So, why did I pick this comic to review this week? Well, let's start with the writing since I have to now prove why I think Nick Spencer is a damn good writer. Simply put....this comic flows. When issue #1 came out I was excited by the prospect of this book and very pleased when I finished reading it. The characters were not overly developed but had so much that was being said about them. There wasn't much meat to the first issue but it lays out the beginnings of a tale that you want to hear. I am the type of comic reader that will stick with a comic to see if it's going to get any better. I know it seems to be a weakness but believe me there are plenty of us out there. But, I am also the type of comic reader that will drop a title at the snap of my fingers when I do finally realize that a comic is just not getting any better. That being said, the formula for a comic that is going to lead you along is to start off with issue #1 having very little story but compelling enough that you want to stick with it. By issue #2 and #3 (maybe as far as issue #4) this comic is in my pull file at Black Bowser Comics of it's back on the comic racks the following week. Thief of Thieves does a great job of stringing you along, meant totally as a compliment. It gives you pieces of the story one tiny morsel per serving and uncovers a very small bit of a character's past at just the right time and in the right amount. By issue #6 I had an expectation of how each issue was going to be presented. Issue #7 changed that with its fast paced heist story and the culmination of events from previous issues. I'm not going to get into particulars of issue #7 because I hate reviews that are full of spoilers but let me just say that I can't wait to see what happens to Agent Cohen.
I think I've blabbed on enough about the plot and writing let me see if I can become a blowhard about the art in this book. Like most comic book readers I enjoy a particular style of art when I read. That doesn't mean that I pass up a book because I don't like the art but I prefer to have both art and story working hand in hand. Shawn Martinbrough does an amazing job on this book but if anyone has read DMZ they should know what I'm talking about. His style is very suited to a noir tale but fits in so perfectly with Thief of Thieves. The panels are uncluttered and clean, focusing on the story being told and leading you through the book just as much as the writing. Have you ever read a comic and either covered over the dialogue or pretended that it wasn't there? If you haven't you really should....it's a lot of fun. I started doing this a few years ago on the recommendation of a comic fanatic friend of mine in Toronto. He collected and read a lot of comics each month and would read every comic twice....the first read with just art and then a second time with art and dialogue. He said that you can tell a lot about an artist and their ability to tell a tale by doing this. Shawn (and Felix Serrano....sorry Felix) pull this tale along panel by panel and if you didn't have any dialogue you would be just as immersed.
If anyone out there is looking for a great comic to get into please, do yourself a favor and pick up Thief of Thieves. It might be tough to find some of the first issues of this fantastic book but fear not, the fist volume of the trade is due out September 5th, 2012. The last thing I want to say about this comic is that I am super excited as a comics reader, a movie and t.v. buff, and a comic/video store owner for Thief of Thieves to make it to the small screen. The comic series has already been picked up by AMC (the same company that puts out The Walking Dead) and will be on that same channel sometime in the future.
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