This book is very clearly an attempt to Marvel-ize what Ed Brubaker and Sean Philips were doing with books like Criminal and Sleeper. Of course, they were creating those gritty, excellent crime-focused stories with publishers who allowed them to do whatever they want and ceded both creative control and ownership. That kind of thing just can’t be done the “Marvel Way,” where characters must be preserved for use by subsequent creators.

That’s not to say this is a bad series, or that the idea of a comic focusing on the life of criminals is a bad idea, but it’s not great. It just doesn’t fully click.

High level summary: A criminal is released from prison, signs with The Owl, and has some fraternal drama.

There are cameos by established Marvel folks, and one huge lost opportunity. There are two bars in NYC known to cater to the criminal element. Josie’s, from Frank Miller’s Daredevil, tends to have a nonpowered clientele, while The Bar With No Name is for super-types. The main character here goes to a super-villain bar, but it’s called “Satan’s Circus.”

I wish it had been the Bar with No Name so much that I’m using my tag for that location anyway. That’s how big a nerd I am.

Like I said, nothing terrible here but nothing memorable, either.