That was great. A good intro into comics book for those who don't care for capes and tights. ( )

I had a feeling I wouldn't be disappointed. That being said, considering how strong season one had been, the doubt still lingered in the back of my mind. Could Phillips and Brubaker create something as strong as the original?

The answer: Yes!

Season one ends with Holden Carver's own personal Empire Strikes Back. All hope is gone for an eventual escape. The documents that could've saved him have been destroyed and the only man who could lift him from enemy territory has been shot, falling into a coma.

Holden realizes that he wants out of this life once and for all, intending to do whatever he can to accomplish it. Who can he trust in making his break? Can he trust anyone? Will he be able to take Miss Misery with him? All the answers are in this second volume.

The quality of season two is remarkable. Not only is it as strong as the original but it's surprising to be told it wasn't even supposed to happen. In the acknowledgements, Brubaker reveals that he was content in leaving the series as it was following the finish of season one. After being swayed by others to continue the story, he put together an outline and a series conclusion within minutes.

The depth here is ridiculous with multiple double crosses, keeping the reader in the dark for the majority of the second half. Considering how much is going on at anytime, Brubaker and Phillips manage to make it easy to follow.

Brubaker and Phillips are a team not to be ignored. They're far and above my favorite collaborative team working in comics and I look forward to reading anything and everything they put out.
( )

Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips have another hit on their hands with their follow-up to Sleeper: Season One.

Picking up where the last book left off, Holden Carver, a former double agent gone rogue, has to deal with the consequences of his old mentor John Lynch awakening from a coma. Part of that fallout includes deciding whose side he is really on, a point made more complicated by his graying morals and his relationship with Miss Misery.

Sleeper: Season Two is just as – if not more – gripping than its predecessor. While it gets a little bit crazy at times with double crosses that are really triple crosses and so forth, it somehow all works together. Sleeper sucks you into its world and you believe these otherwise absurd things because they fit just fine here. And, even though the author is done with the back stories (for the most part) in this book, it seems as though we get to see a bit more of some of the minor characters such as Pitbull. Notably one chapter is almost exclusively devoted to Miss Misery (and is appropriately named “Misery Loves…”).

Without getting into spoilers, I wasn't sure how the author would be able to wrap up a satisfying ending as it felt more and more like he (as well as Carver) was getting boxed into a corner with no way out, but I think the ending is as good as we could get without it feeling cheesy or out of place with the rest of the series.

Like with the first book in the series, the illustrations are great. Throughout the book (though one particularly notable scene can be found on page 177), there are some of the best (most realistic) depictions of rain scenes I’ve ever seen. In the chapter devoted to Miss Misery, there’s a phenomenal sequence showing both flashbacks and a point in time after that in which the present scenes are all only told through illustrations and done quite effectively.

All in all, I was pleased with this series and would recommend it. ( )