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Thief of Thieves #3
Thief of Thieves, Vol. 3: Venice
Conrad Paulson lives a secret double life as master thief Redmond. There is nothing he can’t steal, nothing he can’t have...except for the life he left behind. Now it’s go time for his Venice heist — and THIEF OF THIEVES’ most EXPLOSIVE story arc yet! Collects THIEF OF THIEVES #14-19.
128 pages, Paperback
First published December 4, 2013
3 people are currently reading
124 people want to read
About the author
Andy Diggle
519 books168 followersAndy Diggle is a British comic book writer and former editor of 2000 AD. He is best known for his work on The Losers,Swamp Thing, Hellblazer, Adam Strange and Silent Dragon at DC Comics and for his run on Thunderbolts and Daredevil after his move to Marvel.
In 2013 Diggle left writing DC's Action Comics and began working with Dynamite Entertainment, writing a paranormal crime series Uncanny. He is also working on another crime series with his wife titled Control that is set to begin publishing in 2014.
In 2013 Diggle left writing DC's Action Comics and began working with Dynamite Entertainment, writing a paranormal crime series Uncanny. He is also working on another crime series with his wife titled Control that is set to begin publishing in 2014.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
August 14, 2025
Venice. The city of heists.
Redmond's son, Augustus, is in trouble...again. And he's dragged Conrad right into the middle of it. It seems the only way to save their lives is to come up with 4 million dollars and pay off Augustus' debt to a very scary cartel boss named Lola.
How exactly does a retired thief come up with that kind of money? He'll steal it, of course.
To do that he'll have to make sure the Venice job that he walked away from goes off without a hitch.
It's not exactly fresh, but I absolutely love heist stories. And if you've read (or watched) one, then you've seen them all. The twists aren't really a surprise because you're expecting them to be there. You aren't really wondering if your guy is going to survive by the skin of his teeth, because of course he will - that's the genre!
It's not will he pull it off, it's how will he pull it off.
So. Either you like 'em or you don't.
I usually enjoy Andy Diggle's writing, and this is no exception. Glad to see he's writing the next few volumes of this.
Recommended.
Redmond's son, Augustus, is in trouble...again. And he's dragged Conrad right into the middle of it. It seems the only way to save their lives is to come up with 4 million dollars and pay off Augustus' debt to a very scary cartel boss named Lola.
How exactly does a retired thief come up with that kind of money? He'll steal it, of course.
To do that he'll have to make sure the Venice job that he walked away from goes off without a hitch.
It's not exactly fresh, but I absolutely love heist stories. And if you've read (or watched) one, then you've seen them all. The twists aren't really a surprise because you're expecting them to be there. You aren't really wondering if your guy is going to survive by the skin of his teeth, because of course he will - that's the genre!
It's not will he pull it off, it's how will he pull it off.
So. Either you like 'em or you don't.
I usually enjoy Andy Diggle's writing, and this is no exception. Glad to see he's writing the next few volumes of this.
Recommended.
September 22, 2015
Bullet Review:
Quite possibly the best of the 4 I've read. The plans we've seen since volume 1 get set into motion. Lots of twists and turns - some predictable, some not so much. It's kinda more disappointing, though, given how kinda cheesy Volume 4 ends up.
Quite possibly the best of the 4 I've read. The plans we've seen since volume 1 get set into motion. Lots of twists and turns - some predictable, some not so much. It's kinda more disappointing, though, given how kinda cheesy Volume 4 ends up.
September 14, 2014
This volume is a lot like the second, in some ways. Good, but not great. I have to say, one specific element of this volume's heist was a bit of a blow to my enjoyment of the story. Because stained glass doesn't really work like that, guys. Luckily, it was a relatively small thing, and that part was over quickly.
September 6, 2018
So much fun crime storytelling thanks to the great comics art of Shawn Martinbrough. Great that our library ordered this series!
Recommended.
Recommended.
August 18, 2022
The Venice job is on! Plans on plans on plans revealed!
2022 reread: Final reread before I start the collections I haven’t read.
2022 reread: Final reread before I start the collections I haven’t read.
October 10, 2020
Review for the series
Inconsistent, but enjoyable overall. Big Bads are fairly interchangeable early on and every crime being redone in hindsight is repetitive.
Inconsistent, but enjoyable overall. Big Bads are fairly interchangeable early on and every crime being redone in hindsight is repetitive.
