Charles Rowland & Edwin Paine (The Dead Boy Detectives)

Created by Neil Gaiman & Matt Wagner Originally created by Neil Gaiman in his popular Sandman series from DC/Vertigo back in the nineties, EDWIN PAINE (died 1916) and CHARLES ROWLAND (died 1990) are two British schoolboys who have shuffled off this mortal coil--but that hasn't stopped them from making like the would-be Hardy Boys of the afterlife, … Continue reading Charles Rowland & Edwin Paine (The Dead Boy Detectives)

Ethan Reckless

Created by Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips "I'm not a private eye. I'm just... someone who helps people sometimes." It's Los Angeles in the 1980s, and former sixties radical/undercover FBI agent turned surfer dude/troubleshooter (or is that troublemaker?)  ETHAN RECKLESS is on the prowl, going down mean streets Chandler could never have imagined; streets teeming with … Continue reading Ethan Reckless

My Bookshelf: Noir: A Crime Comics Collection

My Bookshelf Noir:  A Crime Comics Collection One of the few collections of crime comics ever released, 2009's Noir:  A Crime Comics Collection must have caused at least some ripples because, despite being black & white and the skimpiness of original paperback edition's size, it was brought it back in a full comics-size hardcover version in … Continue reading My Bookshelf: Noir: A Crime Comics Collection

Ezra Cain (Brutal Dark)

Created by Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips So, while the world was going crazy in 2020, and their proposed series launch of their ongoing series from Image, That Texas Blood, was being indefinitely delayed, comic guys Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips whipped up a little something to tide fans over. What they cooked up was a … Continue reading Ezra Cain (Brutal Dark)

Frank Kafka

Created by Jacob Kurtz (aka Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips) "It never makes any goddamn sense." Now here's something you don't see everyday: a fictitious comic strip drawn by a character in a comic book. Is that meta enough for ya? FRANK KAFKA is the private eye hero of a popular daily comic strip titled, appropriately enough … Continue reading Frank Kafka

Dark Horse Presents

Private Eyes from Dark Horse Presents & Other Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Presents made its debut in 1986 as a monthly comic book showcase/anthology for writers and artists for the then-upstart Dark Horse Comics. It was actually the first comic book they published, and served as their flagship title until it ended its initial … Continue reading Dark Horse Presents

Hal Banks

Created by Ed Brubaker Art by Stefano Gaudiano His father split when he was eight, and he's never really gotten over it. Now, surprisingly downbeat comic book eye HAL BANKS makes a half-assed living as a half-assed gumshoe. Suffice it to say Hal doesn't seem to have much of a life. His ex-wife left him … Continue reading Hal Banks

Criminal

Created by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips No, the long-running, Eisner-winning CRIMINAL comic book series, written by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, isn't a P.I. comic. Not really. But with stuff this good, who cares? Criminal began in October 2006, initially published by Marvel's Icon imprint, and followed the crimes (successful and otherwise) and misadventures of … Continue reading Criminal

Dan Farraday

Created by Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips It's about time writer Brubaker and his partner in crime, Phillips, introduced a private eye into their long-running, Eisner-winning Criminal series. But why'd it take so long? Since the series began back in 2006 as a limited series, published by Marvel's Icon imprint, it's been a wild ride full … Continue reading Dan Farraday

My Scrapbook: Darwyn Cooke’s Color Model Sheet for Slam Bradley

My Scrapbook Darwyn Cooke's Color Model Sheet for Slam Bradley (March 2001) Say what you will about Slam Bradley, arguably DC Comics' longest running detective character (first appearance: Detective Comics #1), but his revival in 2001 in a four-part backup that ran in issues #759-762 of that magazine may be the greatest and most sincere … Continue reading My Scrapbook: Darwyn Cooke’s Color Model Sheet for Slam Bradley