by
4.25 of 5 stars
Masterfully combining the genres of crime stories and superheroes, SLEEPER provides a dark, humanizing exploration of the criminal world. As an und... read full description

reviews

Dec 01, 2009
Travis rated it: 4 of 5 stars
A spy with a pretty unique super power goes deep under cover in the super villain community, only to have his contact in the spy network get injured and end up in a coma.
Now, he is on his own, as the villains don't entirely trust him, the rest of the spies think he's a traitor and he has to figure out how to walk this tight rope before one side or the other kills him.

Somewhere between the 'Sopranos', the 'Bourne Identity' and 'The Legion of Doom'. It's dark, gritty, there's a d More...
Nov 11, 2011
Sean rated it: 3 of 5 stars
Ed Brubaker has always impressed me and I had heard really good things about the Sleeper series. I finally get a chance to check out the first collection and I have to say it was a little of a let down. It wasn't bad but it also wasn't spectacular either. I love the idea of a double agent but the main character here, Holden Carver, is barely shown that he cares about all the horrible things he's doing so his predicament is less gripping. Also, the book actually is moving too fast. Just when More...
Sep 17, 2011
Billcorcoran rated it: 4 of 5 stars
This is a review of the entire series not just this book. Not a super hero book but the characters are super human. A government agent goes undercover in a terrorist organization and the only goverment official who knows he is a plant is attacked and put in a coma. Now the protagonist has no way to prove he didn't go rogue and is trapped as a member of this terrorist organization.

One of the things I enjoyed about the TV series 24 is the character was often forced into morally ques More...
Apr 21, 2010
matt rated it: 2 of 5 stars
With "Criminal", Brubaker writes these intimate character studies that are terrific, in "Sleeper" he is looking more at the inner workings of a crime syndicate, and it just doesn't grab me the way the "Criminal" stories do. On the whole, "Sleeper" seems very cartoony -the super powers and the bars that serve heros or villians -- it's all a little goofy. I think his work is much stronger when he stays with the gritty "true-crime" type stories of " More...
Dec 16, 2010
Christopher rated it: 4 of 5 stars
It had been a long time since I had read a more modern (not '60s) comic and this hit the spot.
A superhero/undercover spy graphic novel with great art. This had been on my radar for a long time before I got to read it.

I think it being set in the Wildstorm universe made me nostalgic for the Authority and other comics I haven't read in a while.
Wraps up in a satisfying way while teasing more awesomeness to come.
I need to get my hands on the next one soon.
Mar 22, 2010
Grace rated it: 3 of 5 stars
Noir spy thriller with superpowered heroes and villains. The spy stuff in particular was really convincing and well done. Unfortunately there are only two female characters, both of whose plot points revolve around relationships. And there's a lot of gratuitous nudity (I mean really gratuitous - like two dudes are having a conversation about important spy matters and a naked lady just happens to be walking by, filling up the panel). It didn't seem particularly misogynist, just juvenile and cluel More...
Jan 17, 2010
Alex rated it: 5 of 5 stars
Great new comic! A fast read that left me eager for the next one. I picked it up on the theory that the deep-undercover spy story would be good; that the universe includes superheroes and fantasy tech got me really hooked. (I'm a sucker for that.) Gonna go check out the rest from OPL.
Oct 27, 2008
Lloyd rated it: 2 of 5 stars
This is an extremely well written and fun to read book. The only reason I give it 2 stars is because I never got into the Wildstorm Universe or Authority, etc. so I don't have any connection to these characters or situations. Nor do I really feel like going back and reading the Authority collections to give these stories more meaning to me.

I've got all four trades of this series, so I'm sure I'll finish it up. I've just already invested enough of my time in the past keeping up wit More...
Aug 25, 2009
Jennifer rated it: 4 of 5 stars
I don't usually love crime/espionage/villain stories, but I do love Ed Brubaker. Not everything in this was to my taste, but it was certainly well-crafted and the twisty plot and sharp dialogue made me want to read more.
Sep 12, 2009
Phil rated it: 4 of 5 stars
Superpower goes undercover into a supervillain organization, then his contact (and the only person who knows he's undercover) is killed.

