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Criminal #9
Bad Weekend
Just in time for Convention Season, the ultimate comic con crime tale!
Comics won't just break your heart.
Comics will just kill you.
Hal Crane should know, he's been around since practically the beginning. Stuck at an out-of-town convention, waiting to receive a lifetime achievement award, Hal's weekend takes us on a dark ride through the secret history of a medium that's always been haunted by crooks, swindlers, and desperate dreamers.
Bad Weekend - the story some are already calling the comic of the year from its serialization in Criminal #2 and 3 - has been expanded, with several new scenes added and remastered into a hardcover graphic novel, in the same format as Brubaker's and Phillips' (Kill Or Be Killed, Fatale, Criminal) bestselling My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies. This gorgeous package is a must-have, an evergreen graphic novel every true comics fan will want to own.
Collects Criminal #2-3 with expanded content.
Comics won't just break your heart.
Comics will just kill you.
Hal Crane should know, he's been around since practically the beginning. Stuck at an out-of-town convention, waiting to receive a lifetime achievement award, Hal's weekend takes us on a dark ride through the secret history of a medium that's always been haunted by crooks, swindlers, and desperate dreamers.
Bad Weekend - the story some are already calling the comic of the year from its serialization in Criminal #2 and 3 - has been expanded, with several new scenes added and remastered into a hardcover graphic novel, in the same format as Brubaker's and Phillips' (Kill Or Be Killed, Fatale, Criminal) bestselling My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies. This gorgeous package is a must-have, an evergreen graphic novel every true comics fan will want to own.
Collects Criminal #2-3 with expanded content.
72 pages, Hardcover
First published July 10, 2019
17 people are currently reading
684 people want to read
About the author
Ed Brubaker
1,797 books3,009 followersEd Brubaker (born November 17, 1966) is an Eisner Award-winning American cartoonist and writer. He was born at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland.
Brubaker is best known for his work as a comic book writer on such titles as Batman, Daredevil, Captain America, Iron Fist, Catwoman, Gotham Central and Uncanny X-Men. In more recent years, he has focused solely on creator-owned titles for Image Comics, such as Fatale, Criminal, Velvet and Kill or Be Killed.
In 2016, Brubaker ventured into television, joining the writing staff of the HBO series Westworld.
Brubaker is best known for his work as a comic book writer on such titles as Batman, Daredevil, Captain America, Iron Fist, Catwoman, Gotham Central and Uncanny X-Men. In more recent years, he has focused solely on creator-owned titles for Image Comics, such as Fatale, Criminal, Velvet and Kill or Be Killed.
In 2016, Brubaker ventured into television, joining the writing staff of the HBO series Westworld.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews
October 21, 2024
Hal Crane is a crusty, bitter comic book artist with a penchant for too much booze.
But he's also famous.
And Jacob is stuck babysitting him at a con.
I like the way this series goes back to tell stories about unsympathetic or unlikable characters we've already said good riddance to. And then Brubaker circles back around to a different moment from their life. Maybe one where they were a bit more relatable?
Bad Weekend is like that.
Because I think most people have, at one time or another, been saddled with looking after someone who is determined to make their job harder than it needs to be.
And that's what happens to Jacob.
There isn't a male fan Hal Crane can't ignore and piss off or a female fan he can't grope and insult. And all of this while dodging panels and signings, much to the ire of the woman running the con. How hard can it be to get one old man to where he needs to be on time?
Hard.
Because Hal is on the trail of something he lost.
What it is, how it relates to his current personality, and what he's willing to do to get it back are all part of the mystery.
Also, the much alluded to but not often-seen Ricky Lawless shows up in this one to make a little trouble.
I thought it was fun.
Not my favorite, but still a good time in the continued Criminal universe.
Recommended.
But he's also famous.
And Jacob is stuck babysitting him at a con.
I like the way this series goes back to tell stories about unsympathetic or unlikable characters we've already said good riddance to. And then Brubaker circles back around to a different moment from their life. Maybe one where they were a bit more relatable?
Bad Weekend is like that.
Because I think most people have, at one time or another, been saddled with looking after someone who is determined to make their job harder than it needs to be.
And that's what happens to Jacob.
There isn't a male fan Hal Crane can't ignore and piss off or a female fan he can't grope and insult. And all of this while dodging panels and signings, much to the ire of the woman running the con. How hard can it be to get one old man to where he needs to be on time?
Hard.
Because Hal is on the trail of something he lost.
What it is, how it relates to his current personality, and what he's willing to do to get it back are all part of the mystery.
Also, the much alluded to but not often-seen Ricky Lawless shows up in this one to make a little trouble.
I thought it was fun.
Not my favorite, but still a good time in the continued Criminal universe.