July 11, 2021
A good story of deceit, misdirection and betrayal.
April 25, 2022
This is the third volume of the ongoing saga of the tormented and very conflicted thief Redmond. In this latest installment, the protagonist cannot refuse participating in what he hopes is his last criminal enterprise - an elaborate heist in Venice - given that the ringmaster of the criminal gang has taken his son hostage, and thus, Redmond´s son is the leverage that is used to compel Redmond to once again act as Thief of Thieves.
The forces at play include as before shadowy cartel figures, the Mafia, and the ostensibly respectable figure organizing the heist; other recurring figures are the FBI agent who wishes to jail Redmond once and for all (Cohen), Redmond´s ex Audrey, and the shadowy Celia, Redmond´s patient partner in crime, who may also be his girlfriend.
Redmond, hedged in by problematic if not threatening forces, is the ultimate reluctant criminal mastermind - rather than give away the plot and its denouement, suffice it to say that the book does end with Redmond behind bars, after having successfully pulled off the caper. Once again, given Redmond´s grim yet triumphant expression in the final frame of the book, as he sits in his jail cell, the stage is clearly set for the next volume of the Thief of Thieves.
The drawings, subdued color scheme were as usual excellent - and the dialog is snappy; there is also less gratuitous violence than the prior volume, a definite plus. The book can easily be read in one sitting, and this may in fact be preferable since there are numerous twists in the plot, such that, if, in the meantime, that is, putting the book down and getting distracted by something else, the plot twists escape one´s memory, then the book could become potentially confusing, somewhat difficult to follow. Redmond does outsmart the forces that are out to get him -- the mystery we are left with is how will Redmond get himself out of jail?
The forces at play include as before shadowy cartel figures, the Mafia, and the ostensibly respectable figure organizing the heist; other recurring figures are the FBI agent who wishes to jail Redmond once and for all (Cohen), Redmond´s ex Audrey, and the shadowy Celia, Redmond´s patient partner in crime, who may also be his girlfriend.
Redmond, hedged in by problematic if not threatening forces, is the ultimate reluctant criminal mastermind - rather than give away the plot and its denouement, suffice it to say that the book does end with Redmond behind bars, after having successfully pulled off the caper. Once again, given Redmond´s grim yet triumphant expression in the final frame of the book, as he sits in his jail cell, the stage is clearly set for the next volume of the Thief of Thieves.
The drawings, subdued color scheme were as usual excellent - and the dialog is snappy; there is also less gratuitous violence than the prior volume, a definite plus. The book can easily be read in one sitting, and this may in fact be preferable since there are numerous twists in the plot, such that, if, in the meantime, that is, putting the book down and getting distracted by something else, the plot twists escape one´s memory, then the book could become potentially confusing, somewhat difficult to follow. Redmond does outsmart the forces that are out to get him -- the mystery we are left with is how will Redmond get himself out of jail?
February 15, 2021
"We don't rob. We thieve."
Conrad Paulson has spent his life executing one daring heist after another as Redmond, the world's greatest thief. But enough years of crime will catch up to anyone, and now that Paulson wants to retire, he's finding a whole lot more loose ends to take care of than he ever imagined. Thief of Thieves is a really fun read - a slick series of caper stories about a master thief, his estranged family, his partner, his crew, the agents on his tail, the crime lords who cross his path and an ever-increasing set of stakes in a world where you can't afford even a single mistake. Much of Thief of Thieves is derivative, borrowing more than a little from the likes of To Catch a Thief and Ocean's 11, but its execution is so good - with tightly told narrative, great characters and terrific artwork throughout - that it doesn't much matter. Over the course of seven volumes, we see Paulson and his world go through an awful lot, and even though it kind of ends up how we think it will, that's all good. There are only ever two destinations for a life of crime, and Thief of Thieves is no different. But the destination isn't the score here. It's the journey. And for us in the audience, Thief of Thieves is quite a score, indeed.