I have the complete series, just didn't feel like typing them all in.
Apr 24, 2009
Michael rated it: 5 of 5 stars
Wow! Even though Brubaker retells the same double agent crime narrative, it's done so well this may be my favorite noir graphic novel series. It's so dark it's nearly painful, in a good way.
Jun 24, 2009
Peter rated it: 4 of 5 stars
A double-agent in so deep he can't even tell what or who he's working for, set in a superhero universe, but that's tangential to the story. The tone reminded me of Raymond Chandler...
Jan 01, 2009
Ms. rated it: 5 of 5 stars
This is Ed Brubaker's best work, even better than Criminal. I love the noir touches. He has a new one coming out (Villains? Something like that) that is going to rule.
Aug 08, 2008
Adam rated it: 4 of 5 stars
After reading the first six issues of Sleeper, I honestly can't tell you what it's about. It's allusive, clever, mysterious, tongue-in-cheek, violent, and a lot of fun to read, but the plot points consistently and deliberate obfuscate and build upon one another in ways that make it very difficult to summarize. Basically, it takes place in a world in which heroes and villains with superpowers exist alongside normal folks. The focus in Sleeper is firmly on the villains, both super-powered and othe More...
Nov 04, 2007
Kikuko rated it: 5 of 5 stars
Sleeper is one of my favorite comic series of all time, period. The characters are engaging, and, being post-comic book code, there's no holds barred on what they're able to do. In short, there are a group of people who have superhuman abilities (the main character cannot feel pain, but can pass it on to others when he is injured, for example) who are all working as assassins for a very evil man. Of course, main character falls in love with a woman known as Miss Misery, who is in fact fueled by More...
Apr 04, 2011
Jef added it
Awesome series--"The Sleeper" (Vol. 1-4). Nice spin on the superhero genre. A bit gritty--in a good way.
Feb 28, 2009
Jeremiah rated it: 5 of 5 stars
I have a man-crush on Holden Carver. I can't help it. He's so awesome.
Oct 26, 2009
Stargrave rated it: 4 of 5 stars
enjoyable break-out work for now super-popular Brubaker
May 19, 2011
Federiken rated it: 4 of 5 stars
Sabía que leyendo con un cacho más de atención me iba a convencer más que cuando leí entrecortado el prólogo, Point Blank. Acá encontré más de lo mismo en el buen sentido. Las partes que me parecían demasiado confusas o pretenciosas en PB acá son mucho más claras, entretenidas y personajes y situaciones están llevadas con mejor ritmo que antes. Quizás el dibujo no me haya convencido del todo, pero tampoco es que resta. Pasa de funcional a interesante según qué escena. Espero poder agarrar el #2 More...
Apr 03, 2011
Brian rated it: 3 of 5 stars
***star only review***
Feb 04, 2008
K T rated it: 5 of 5 stars
I like the artwork. It's dark, and has one large panel as the background with other panels inset. The art and story have a film noir style. I found it very engaging.

(Definitely for adults)
Dec 16, 2009
Scott rated it: 5 of 5 stars
I just recently finished reading this book and this is probably the best graphic novel I've read in a long time. If you're in to noir at all, this book is definitely for you. Highly recommended.
Aug 26, 2008
Jenn rated it: 5 of 5 stars
Kind of like what "Wanted" would have been inching toward if Mark Millar found a way to siphon the class out of Ed Brubaker's little toe.
Dec 03, 2007
Justin rated it: 5 of 5 stars
A brilliant book that flawlessly fuses noir, espionage, and super-powers into a grim, very dark, but undeniably fascinating story.
May 21, 2007
Bryan rated it: 2 of 5 stars
Kinda crap. Adding tits, perverts and cussing does not a mature comic make. I thought this Brubaker guy was supposed to be good.
Oct 02, 2007
Eric rated it: 5 of 5 stars
Pure noir, and the best use of super-power as character trait I can think of. Highly recommended.
Jan 11, 2008
Joe rated it: 4 of 5 stars
cool art. gets superheroes right, I think.
Jun 03, 2011
HKd rated it: 4 of 5 stars
brutal but good
Feb 12, 2012
Disgraziano added it
Feb 12, 2012
Tom rated it: 3 of 5 stars