Recommended.
July 11, 2019
Set in 1997, Jacob is asked to chaperone his former mentor, comics legend Hal Crane, around a convention where he will be given a lifetime achievement award. Sounds straightforward enough, eh? Except Hal is an embittered old drunken wreck whose increasingly reckless, unhinged behaviour lands him and Jacob in one sketchy situation after another! Will they get through the Bad Weekend in one piece?
Much to my, and other fans’, delight, Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips re-upped their five year exclusive deal with Image last December and their first project to emerge was a new monthly run of their signature series, Criminal. Bad Weekend collects issues 2 and 3 of this new run along with a clutch of previously cut pages to form the second Criminal “novella” (the first being last year’s My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies).
The 2019 run of Criminal (currently six issues long) has been absolutely superb though I’d say this storyline, while still good, was my least favourite so far. Except I surprisingly enjoyed reading it in collected form much better the second time around! Maybe because it doesn’t suffer from the comparison of the more exciting Lawless storyline that bookends it in the series or maybe it’s more rounded this way, as opposed to reading it serially – I have noticed how different an experience it can sometimes be to read a title monthly (or whatever the schedule is) and to read it in a collection.
The story is always entertaining. From the moment Jacob encounters Hal, it’s a rollercoaster of crazy: pistol-whipping colleagues in barroom toilets, planning a B&E with Ricky Lawless to get back artwork, and the funny awards show at the end. It’s never anything but an exciting and imaginative read, masterfully written and drawn.
What stood out more to me on this second read was Hal’s complex character – his unexpected moments of vulnerability counterbalancing his obnoxious behaviour, and the tragic story likely behind his destructive behaviour: a car crash back in 1955 with Hal’s old mentor, Archie Lewis. It adds another dimension to the otherwise overfamiliar and sordid tale of comics creators getting fucked over by their publishers. And that bittersweet ending is perfect.
I still don’t really like Jacob Phillips’ colours but it doesn’t detract from the book to give it anything less than the highest rating. Bad Weekend is utterly fantastic and a particularly wry accompaniment to con season! Brubaker and Phillips continue to shine as one of comics’ greatest creative teams – if this is any indication, I can’t wait to see what else they’ve got planned in the years ahead!
Much to my, and other fans’, delight, Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips re-upped their five year exclusive deal with Image last December and their first project to emerge was a new monthly run of their signature series, Criminal. Bad Weekend collects issues 2 and 3 of this new run along with a clutch of previously cut pages to form the second Criminal “novella” (the first being last year’s My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies).
The 2019 run of Criminal (currently six issues long) has been absolutely superb though I’d say this storyline, while still good, was my least favourite so far. Except I surprisingly enjoyed reading it in collected form much better the second time around! Maybe because it doesn’t suffer from the comparison of the more exciting Lawless storyline that bookends it in the series or maybe it’s more rounded this way, as opposed to reading it serially – I have noticed how different an experience it can sometimes be to read a title monthly (or whatever the schedule is) and to read it in a collection.
The story is always entertaining. From the moment Jacob encounters Hal, it’s a rollercoaster of crazy: pistol-whipping colleagues in barroom toilets, planning a B&E with Ricky Lawless to get back artwork, and the funny awards show at the end. It’s never anything but an exciting and imaginative read, masterfully written and drawn.
What stood out more to me on this second read was Hal’s complex character – his unexpected moments of vulnerability counterbalancing his obnoxious behaviour, and the tragic story likely behind his destructive behaviour: a car crash back in 1955 with Hal’s old mentor, Archie Lewis. It adds another dimension to the otherwise overfamiliar and sordid tale of comics creators getting fucked over by their publishers. And that bittersweet ending is perfect.
I still don’t really like Jacob Phillips’ colours but it doesn’t detract from the book to give it anything less than the highest rating. Bad Weekend is utterly fantastic and a particularly wry accompaniment to con season! Brubaker and Phillips continue to shine as one of comics’ greatest creative teams – if this is any indication, I can’t wait to see what else they’ve got planned in the years ahead!
July 29, 2019
Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips put the con back in comic con! Or more correctly, they show you that deceit, back-stabbing, and drunken thievery even at the highest levels of comics fame was always there. As with their The Fade Out, that manages to successfully achieve both nostalgia and expose the dirty "secrets" we all now know about the film industry, Bad Weekend, a gorgeous hardcover compiled from just two issues of the new Criminal (2019) run, (I have reviewed them as they have come out) creates the same kind of nostalgia/horror vibe, but this time about the comics industry, a complete arc focused on former comics star Hal Crane, told by Jacob, his one-time assistant who shepherds Crane around at the conference.
