Criminal: The Sinners #5

Written by Ed Brubaker
Art by Sean Phillips

There are a few things that happened in the conclusion to this latest Criminal series that I didn't see coming. I think that's what I always like best about Brubaker's writing on this book; it's quite unpredictable.

Sure, some of the main story beats were predetermined, like Hyde discovering that Tracey was sleeping with his wife, but the way things played out with the Triad, and between Tracey and his military pursuer were not what I was expecting.

The character of Father Mike and his motivations finally get some explanation, and I like the comparison drawn between him and the way in which 'holy men' in the Middle East draw young men into their violent worlds through appealing to their religious sensibilities. It's interesting that no one else has developed this notion from a Western point of view (at least in anything else I've read).

I was surprised to read in the back that the next series from the Brubaker/Phillips team would be a new Incognito series. I felt like that had been a single-arc story, but as always, I'll buy anything from this creative team.