It's Criminal, I tell ya'!

[Sparko]

Not too sure what to read after I'm done with The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, but I'm considering Criminal by Brubaker and Phillips, as I've recently come across a nice lot of the trade paperbacks on eBay for relatively cheap. I'm either reading Criminal or Transmetropolitan by Ellis. I know Trans is Vertigo and we're in the Image forum, but can we even compare the two? How do you feel about Criminal? Does it live up to the hype? So far I've really enjoyed Brubaker and Phillips together in The Fall Out, Fatale, Incognito, and Sleeper, I've just never had a chance to delve into Criminal. I have to imagine I'll love it, but I do love some good old British humor, and Mr. Ellis' work has been on my radar for a while now.
And this isn't a huge life decision, just want some opinions.

And off topic, but do you ever pick up whole lots of trades on eBay?

[numberthirty]

The entirety of Criminal is easily my favorite Brubaker work.

Don't really want to spoil much of it.

That said, either of the titles you mentioned are a great call.

[FluffySheep]

I'm a fan of Brubaker and Phillips too, and I haven't read Criminal either. I'm holding out for reprints of the hardcovers, but I am tempted to just buy the trades because I like the rainbow of colours of the spines when they're altogether!

[Joker]

Criminal is fantastic and you should definitely read it.

[Bukdiah]

Not too sure what to read after I'm done with The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, but I'm considering Criminal by Brubaker and Phillips, as I've recently come across a nice lot of the trade paperbacks on eBay for relatively cheap. I'm either reading Criminal or Transmetropolitan by Ellis. I know Trans is Vertigo and we're in the Image forum, but can we even compare the two? How do you feel about Criminal? Does it live up to the hype? So far I've really enjoyed Brubaker and Phillips together in The Fall Out, Fatale, Incognito, and Sleeper, I've just never had a chance to delve into Criminal. I have to imagine I'll love it, but I do love some good old British humor, and Mr. Ellis' work has been on my radar for a while now.
And this isn't a huge life decision, just want some opinions.

And off topic, but do you ever pick up whole lots of trades on eBay?

InStockTrades is where it is at!

[Ilan Preskovsky]

Whoof, tough choice. They're very different but both excellent. I would probably go for Transmet but it is much more idiosyncratic than Criminal.

[ed2962]

I'm a big fan of Criminal but it probably depends on what kind of mood you're in. Criminal is like an Elmore Leonard novel. Transmet is like Hunter S Thompson meets Blade Runner.

[matt levin]

Ultimately, I found transmet bored me. Criminal was/is always engaging, and even, sometimes, scary.

[JJS]

Criminal sits with Sleeper and Daredevil as Brubaker's best work.

Utterly brilliant.

[JackDaw]

Criminal sits with Sleeper and Daredevil as Brubaker's best work.

Utterly brilliant.

Just finished reading it about a week ago, think it's probably Ed B work I most enjoyed...and Ed is one of my favourite writers with likes of Gotham Central, Sleeper, Incognito, and Fatale giving Criminal stiff competition for read I enjoyed most.

Also recently read..and really enjoyed Transmetropolitan. I do have a few reservations about TransMet, in particular I thought the ending was a cop out, and the President was too one dimensional to make a great villain. But basically...like Criminal...it's streets ahead of vast majority of comics, and "best" answer is to read both series.

[JackDaw]

And off topic, but do you ever pick up whole lots of trades on eBay?

Very late answer, I know..was just searching for threads on Criminal because I enjoyed series so much.

But anyway, here goes. Nowadays buy stuff just on Comixology, but when I first started reading comics again got a ton of stuff off eBay, and can't remember a single disappointment.

I'd off, of course, always recommend checking the seller feedback and avoiding sellers where feedback scores dip below 90 percent-ish. But can be a good source of interesting reads.