As the second arc of “Thief of Thieves” comes to a close, does Spencer’s arc remain top dog, or does Asmus steal the title? Either way you look at it, that’s a terrible play on words that has been abused enough in conjunction with this comic.
Written by James Asmus
Illustrated by Shawn MartinbroughConrad and Augustus are trapped with nowhere to run from the cartel and FBI. Can father and son’s first heist together end in any way but death or capture? Find out in the conclusion to THIEF OF THIEVES’ second arc!
James Asmus’s arc of “Thief of Thieves” may not have hit the same highs that Nick Spencer’s opening arc did, but he goes out with a bang in this issue. As I’ve mentioned before, good action is deceptively difficult, and requires a great deal of subtlety. The first scene of this issue does it just right — as the proverbial shit hits the fan, the scene explodes into a chaotic maelstrom that leaves the reader at the edge of their seat. As we’ve seen already, “Thief of Thieves” isn’t a book that allows its characters to always make clean escapes, so Asmus has the benefit of the doubt, as opposed to the typical action flick “oh, they’ll win somehow” biased, and he takes advantage of this to create an intense few pages. These days, “action” in stories is typically synonymous with violence, but Asmus delivers a sharp reminder that the true key is a sense of urgency. As the crime firm of Redford & Son makes its escape, Asmus throws a few twists and turns, each of which flow organically. Whether it’s through the natural flow of the plot, such as — spoilers — Conrad’s use of the gun, or through character, like [SON] using a trick from his college days, Asmus doesn’t resort to contrived devices to keep the action interesting. The result is much more satisfactory than, say, an ally appearing at a pivotal moment, or than the father and son duo stumbling across uniforms to us as disguises, and prompts an “Oh, nice!” as opposed to an “Oh, come on!”
The second half of the issue is mainly housekeeping: this story comes to a close, the current status of things is reviewed, and a final twist sets up the next arc. Some parts of this segment are entertaining; one of the best touches that Asmus has brought to this book is the father/son dynamic between Conrad and Augustus, and following their hectic escape, we get a good moment yet again bringing out the differences between them: Redmond may be a professional aware of any loose ends, but his son is just a would-be who got in too deep and wants out, and Asmus gets that across through their voices as they review the situation. Unfortunately, this issue does suffer the serialized curse; while this wrap-up probably will read just fine when the series’ second trade hits shelves, it makes the individual issue drag a little bit. Asmus tries to spice it up a bit with the issue’s last few pages, leaving readers on a cliffhanger, and while it sort of helps, it isn’t perfect. This new antagonist, while designed to shock, seems a bit plain in this debut. Sure, he’s violent, and he certainly has the protagonists in a tough spot, but he still seems a bit bland. Still, he shows potential, and that’s what is important; with only a few pages offered, we can’t exactly expect him to be a fully developed, complex character just yet.
If the previous issues of this series taught us anything, it’s that Shawn Martinbrough always delivers. His style is ideal for a heist book like this, mixing action and noir aesthetics without forgoing a touch of realism to keep the book grounded. Martinbrough’s approach to violence is particularly interesting; notice how the violent panels in this issue, particularly near the end, focus less on motion and more on isolating the moment of contact. This approach highlights that this isn’t just some Bruce Willis summer flick where a guy can get grazed by a few rounds and keep on trucking like nothing happened — this is “real life,” where even so-called minor injuries can hurt like a [REDACTED] and life-threatening injuries are mother-[ALSO REDACTED] life-threatening. This is particularly important in a crime/heist book, when the comic needs to convey the point that the slightest error could mean one’s death. These static panels are the exception, though; Martinbrough pays sharp attention to the criss-crossing of vertical and horizontal movement as Conrad and Augustus make their way out of the building, crafting a smooth, exciting read. Something has to be said about having a book where the artist is consistent, as well. While the modus operandi of the big two these days is to have one writer and sixteen different artists, “Thief of Thieves” remind us that, as comics is visual medium, consistency in art is significantly more effective than consistency in writing when it comes to establishing a certain kind of tone.
This issue was the shot in the arm that Asmus’s arc needed — unfortunately, it’s the last issue of said arc, but that doesn’t mean the issue is any worse for it. The first scene is exciting and intense, and probably along the lines of what readers have been dying for since the first issue. While the wrap-up aspects of the issue quickly pull the excitement bar down a bit, the issue does leave new writer Andy Diggle in an interesting place. And, as he has been since it began, Martinbrough is the book’s secret weapon, delivering page after page of excellence. Martin-bro, anyone?
Final Verdict: 8.2 – Buy it!
