Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Review- INCOGNITO: THE CLASSIFIED EDITION


INCOGNITO: THE CLASSIFIED EDITION (Icon/ Marvel, 2012; Hardcover)

Collects Incognito #1-6 and Incognito: Bad Influences #1-5 (cover dates December, 2008- April, 2011)

Writer: Ed Brubaker

Artist: Sean Phillips

Colorist: Val Staples

Venturing into my comic room and going through my backlog of unread books can be just like going to a comic shop, as I sometimes stumble upon books that I have no recollection of ever buying, like this one. Imagine my delight upon discovering a previously unread Ed Brubaker amd Sean Phillips book to read. Wow! Plus I didn't have to pay for it since I already bought it, so it was like getting a free book or something.

Brubaker likes to sneak contraband toys into the sandbox. If he is writing a superhero comic he plays it like a spy movie (Captain America). If he is writing a Noir comic it quickly becomes a Horror comic (Fatale). Incognito is a comic fan's comic. It requires a working knowledge of the Marvel Universe, as there are doppelgangers throughout that might not make much sense to an uninitiated civilian. Think of it as Astro City if Astro City got hooked on drugs, had sex, and swore.

This is some pretty hard-edged, balls out stuff, certainly not all ages reading. This is a more grounded, realistic take on the Marvel Universe (only it's not the Marvel Universe) where a villain named Zack Overkill sort of becomes a hero. Lots of page-turning, signature Brubaker writing here. This is some great stuff that everyone should check out.
Junk Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- I was surprised to see that this book is out of print.

Paper stock: Good weight semi-glossy coated stock.

Binding: Smyth sewn binding, lays perfectly flat.

Hardback cover notes: No dustjacket. Image is printed on the casewrap. Casewrap has a nice thick coating and is resistant to scuffing.

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