Description

BRUBAKER & PHILLIPS’ CRIMINAL epic, collected for the first time in
trade paperback.

In the summer of ’88, Teeg Lawless comes home to plan
the biggest heist of his career. But Teeg’s son Ricky and his friends are
starting down the same dark path their fathers are on, and this is about to
become the worst summer of their lives.

An epic tale of tragedy handed
down from generation to generation, CRUEL SUMMER is a crime comic masterpiece
from the most celebrated noir masters in the industry, creators of CRIMINAL,
FATALE, KILL OR BE KILLED, THE FADE OUT and the RECKLESS series of graphic
novellas.

Collects CRIMINAL #1 and #5-12 with additional
behind-the-scenes material.

Publisher Review

LIBRARY JOURNAL (STARRED) -- In the summer of 1988, vicious career criminal Teeg Lawless becomes infatuated with Jane, a mysterious con artist drawn to his ferocity, much to the chagrin of Teeg's 16-year-old son, Ricky. Unnerved at seeing his father embrace something like domesticity, Ricky becomes increasingly reckless and erratic, alienating best friend Leo, a young thief who prides himself on his overly cautious approach to criminal activity. Teeg enlists Leo's father to help him pull off a major heist he believes will provide him and Jane with a fresh start. But when Jane and Ricky form a bond, and a private detective obsessed with saving Jane from a life on the run arrives in town, all involved are set on a collision course that can only end in tragedy. VERDICT The powerhouse creative team of Brubaker and Phillips (Pulp) combine elements of noir and coming-of-age stories in this psychologically and emotionally complex drama about desperate men and women daring to strive for better lives in a violent world where hope and love are dangerous liabilities.