Hal's in his seventies, a drunk, known for some great comics but also for bad sexist drunken behavior, for berating all of his assistants, and for stealing some of his own old comics to help pay for gambling debts. At one point they contact (seasoned thief) Ricky Lawless to break into a guy's house, the day before Crane is supposed to accept a Lifetime Achievement Award at a Comic Con. You don't get any better than this, period.
One moment that made me laugh aloud, just to get the flavor of the writing: We have spent much of the first issue (focused on Friday of said "bad weekend") learning what a prick Hal was, especially to our narrator, who ends the issue planning a comics heist. This Crane is a "character," but also pretty despicable, a jerk. Then, on the very next page, headed "Saturday" Jacob begins, "I feel like I'm not giving you a fair picture of Hal Crane. I'm talking like he's just this string of bad luck and drunken rage. . . but there was more to him than that." Fair picture?! Why do we need a "fair" picture of a guy who was never fair?! But then Jacob proceeds to convince us there's actually a beating heart in old Crane, one that once lived for comics, something Jacob sees in Crane, and wants us to see. The book came in the mail, and I sat down and read it. You should do the same.
Hal's in his seventies, a drunk, known for some great comics but also for bad sexist drunken behavior, for berating all of his assistants, and for stealing some of his own old comics to help pay for gambling debts. At one point they contact (seasoned thief) Ricky Lawless to break into a guy's house, the day before Crane is supposed to accept a Lifetime Achievement Award at a Comic Con. You don't get any better than this, period.
One moment that made me laugh aloud, just to get the flavor of the writing: We have spent much of the first issue (focused on Friday of said "bad weekend") learning what a prick Hal was, especially to our narrator, who ends the issue planning a comics heist. This Crane is a "character," but also pretty despicable, a jerk. Then, on the very next page, headed "Saturday" Jacob begins, "I feel like I'm not giving you a fair picture of Hal Crane. I'm talking like he's just this string of bad luck and drunken rage. . . but there was more to him than that." Fair picture?! Why do we need a "fair" picture of a guy who was never fair?! But then Jacob proceeds to convince us there's actually a beating heart in old Crane, one that once lived for comics, something Jacob sees in Crane, and wants us to see. The book came in the mail, and I sat down and read it. You should do the same.
July 25, 2019
Bad Weekend is issue 2-3 of the new criminal but it's confusing as I wonder where the hell issue 1 went. Anyway, this is still great.
So this is a story about a retired comic artist who basically transformed from a kind man to a asshole. So basically Alan Moore. Now that he is crabby and annoyed at life he is forced to go to a comic con with his old assistant, Jacob. Jacob is not enjoying much of his time with his old mentor but he does what he must because of old times. This turns quickly into a crime story and then a sad tale of loss and forgetting.
I really enjoyed a lot of it. The ending is really predictable but the story and the way it is told is near perfect. The emotions run high, the art is fantastic as always, and the way you feel for a asshole like Hal is perfect. I really enjoyed this and want more Criminal from Ed brubaker for the rest of my life. A 4 out of 5.
So this is a story about a retired comic artist who basically transformed from a kind man to a asshole. So basically Alan Moore. Now that he is crabby and annoyed at life he is forced to go to a comic con with his old assistant, Jacob. Jacob is not enjoying much of his time with his old mentor but he does what he must because of old times. This turns quickly into a crime story and then a sad tale of loss and forgetting.
I really enjoyed a lot of it. The ending is really predictable but the story and the way it is told is near perfect. The emotions run high, the art is fantastic as always, and the way you feel for a asshole like Hal is perfect. I really enjoyed this and want more Criminal from Ed brubaker for the rest of my life. A 4 out of 5.
November 9, 2019
Bad Weekend is a graphic novel that pays some serous homage to the comics industry, its tortured artists, and the crazy fans. A famed comic writer from yesteryear has little understanding of today's fans, comic conventions, and the price of fame. Hal, instead, is a bit twisted over the imagined or real theft of his art. Cantankerous, nasty, but a true artist.
August 13, 2019
I'm glad to see Brubaker returning back to form after the fiasco of My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies. Bad Weekend collects issues #2-3 of the newly ongoing Criminal series with some extra pages, and it tells the story of an archetypical old grumpy comics artist looking for some of his original art that he thinks was stolen from him. It's not much of a "Criminal" story, really (though there definitely are some connections to that part of Brubaker's universe), more a character study and reflection on the comic book industry and how it treats people who are involved in it. It's an interesting story that is very well-written and perfectly paced, though it does feel a bit decompressed. The ending was a bit predictable, and as is often the case with Brubaker's crime comics, none of the characters were particularly sympathetic, but at least their stories were compelling enough (as opposed to the aforementioned Junkies, for example). Speaking of Junkies, looks like that book's colour palette really was a deliberate stylistic choice, because Jacob Phillips's colours looked much better in Bad Weekend. Sean Phillips's art is pretty much business as usual — it's good, though it keeps me wondering why all protagonists in his and Brubaker's comics look exactly the same, and also weirdly not unlike Phillips himself.
