Reviewer: Tim Stevens
Story Title: Heroes and Villains
Written by: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Sean Phillips
Colored by: Carrie Strachan
Lettered by: Jared K. Fletcher
Editor: Scott Dunbier
Publisher: Wildstorm Comics
Two “seasons” worth of Sleeper reach their end here and what is there to say about it that hasn’t already been said? Not much, really. The art is still a perfect fit for the book, dark, scratchy, and deep. The writing is still top notch. Brubaker’s take on the wounded/trapped Tao is almost more frightening than the healthy, completely in control version that has been stalking the whole of the two seasons. So let’s just do a quick rundown of what was great about this issue:
1.) Brubaker gives Lynch a bit of soul while still acknowledging his need to manipulate
2.) The aftermath of Grifter’s battle with Grimm, both his reaction and the reaction of the clean up team
3.) Holden’s “solution” to the problem of Tao
4.) Holden’s “solution” to the problem of Lynch
5.) Holden’s final fate
Honestly, I read the book twice to see if there was anything I could point out as bad, but I didn’t find it. This may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for those it was, this was an excellent book and this ending is one befitting of the 23 issues that preceded it.
