Sleeper: Out in the Cold - A Review

What happens when you're a deeper cover agent firmly established within one of the world's largest and most notorious crime/terror organizations and the only man who knows you work for the good guys falls into an irreversible coma? You get the outstanding comic series Sleeper from Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips.

Published by Wildstorm Comics, a division of DC Comics, Sleeper stars Holden Carver, an agent forced by his handler, John Lynch, to go work for Tao, a super-manipulator and ruthless criminal mastermind. Unfortunately Lynch has fallen into an irreversible coma just before the series begins and now Carver is on his own. This wonderfully written and superbly illustrated comic chronicles Carver's struggles to not be discovered for the double-agent that he is, avoid capture from those who think he is a traitor, and in general find a way out of the horrible mess he finds himself in.

Brubaker is becoming a "can't miss" writer for me. I haven't come across a single project of his that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed. His work in Sleeper is gritty and hard-boiled, with his usual great sense of plotting and distinctive dialogue.

Sean Phillips artwork is perfectly matched with distinct line work and great design. The color palette chosen by colorist Tony Aviòa only reinforces the fact that this story takes place in the shadows and underbelly of the world that is inhabited by agents and secretive powerbrokers. It makes for a complete package.

I didn't take much notice of Sleeper when the series kicked off over a year ago. Something about the pitch didn't grab me then. It wasn't until later, when the trade paperback collecting the first 6 issues came out, that I bothered to take a look at the series. Brubaker concocted a number of stunts and programs to increase awareness of the book. Apparently reviews had been outstanding for the book, but the sales numbers just weren't there. It was because of Brubaker's pulpit thumping that I began searching out the reviews of the series. I decided to take a chance on Sleeper and picked up Out in the Cold with an Amazon gift certificate. Very glad I did so. The second six issues have already been collected and released, and I plan to pick that up as soon as possible. Season two of Sleeper has just kicked off - with a promise from Wildstorm that the entire next 12 issues of the series will be published. However, instead of picking up the individual issues, I'm going to wait for the collections of those as well. It just reads real nice all collected together.

Sleeper: Out in the Cold is straight up good old-fashioned crime noir book, with taunt pacing, exciting plot twists, and intelligent scripting. The art perfectly compliments and interprets the script, making for a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining reading experience. I can't recommend Sleeper enough.