Overall, I quite liked Bad Weekend, and I'm certainly glad it's nowhere near the trash quality of My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies. It made me excited to check out the newest Criminal run by the duo and maybe even go back and re-read the old stuff. Most importantly, it's always refreshing to read a comic book that is about something other than fantasy, sci-fi, dystopian futures and superheroes, and there really aren't a lot of creators out there nowadays who still do books like this one, books about the real world inhabited by real people.
Overall, I quite liked Bad Weekend, and I'm certainly glad it's nowhere near the trash quality of My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies. It made me excited to check out the newest Criminal run by the duo and maybe even go back and re-read the old stuff. Most importantly, it's always refreshing to read a comic book that is about something other than fantasy, sci-fi, dystopian futures and superheroes, and there really aren't a lot of creators out there nowadays who still do books like this one, books about the real world inhabited by real people.
May 7, 2024
While it might not be as crime heavy as some other Criminal stories, I do like how this is also a love letter to comics and creators and their history. A story about an ageing creator who has mixed emotions of being bitter but also proud of the medium.
August 6, 2019
I have yet to read a Brubaker and Phillips story I don’t like.
What’s it about?
Hal is a washed up, old comic book artist. He’s very out of touch, depressed, angry, addicted to alcohol and even violent at times. Jacob (another artist who used to be an assistant for Hal) is given the job of making sure Hal doesn’t do anything too crazy and actually makes it to things at a comic con that Hal is a guest at. Well shit gets quite crazy as things tend to in Brubaker’s work!
Why it gets 5 stars:
The story is very interesting. This is less action and more drama than I usually read but nonetheless it’s an outstanding tale.
Sean Phillips is as always a damn good artist and his son Jacob is a damn good colorist!
The characters are very interesting. Brubaker always puts a lot of depth into his characters to make readers more interested in them and this book is a great example.
While not quite an action comic there are some really good intense moments.
This book is pretty suspenseful for sure.
Some parts are quite humorous. Despite a very serious tone I still got to laugh a few times.
The ending is very well done and unexpected.
This story is very emotional.
I always like books set in nerdy environments. The scenery, references, characters, etc. have some sort of nerdy magic to me that always make me like it even more.
Overall:
Another masterpiece from Brubaker and Phillips (now double the Phillips!). The Criminal series (which this is a part of for anyone who may be unaware) continues to be fantastic. This is a great story with emotion, interesting characters and fantastic art. The book may be called Bad Weekend but there’s nothing bad about this masterpiece in comics.
5/5
What’s it about?
Hal is a washed up, old comic book artist. He’s very out of touch, depressed, angry, addicted to alcohol and even violent at times. Jacob (another artist who used to be an assistant for Hal) is given the job of making sure Hal doesn’t do anything too crazy and actually makes it to things at a comic con that Hal is a guest at. Well shit gets quite crazy as things tend to in Brubaker’s work!
Why it gets 5 stars:
The story is very interesting. This is less action and more drama than I usually read but nonetheless it’s an outstanding tale.
Sean Phillips is as always a damn good artist and his son Jacob is a damn good colorist!
The characters are very interesting. Brubaker always puts a lot of depth into his characters to make readers more interested in them and this book is a great example.
While not quite an action comic there are some really good intense moments.
This book is pretty suspenseful for sure.
Some parts are quite humorous. Despite a very serious tone I still got to laugh a few times.
The ending is very well done and unexpected.
This story is very emotional.
I always like books set in nerdy environments. The scenery, references, characters, etc. have some sort of nerdy magic to me that always make me like it even more.
Overall:
Another masterpiece from Brubaker and Phillips (now double the Phillips!). The Criminal series (which this is a part of for anyone who may be unaware) continues to be fantastic. This is a great story with emotion, interesting characters and fantastic art. The book may be called Bad Weekend but there’s nothing bad about this masterpiece in comics.
5/5
October 22, 2024
Comic books are fun, there is no denying that. It’s a medium not just about superhero-themed shared universes, but also a place where anyone can tell any story they wish, as proven with creator-owned works from Image and the recently-cancelled Vertigo imprint. However, from the very beginning to even now, there has always been a shadiness within the comics industry where creators have been screwed over. If you are well-versed in comics history, you can’t help but feel a bit cynical about key aspects of the industry, which is satirized in the latest Criminal novella.
Please click here for my full review.
Please click here for my full review.
