Thief of Thieves #30 Cover Reviews 

“Thief of Thieves” #30 Steals Its Greatest Item Yet – An Identity [Review]

By | August 28th, 2015
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Being a thief gives you a chance to steal a lot of things but what happens when your identity is stolen? Can you steal it back and remain in the shadows?

Written by Andy Diggle
Illustrated by Shawn Martinbrough

Redmond’s day in court arrives. Who will pay for his crimes?

For as far back as I could remember, I have always been a fan of heist films. There was something about someone stealing something and looking so cool doing it that really appealed to me. In my family too I had two practicing magicians so making things disappear came naturally to me. There was always a cool factor that thieves had that was off the charts, something I always wanted to have. I think about The Thomas Crown Affair and how cool Steve McQueen was in that movie. “Thief of Thieves” follows that same logic making everything in the book cool right down to how things are handled.

This chapter begins with a jailhouse fight between Celia and her roommate Marie. Naturally it is safe to assume Conrad is behind this since Celia is parading around as the famous thief Redmond. Quickly though it becomes clear Conrad had nothing to do with the attack and he comes into the prison as cool as ever. From there the recently retired Conrad knows that no matter how hard he tries to get out of stealing for a living, he simply cannot escape it.

Andy Diggle has seen a few heist movies in his day and it comes through in the writing. One of my favorite aspects of “Thief of Thieves” is how little the characters talk. Granted for a comic that might seem like a drawback, but as a whole it works. Diggle gives just enough to give the reader enough rope to go down one path. Typically these paths get resolved either in a later issue or shown from a different perspective making it like a “choose your own adventure” story. However the one who does the most taking is the one with the most to gain, Conrad. He is out to clear his reputation in the underworld which is like a real world reputation only without anyone really knowing. The identity of Redmond is a mystery to the authorities because they do not have anything tangible to tie it to Conrad. He knows this and uses their weakness as his greatest weapon against them to clear Celia. It is a brilliant bit of misdirection and with the shocking twist at the end of the book it left me wanting so much more.

Given this lack of talk between characters it gives Shawn Martinbrough a chance to flex his artistic muscles. His lines are clean and his details are plentiful especially when it comes to the non-verbal actions of the characters. There is a moment near the middle of the book where Celia has been outplayed by an ambitious prosecutor. The face Celia makes at this revelation is exactly the level of detail needed to express what is going through a character’s head without saying a word. While I found this to be a particular highlight it happens throughout the book when something unexpected happens.

Martinbrough also lays out his panels in a movie storyboard manner that will have you thinking of Ocean’s 11 while you read. The movement between panels visually looks like a split TV screen to show what is happening at the same time. I cannot think of any other book on the market that shares this element. It gives a unique feel to “Thief of Thieves” without feeling like a gimmick that might get old quick.

In that regard Diggle plays the heist movie tropes with all the right notes. Yes it isn’t anything new in that sense but the song is being played properly. Part of the fun in the book is that Diggle & Martinbrough play with the conventions and do not try to trick the reader. A lesser creative team might have fallen into that trap and it would have generated groans from the reader. Thankfully all of this plays out organically, never feeling forced or tired in any way.

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One criticism I would throw at the book is these elements make for such a fast read that is not always satisfying. I have read the book from the beginning and this is frequently a problem I have had with it. Just when the story starts to fire on all cylinders the book is over and I want more. But I will say that every time I get to this point it always feels logical if a bit disappointing. This issue in particular could have been a double issue and there still would have been enough for another. Perhaps I am expecting “Thief of Thieves” to be more of a film then a comic but leaving me wanting more is a good thing.

I am not sure where issue #31 will take Conrad and his merry band of thieves. With the cliffhanger at the end of this issue I wonder if this could mean the end for the book. Diggle doesn’t give away any details on where this might go which is a smart play. Like a good heist film you should never really know until the end what really happened.

Final Verdict: 7.5 – A great issue for the series that sets the stage for the next (or final?) act. Not new reader friendly, but highly recommended for long time fans.


Kevin McConnell

Kevin is a student at Fairleigh Dickinson University and a payroll specialist at ADP. When he is not dealing with the problems of others, he enjoys reading comics, craft beer and writing about those two things. He can be found on all forms of social media via http://kevinmmcconnell.flavors.me.

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