Incognito, Fatale and The Fade Out.

He is currently drawing a new volume of the long-running Criminal series written by his long-time collaborator Ed Brubaker and coloured by his son Jacob Phillips.

He lives in the Lake District in the UK.

Jacob Phillips is a comic artist and colorist residing in Manchester, UK. He has been drawing his whole life, self publishing first comic. 'Roboy' at the age of 11 and selling it at Brighton Comic Con. Skip forward 16 years and today he is the artist on That Texas Blood with writer Chris Condon and Newburn with Chip Zdarsky as well as coloring projects such as Reckless, Criminal and Madi.

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