November 22, 2020
This short graphic novella loosely fits into Brubaker/Phillips’s Criminal series but it tells a very different story than the other Criminal tales. It’s more of a sad love/hate letter to the comic book publishing business, as it tells the story of failed comic artist forced to accompany his famous, world-weary mentor on a weekend at a comic-con. There’s the tiniest bit of crime here, because it’s really a look at the price of fame and how failure and success can look similar on the surface. And it was a treat seeing the main character from my favorite Criminal story at the forefront again!
February 4, 2020
This is one of my new favorites from Brubaker, it is just awesome. The writing is so captivating in such a nonchalant way its almost mesmerizing how he sucks you into the story of Hal the comic book artist. Hal is an aging artist who is bitter at the end of his career but is also being honored with an award. The "Bad Weekend" is the comic fest where Hal is supposed to get his award. Nothing can really prepare for the direction of the story and it sort of creeps up on you, but damn is it some good writing.
Some how Sean Phillips got better at art and its sort of not fair, he was already brilliant. I don't know if its the subject matter of this book but damn he really shines.
Just read the book
Some how Sean Phillips got better at art and its sort of not fair, he was already brilliant. I don't know if its the subject matter of this book but damn he really shines.
Just read the book
November 27, 2020
Otro cómic con muchísimo amor de esta dupla, pero en esta ocasión diseccionando al mundo del cómic de superhéroes estadounidenses (golden age). Lleno de chistes internos, repasadas a personajes ilustres, cameos variopintos y aún así ingeniándoselas para hablar sobre el amor a las historietas, pese a estar contando una historia sórdida y triste, con un protagonista desencantado y cínico.
April 3, 2022
Los cómics no solo te romperán el corazón. Los cómics te matarán. Hal Crane debería saberlo. Ha existido desde prácticamente el principio. Atrapado en una convención fuera de la ciudad, esperando recibir un premio a la trayectoria, el fin de semana de Hal nos lleva a un viaje oscuro a través de la historia secreta de un médium que siempre ha sido perseguido por ladrones, estafadores y soñadores desesperados. Serializado originalmente dentro de Criminal, esta edición amplía la historia original, con nuevas escenas. Un cómic imperecedero, del equipo creativo maestro de la historieta estadounidense.
September 11, 2020
"Bad Weekend"
This is a story set in 1997. Jacob is asked to go with his former mentor, Hal to a comics convention, where he's going to receive an award for his career in comics. Hal Crane is a comics artist in his seventies, who is addicted to gambling and drinking. Some of his original pages have got stolen, so with Jacob and thief, Ricky Lawless, they break into a rich guys house to try to find those pages.
This is really an amazing story. Hal's character is extremely complex and deep. He is filled with self-hatred, addictions, family issues and many more. Jacob's character is also very interesting. They are both very well written. They are rounded, realistic, relatable and very interesting. The story is quite straight forward, but it is still very interesting, emotional, dark and has some very good plot twists. Hal's character might not be my favorite in the series, but he certainly is one of the most complex, if not THE most complex. Also there are some moments in this graphic novel that are quite funny. Like in every Ed Brubaker comic, the narration is amazing. Another great thing about this comic is the fact that it takes place in a comic convention and it's filled with comics history. Ed Brubaker, once again, writes an amazing neo-noir story that will certainly become classic. Sean Phillips' artwork is very good, but I don't think it's his best work. The coloring by Jacob Phillips is really great. I think he really is an amazing colorist and he has a bright future in the comics industry.
10/10
This is a story set in 1997. Jacob is asked to go with his former mentor, Hal to a comics convention, where he's going to receive an award for his career in comics. Hal Crane is a comics artist in his seventies, who is addicted to gambling and drinking. Some of his original pages have got stolen, so with Jacob and thief, Ricky Lawless, they break into a rich guys house to try to find those pages.
This is really an amazing story. Hal's character is extremely complex and deep. He is filled with self-hatred, addictions, family issues and many more. Jacob's character is also very interesting. They are both very well written. They are rounded, realistic, relatable and very interesting. The story is quite straight forward, but it is still very interesting, emotional, dark and has some very good plot twists. Hal's character might not be my favorite in the series, but he certainly is one of the most complex, if not THE most complex. Also there are some moments in this graphic novel that are quite funny. Like in every Ed Brubaker comic, the narration is amazing. Another great thing about this comic is the fact that it takes place in a comic convention and it's filled with comics history. Ed Brubaker, once again, writes an amazing neo-noir story that will certainly become classic. Sean Phillips' artwork is very good, but I don't think it's his best work. The coloring by Jacob Phillips is really great. I think he really is an amazing colorist and he has a bright future in the comics industry.