Conrad Paulson has spent his life executing one daring heist after another as Redmond, the world's greatest thief. But enough years of crime will catch up to anyone, and now that Paulson wants to retire, he's finding a whole lot more loose ends to take care of than he ever imagined. Thief of Thieves is a really fun read - a slick series of caper stories about a master thief, his estranged family, his partner, his crew, the agents on his tail, the crime lords who cross his path and an ever-increasing set of stakes in a world where you can't afford even a single mistake. Much of Thief of Thieves is derivative, borrowing more than a little from the likes of To Catch a Thief and Ocean's 11, but its execution is so good - with tightly told narrative, great characters and terrific artwork throughout - that it doesn't much matter. Over the course of seven volumes, we see Paulson and his world go through an awful lot, and even though it kind of ends up how we think it will, that's all good. There are only ever two destinations for a life of crime, and Thief of Thieves is no different. But the destination isn't the score here. It's the journey. And for us in the audience, Thief of Thieves is quite a score, indeed.
April 12, 2014
The quality of the book goes up again with this story arc, featuring a brisk, smart story. Martinbrough's art is poppy and perfectly suited to tone, while Andy Diggle's succinct writing shines, allowing the art to tell its side of the story. Conrad's relationships with Audrey and Detective Cohen make some progress, with focus turned away from the father son dynamic seen in the last trade, and a clever set up is pulled off here, pointing us in the direction of the next big target, without ever saying it out loud. The Thief of Thieves books are breezy and easy to absorb, and this story comes back up for air after the blood soaked story arc just before it. The humor is still not in place with Nick Spencer's absence and I'm still waiting for a Celia story arc, but it's a good book, and a strong offering in the sparse world of graphic crime fiction.
January 17, 2022
After pimping my own book in reviews of the first 2 volumes of Thief of Thieves. I'm retired. No more.
Well, okay. Maybe they drew me back in for one last job.
The Heist-est Heist Ever Heisted is a story of a heist that requires a guy to take a very specific kind of dump in order to unlock a door. That's basically it.
Am I doomed now? It feels like I might be.
On the other hand, they always say they're doomed when they come back for one last job, but then they usually seem to get away with it. Probably because it's not that fun to watch Brad Pitt check in with a parole officer every week. Although...what if she was a SEXY parole officer!? Now we've got a sequel on our hands. Write that down. In fact, we made the thieves sexy, let's make EVERYONE sexy! The casino owner, the cops, the janitor. Let's just say Fuck It and make absolutely everyone sexy. Why not?
Well, okay. Maybe they drew me back in for one last job.
The Heist-est Heist Ever Heisted is a story of a heist that requires a guy to take a very specific kind of dump in order to unlock a door. That's basically it.
Am I doomed now? It feels like I might be.
On the other hand, they always say they're doomed when they come back for one last job, but then they usually seem to get away with it. Probably because it's not that fun to watch Brad Pitt check in with a parole officer every week. Although...what if she was a SEXY parole officer!? Now we've got a sequel on our hands. Write that down. In fact, we made the thieves sexy, let's make EVERYONE sexy! The casino owner, the cops, the janitor. Let's just say Fuck It and make absolutely everyone sexy. Why not?
December 21, 2021
I like this series. Volume 3 might not be the best of the bunch.
1 & 2 moved rapidly and combined the subplots of the wayward son and obsessed FBI agent with some interesting robberies. The main theft in volume 3 is epically large, but the crew doesn't come to it in a good way. There is too much subplot and too little attention on the job. In the end, part of the crew is making off with a fortune in art that was almost entirely stolen while we were following the FBI agent and some mob flunkies.
I'll read number four.
1 & 2 moved rapidly and combined the subplots of the wayward son and obsessed FBI agent with some interesting robberies. The main theft in volume 3 is epically large, but the crew doesn't come to it in a good way. There is too much subplot and too little attention on the job. In the end, part of the crew is making off with a fortune in art that was almost entirely stolen while we were following the FBI agent and some mob flunkies.
I'll read number four.
June 22, 2021
Tahle série se někomu může poměrně rychle zajíst protože je prakticky pořád o tom samém. První kniha dělá hodně fajn heist story, dvojka s trojkou už jsou spíš takový odpočinkový akčňáky bez přidané hodnoty. Ale o tom to je, a upřímně se bavím. Martinbrough se trochu zlepšuje, jeho i coloristy práce se stíny a černou mě tady bavila hrozně moc.
July 24, 2015
Big score
December 29, 2015
I can see its flaws, but honestly idgaf because I loooooooove this series.
