Criminal: The Sinners # 2 - The Sinners, Part 2

 A corrupt cop is killed, a government agency is sniffing around, every cop is crawling the scene, the underworld is in chaos, and our main character carries a debt that no honest man can pay but that's just a day in the life of Tracy Lawless. 
 
Ed Brubaker (Captain America, Iron Fist) is back on the title that made him one of the top writers in the comic book industry. Hot off the terrific short Incognito, Brubaker and Philips re-team to tell yet another story about playing all the angles and survival in the gritty city.
 
Lawless is trying to find out who whacked a corrupt cop without making so much as a ripple for him to trace. The dead cop's cronies have no clue who it could be. The police department can't help because internal affairs is looking into everyone. Basically all his insiders are too hot to use but choice is not a luxury he has. Lawless took an offer he cannot refuse and unknownst to him, a government agency similar to the CIA is looking into his whereabouts. 
 
The problem is, every one is assuming that the killer is someone as dirty as this town but that's not the case. The clock is ticking and our anti-hero is stumped as to where to look. Can he solve the murder and survive the clusterfuck that is about to come down on him? 
 
This is an effective issue because it heightens the desperation, thus driving the plot forward. It's helped by Philips sketchy, rough pencils and dark palette. 
 
Rating: Buy it! Its Brubaker at the top of his game. It's also a 6 issue series so it won't feel novel sized.