10/10
November 16, 2019
…You know how Charles Dickens first got famous…? On the back of a cartoonist. Robert Seymour was so popular that his publisher wanted to put out a monthly magazine of his drawings… They just needed a hack writer to take his art and add words. Hell… Dickens wasn’t even their first choice. But what does he do? He takes over the whole enterprise… Starts making Seymour draw what he wants him to. Giving him tons of notes. The usual writer bullshit… It was the man’s dream gig, and suddenly it’s a nightmare… Seymour blew his own brains out before he even finished the second issue… And Dickens went on to fame and fortune… And immortality.
A crime comic about the comics industry that originally ran as in insert in the back of Criminal, I think, but is now its own expanded comic. Gets into the way that comic books and art in general innovate from one generation to the next, and asks questions about what each generation owes the one previous. Interesting historical note about Robert Seymour, who I didn’t know about previously. Not enough of a comics fan to interpret all the in jokes about Julie Schwartz getting decked or Gerry Conway having a gun pulled on him. Are they just names drawn at random to show that Hal Crane has been in the business a long time? Or is there some implied joke about their own characters? I don't know.
A crime comic about the comics industry that originally ran as in insert in the back of Criminal, I think, but is now its own expanded comic. Gets into the way that comic books and art in general innovate from one generation to the next, and asks questions about what each generation owes the one previous. Interesting historical note about Robert Seymour, who I didn’t know about previously. Not enough of a comics fan to interpret all the in jokes about Julie Schwartz getting decked or Gerry Conway having a gun pulled on him. Are they just names drawn at random to show that Hal Crane has been in the business a long time? Or is there some implied joke about their own characters? I don't know.
February 19, 2024
Ah, solid Brubaker/Sean Phillips collab. Such a great story about the events that can steal our joy and change our lives forever. If you know a grizzled bitter jaded old man, chances are, there was a precipitating event at the crossroads of his early life. This is a story both well-told and well-illustrated. It never tries too hard. Also, it can be read as a standalone.
July 17, 2019
Every time I read a book by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, I wonder why I ever read anything else. Jacob Phillips’s coloring is getting fantastic, too. There’s a few panels in this with colors that will just knock your damn socks off.
September 17, 2019
A quick read, with a nice 'hook.' Who IS Hal Cane, drunk, old, semi-legendary comic pro?
Although, frankly, the story, as it unfolds, is so improbable that, hell yeah, Hal Cane is a composite.
I mean, I seriously doubt that, say, John Buscema ever pistol whipped, say, Don Heck, over 'stolen art.' (Although what do I know?)
Amazing that the kings of the six-volume slow burn managed to tell this one in a mere 72 pp.
Although, frankly, the story, as it unfolds, is so improbable that, hell yeah, Hal Cane is a composite.
I mean, I seriously doubt that, say, John Buscema ever pistol whipped, say, Don Heck, over 'stolen art.' (Although what do I know?)
Amazing that the kings of the six-volume slow burn managed to tell this one in a mere 72 pp.
August 14, 2020
(4,4 of 5 for another great story from the shady pages of Criminal comics)
It was worth the wait. Twelve new issues of Criminal. This is a "separate" story, but it still fits the world Brubarek creates for us. The story is especially fun because it targeted very own world of comics (and their creators). These two issues of Bad Weekend is like some dessert to Cruel Summer main course. Small, but intense and refined. Well done.
It was worth the wait. Twelve new issues of Criminal. This is a "separate" story, but it still fits the world Brubarek creates for us. The story is especially fun because it targeted very own world of comics (and their creators). These two issues of Bad Weekend is like some dessert to Cruel Summer main course. Small, but intense and refined. Well done.
September 14, 2019
Another solid entry in the slowly expanding Criminal world.
May 20, 2025
Bad Weekend by Brubaker & Phillips is a sharp, cynical gut punch that cuts deep into the underbelly of the comics industry. This isn’t just another crime story—it’s a character-driven descent into bitterness, burnout, and the ghosts of a fading legacy. We follow Hal Crane, an aging cartoonist with a legendary past and a self-destructive streak, as he stumbles through a comic convention weekend filled with grudges, regrets, and one last desperate mission.
Brubaker masterfully layers real industry history with fiction, creating a world that feels all too plausible—exploitation, forgotten creators, and the emotional toll of being chewed up and spit out by an industry that never cared. Sean Phillips’ art nails the mood perfectly: moody, raw, and quietly devastating.
The tension simmers from page one and slowly builds into something deeply unsettling. It’s not loud or flashy—it’s the quiet dread of watching someone unravel, and the uncomfortable realization that maybe the system was rigged from the start. Gritty, honest, and expertly done—Bad Weekend is a standout in the Criminal series.
Brubaker masterfully layers real industry history with fiction, creating a world that feels all too plausible—exploitation, forgotten creators, and the emotional toll of being chewed up and spit out by an industry that never cared. Sean Phillips’ art nails the mood perfectly: moody, raw, and quietly devastating.
The tension simmers from page one and slowly builds into something deeply unsettling. It’s not loud or flashy—it’s the quiet dread of watching someone unravel, and the uncomfortable realization that maybe the system was rigged from the start. Gritty, honest, and expertly done—Bad Weekend is a standout in the Criminal series.
November 16, 2020
Ed Brubaker es mi autor favorito de Novela Negra en formato Gráfico. Disfruté cada viñeta de esta historia.
July 28, 2019
Weirdly my first thought was "What the hell does Ed Brubaker know about old school comics?"
Despite having met him at a convention, in my head he's this gritty, disheveled looking private detective hanging out in sleazy bars, trying not to get his fingers broken. If you could typecast a writer, that's my mental image of him.
So, it's really cool to read a story that hits a lot closer to home for both Brubaker and Phillips. It's the kind of story that makes me wonder how much truth there is to it all. Is Hal Crane a pseudonym for a real person or just an amalgamation of people? Is this the real life origin story for Brubaker or Phillips? The narrator Jacob sure looks like Sean Phillips.... and shares his son's name...
This story feels a lot more intimate, there's not a lot of criminality to it, it's more of a character study... I mean they all are, but this one more-so.
As usual I could gush endlessly about Sean Phillips art, but it was really enhanced by his son Jacob's colours. They're so vibrant and clash at times but in a way that really works for the story. I was really impressed by how well this father and son duo work together.
This is one of my favourite Criminal stories, I think because it hits so close to home.
Despite having met him at a convention, in my head he's this gritty, disheveled looking private detective hanging out in sleazy bars, trying not to get his fingers broken. If you could typecast a writer, that's my mental image of him.
So, it's really cool to read a story that hits a lot closer to home for both Brubaker and Phillips. It's the kind of story that makes me wonder how much truth there is to it all. Is Hal Crane a pseudonym for a real person or just an amalgamation of people? Is this the real life origin story for Brubaker or Phillips? The narrator Jacob sure looks like Sean Phillips.... and shares his son's name...
This story feels a lot more intimate, there's not a lot of criminality to it, it's more of a character study... I mean they all are, but this one more-so.
As usual I could gush endlessly about Sean Phillips art, but it was really enhanced by his son Jacob's colours. They're so vibrant and clash at times but in a way that really works for the story. I was really impressed by how well this father and son duo work together.
This is one of my favourite Criminal stories, I think because it hits so close to home.
September 6, 2024
(Zero spoiler review) 2.25/5
So I guess that Criminal deluxe edition volume 3 is where they are throwing all the middling stuff they didn't want to burden the first two with.
Bad Weekend is bad. A rambling diatribe on the pitfalls and perils of the comics industry, which, despite the truth of it all, doesn't add up to any kind of enjoyable or memorable story. Brubaker rails against the industry across 60 or so very uninteresting pages of what could potentially be called a story. I kept waiting for the shoe to drop and for something 'Criminal ish' to happen, but it didn't. There's a dozen better Brubaker stories you could be reading. Don't waste your time with this one. 2.25/5
OmniBen.
So I guess that Criminal deluxe edition volume 3 is where they are throwing all the middling stuff they didn't want to burden the first two with.
Bad Weekend is bad. A rambling diatribe on the pitfalls and perils of the comics industry, which, despite the truth of it all, doesn't add up to any kind of enjoyable or memorable story. Brubaker rails against the industry across 60 or so very uninteresting pages of what could potentially be called a story. I kept waiting for the shoe to drop and for something 'Criminal ish' to happen, but it didn't. There's a dozen better Brubaker stories you could be reading. Don't waste your time with this one. 2.25/5
OmniBen.
October 16, 2019
Read this in the single issues earlier and I honestly haven't noticed any difference (there should be some extra scenes added).
Anyways, Bad Weekend is a nice addition to the Criminal universe. A story from the comic book industry revolving around old artist who's searching for some of his early works. Add Jacob Kurtz and later also Ricky Lawless to the mix and you can be pretty sure that shit is about to go down.
Sean Phillip's are is good as usual and I am growing fond of Jacob Phillip's coloring.
Aside from the mentioned extra scenes, this collection doesn't include any bonuses. Not even covers. There's just one page with a list of other Brubaker's stuff. So if you have this in single issues there's no reason to buy this edition.
Anyways, Bad Weekend is a nice addition to the Criminal universe. A story from the comic book industry revolving around old artist who's searching for some of his early works. Add Jacob Kurtz and later also Ricky Lawless to the mix and you can be pretty sure that shit is about to go down.
Sean Phillip's are is good as usual and I am growing fond of Jacob Phillip's coloring.
Aside from the mentioned extra scenes, this collection doesn't include any bonuses. Not even covers. There's just one page with a list of other Brubaker's stuff. So if you have this in single issues there's no reason to buy this edition.
October 17, 2019
Legendary comic artist Hal Crane spends Comic-Con weekend getting drunk, insulting fangirls, skipping out on convention commitments, and engaging in various criminal activities while hunting for some mysterious pieces of his own work.
Bad Weekend isn't the story of a heist gone wrong or a crime mystery...although there are a couple of heists that don't end well, and there is a mystery of sorts. It's just the story of a sad old crank. Of what may have contributed to his self-sabotage and determination to snatch life-failure from the jaws of success. It's a character study.
The only thing less than excellent about this volume is the barfy Pepto-Bismol cover.
Bad Weekend isn't the story of a heist gone wrong or a crime mystery...although there are a couple of heists that don't end well, and there is a mystery of sorts. It's just the story of a sad old crank. Of what may have contributed to his self-sabotage and determination to snatch life-failure from the jaws of success. It's a character study.
The only thing less than excellent about this volume is the barfy Pepto-Bismol cover.
October 24, 2020
Good, not great. I was kind of "Meh" at the end. Usually, Brubaker and Phillips come up with stuff that's much more meaty than this...
August 20, 2019
Great artwork and a gritty tale about a washed up comic artist who attends a comiccon at which he is supposed to accept an award for life time achievement. Hal Crane is now a jaded old man with deep seated resentments and memories. Jacob who used to admire and work for Hal is asked to chaperone Hal for the weekend and as he does so we are taken through a journey of the seedy side of the industry and the great dreams and aspirations that just didnt live up to what they had promised.
It is a gloriously gritty tale of two men with a past which intertwines with artwork, talent, secrets and crimes. I enjoyed the dark feel to the story. Here are two talented men working in an industry which brings joy to so many adults and children alike, yet at its heart is a hidden darkness with broken dreams, harsh words and a cut throat industry. The story just starts of in a very rambling way but as the layers come off we get to see a kind of twisted darkness within. Excellent storytelling!
Copy provided via Edelweiss in exchange for an unbiased review.
It is a gloriously gritty tale of two men with a past which intertwines with artwork, talent, secrets and crimes. I enjoyed the dark feel to the story. Here are two talented men working in an industry which brings joy to so many adults and children alike, yet at its heart is a hidden darkness with broken dreams, harsh words and a cut throat industry. The story just starts of in a very rambling way but as the layers come off we get to see a kind of twisted darkness within. Excellent storytelling!
Copy provided via Edelweiss in exchange for an unbiased review.
July 11, 2020
I am always a little wary of self-referential tales but this was straight up awesome
Also, it's about comic artists - very few people write about that.
Whatever the case, Ed Brubaker and Sean Philips bring you a great tale.
You start, you are immediately drawn in by the tale, and then it is over with a small but impactful bang.
The only other thing I can say about this - like the short tale Kinski, this is why we have graphic novels.
The tale could probably not have been told any other way - in any case, we are fortunate to have this.
I highly recommend this to anyone.
Also, it's about comic artists - very few people write about that.
Whatever the case, Ed Brubaker and Sean Philips bring you a great tale.
You start, you are immediately drawn in by the tale, and then it is over with a small but impactful bang.
The only other thing I can say about this - like the short tale Kinski, this is why we have graphic novels.
The tale could probably not have been told any other way - in any case, we are fortunate to have this.
I highly recommend this to anyone.
August 14, 2024
I’m currently working my way through the Criminal series. My supplier ( . . . of books, man!) recommended that I hop off at Vol. 5, read the “side quests,” and then hop back on at Vol. 6. “Bad Weekend” is the second of these side stories that I’ve read.
This side story is about Jacob, the cartoonist and counterfeiter from Vol. 2 and 4. It’s set in ‘97. Jacob is recruited to be the handler of an old, bitter comic artist at a convention. However, as usually happens in the Criminal series, things go quickly sideways.
I enjoyed this one but not as much as the main line of Criminal comics. Fans of comics will appreciate the fan service here. There’s a lot of name dropping here (Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and the like) and references to conventions and the comic world.
This side story is about Jacob, the cartoonist and counterfeiter from Vol. 2 and 4. It’s set in ‘97. Jacob is recruited to be the handler of an old, bitter comic artist at a convention. However, as usually happens in the Criminal series, things go quickly sideways.
I enjoyed this one but not as much as the main line of Criminal comics. Fans of comics will appreciate the fan service here. There’s a lot of name dropping here (Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and the like) and references to conventions and the comic world.
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