Incognito: Bad Influences

Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips are among the most successful creative teams in comics working today and their titles 'Sleeper' and 'Criminal' are among my favorites! With 'Incognito' Brubaker and Phillips have tried their hands at the "pulp" genre. While it's a well-written, well-drawn comic 'Incognito' (and especially this second volume 'Bad Influences') works best as an extension of the themes in their previous comic 'Sleeper'.The story of Incognito involves former mass-murdering super-villain (or "science" villain) Zack Overkill. Zack, after being caught and put into witness protection by the SOS (government sponsored "science" heroes) and discovering his origins in the last book now finds himself working for the "good-guys". The SOS want Zack to go undercover and into his former villain-life to draw out another undercover SOS agent who may have gone rogue. As with the first book Zack sees the line between good and evil blurred and starts to question his role in the world and maybe starts to develop a conscience.If this story sounds a lot like 'Sleeper' that's because 'Incognito: Bad Influences' hits on almost every theme explored in that previous (and better) comic. Both feature undercover protagonists who blur the line between hero and villain and question their feelings and motivations. Both have women in their lives who try and sway their loyalties (or lack thereof). Both comics even seem to take place in the same gritty, super-person infested world. I'm not saying both stories are verbatim or anything, but the line between rehashing old ideas and just plain ripping them off was hard to see at some points.Also, as I pointed out 'Incognito' is supposed to be Brubaker and Phillips' attempt at a "pulp" story. Like the first volume of this comic I just wasn't feeling it with 'Bad Influences'. There are some cheeky and weird bits to 'Incognito' but they're completely overshadowed by the superhero/villain elements. In fact you could just substitute science-villain for "super"-villain and I doubt anyone would notice.The one BIG thing that separates Incognito from Brubaker and Phillips' earilier comics is in it's protagonists. Zack Overkill is much more fun than 'Sleeper's Holden Carver in that he actually likes killing people. Even when working for the good-guys Zack hasn't exactly developed empathy or anything (at least not at first), he just doesn't want to go back to prison and figures killing bad guys is a decent alternative to killing good guys. It's really a testament to Brubaker and Phillips' story-telling that they can make such a mean-spirited character so much fun to read about.While it definitely rehashes a lot of familiar territory, 'Incognito: Bad Influences' is still a solid story and a lot more exciting than most comics on the shelves these days. Sean Phillips' artwork is outstanding as always and brings the characters of 'Incognito' to life, coupled with Ed Brubaker's solid script. A good comic, but a familiar one.

The target audience for this work was clearly "more-grown-up comic people who can now afford higher quality comic books." There are more than a few MacGuffins, and plenty of obvious pandering to the sex/violence desires for the audience that has grown past Batman retakes--but if you want to read a nice, easy comic book, this is exactly the stuff.

Fairly decent read, ok plot, not anywhere near as novel in concept as the original. Not much in the way of character development (hero or villain).Worth picking up if someone is gifting it to you on sale, if not just stay with the original (hopefully the author will write a few more sequals executed as well the first which will get packaged together into a bundled omnibus-type version. But I digress.

Can't go wrong with Brubaker and Phillips. I hope this series comes back one day.

"Incognito: Bad Influences" is the second volume of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips' series-of-miniseries "Incognito", which finished last year and now alternates arcs with their ongoing "Criminal" noir crime title. "Incognito"'s first miniseries was, in many respects, a superhero origin story disguised as a superpowered noir, and the second volume picks up that thread, though, as you'd expect from Brubaker, it goes its own way with that concept. "Bad Influences" collects the whole five-issue miniseries of the same name. Spoilers follow.We open with Zack Overkill now in the employ of the US government, working as a superhero of sorts, and shagging his attractive boss, Zoe Zeppelin (I do enjoy the names in this story; they're an enjoyably goofy contrast to the content). However, his old life as a supervillain both has ghosts that come back to haunt him and legacies that his new bosses want to exploit as part of their fight against the bad guys. Overkill is sent to retrieve a rogue agent who has infiltrated a HYDRA-like terrorist organization, and quickly becomes reacquainted with his old life as he pretends to have gone bad again. On what side will Zack end up?As other reviewers have noted, Brubaker is exploring some of the same terrain he so effectively mined in "Criminal". In this instance, it's about Zack discovering that, in spite of his past, he has developed something resembling a conscience and a desire to do good (or, at least, not to do wrong). Of course, this being a Brubaker story, having arrived at this realization his life soon takes a serious turn for the worse. Whereas the first miniseries left the door open for more stories, but did not necessitate them, "Bad Influences" most definitely ends on a cliffhanger that will need a third volume.Based on this, that third volume will be worth checking out as well.

A super-villain, caught, and now hiding in witness protection, has his cover is blown and then is recruited to help catch bad guys. It should be easy, since he used to be one of them, but now he's been infected by empathy, and it's harder than he thought.Zack Overkill, Zoe Zeppelin, Lazarus, and Simon Slaughter are just some of the characters inside this pulpy, noir, empathetic super-villain story from the super cool Mr. Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. What fun!I got my copy from my awesome local library.

Brubaker and Phillips are always down for a fantastic book and here's no different. Zack Overkill isn't tremendously new as an idea but the execution is extraordinary. This world that they created with super-powered mafia and different shades of moral grayness is exquisite. I would love for this series to keep going. Phillips art is perfect for this in every way. Overall, a great read.

This story arc does resembles "Sleeper" a bit after it gets going. Still a fun ride though, great stuff. Reading this a second time, I'm noticing that it's pretty much a treasure.

L'attente a été longue (1 an et demi) mais voici le deuxième volume de la série 'Incognito' créée par les compères Brubaker et Phillips (Scene of the Crime, Sleeper, Criminal). Zack Overkill est un super-villain repenti, récupéré dans un programme de réinsertion et réhabilitation par une organisation (S.O.S.) qui pour être secrète se situe en principe du bon côté de la ligne Bien/Mal. Mais, bien entendu, cette ligne est on ne peut plus floue, les pensées de Zack sont plus qu'embrouillées, sa crise existentielle plus profonde qu'il ne le croit et les visées de S.O.S. impénétrables... Pour le compte de S.O.S., notre héros s'embarque dans un plan "underground" qui se révèle véritablement foireux, dans la meilleure tradition du roman noir. La mise en image de Phillips est excellente (notamment les expressions faciales et corporelles) mais Brubaker n'accuse-il pas un petit coup de pompe en paraissant revenir sur la scène d'un de ses "crimes" passés (Sleeper) ?