September 29, 2022
This volume fills out the arc involving the complex heist in Venice, and also a lot of other stuff, but leaves enough dangling to continue the series for a couple of more books. I don't have those on hand, or else I would pick them up and read them right away, because the writing has kept me turning pages. Now that the idiot son is no longer a main focus, I'd like to know what the big name thief and his friends are going to do, now that they've pointed some major dangerous people at each other. No hurry, though, because this really is the end of a story arc. If I find the other volumes, I will certainly read them.
July 30, 2017
The good:
-We see all that fuzz about Venice and is great.
-Just at the moment when you get revelations, you get more secrets to keep going.
-The rhythm is just great.
-Even when you know that there will be a plot twist, you can't tell what will it be.
The bad:
-This volume is less dramatic and heart breaking because it doesn't depict the past relationships of Redmond, (in volume one we see him with his best friend and wife and the second volume is about his son) but this kind of rest feels good for this volume, you have an action packed volume after two sentimental volumes.
-We see all that fuzz about Venice and is great.
-Just at the moment when you get revelations, you get more secrets to keep going.
-The rhythm is just great.
-Even when you know that there will be a plot twist, you can't tell what will it be.
The bad:
-This volume is less dramatic and heart breaking because it doesn't depict the past relationships of Redmond, (in volume one we see him with his best friend and wife and the second volume is about his son) but this kind of rest feels good for this volume, you have an action packed volume after two sentimental volumes.
October 26, 2023
Thief of Thieves. Vol. 3 – VENICE
Thrilling, Redmond is the new anti-hero of heist tales. ****
#14 – Old Thieves Never Die. They Just Get Taken – “Reputation is so important in our line of work ..” – Cole
#15 – No U-Turn at the Toll Gate
#16 - <“Let him try. We will be waiting for him.”>
#17 – “I’ve got you now, you son of a b__” – Redmond
#18 – “Thanks to you, my friends have lost everything. Now I must make it right.” – corrupt Italian detective.
#19 – “I came across a little black book.” – Redmond
Thrilling, Redmond is the new anti-hero of heist tales. ****
#14 – Old Thieves Never Die. They Just Get Taken – “Reputation is so important in our line of work ..” – Cole
#15 – No U-Turn at the Toll Gate
#16 - <“Let him try. We will be waiting for him.”>
#17 – “I’ve got you now, you son of a b__” – Redmond
#18 – “Thanks to you, my friends have lost everything. Now I must make it right.” – corrupt Italian detective.
#19 – “I came across a little black book.” – Redmond
June 2, 2023
What would you do if your child was going to die if you didn’t pull of the ultimate heist job? Well buckle up for another heart-pounding adventure with Redmond. The Venice Job that has been alluded to in the previous books…well it appear that it is a go! The dark world continues to show glimpses of even darker places and the stakes are as high as they’ve been since the series started. Great story by Kirkman, Asmus and Diggle as well as great art by Martinbrough and Serrano.
May 5, 2020
Once again, this reads like a summer blockbuster with brains. Twists, turns, characterization, and high stakes make this a fantastic read. Shawn Martinbrough delivers pitch perfect pencils in every panel. All the writers involved wove an excellent heist story. Overall, a masterpiece.
October 1, 2020
A nice blend of action, suspense and double crosses. Great artwork. We're never given to much detail about the second/third tier characters and if they were a little more fleshed out this may have gotten to 4 stars.
January 8, 2022
The previously hinted-at Venice job - not a bad caper, although still not particularly enamored by how it is all tied back to the son. In the end still successfully paints towards a future grand finale, while the heist in this particular story is not as grand as I'd hoped.
June 18, 2017
Good shit. Although i'll say that I hope Cohen wins at the end of this series. I guess.
September 12, 2017
Actual rating: 3.5
Redmond is very, very good at what he does - in everything except for his family life. Like how we finally got to see this con that is hinted in the very first volume.
Redmond is very, very good at what he does - in everything except for his family life. Like how we finally got to see this con that is hinted in the very first volume.
October 10, 2018
Getting more intense. Has a very violent Ocean's feel to it.
November 19, 2018
What a heist! What a rush!
October 8, 2019
Yeah, I'm still enjoying this enough to keep reading.
December 27, 2021
Better than volume 2 but feels like the storyline is a crappy version on Gone in 60 Seconds with art. I am left wondering why I purchased volume 1-5. I see a used book store in my future.
March 29, 2022
Eh fine. Entertaining enough, even though it felt constructed from a grab bag assortment of heist story tropes.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews