INCOGNITO: BAD INFLUENCES #1

Writer Ed Brubaker has been in a funk lately. His work on Captain America lately has been dull and his work on Secret Avengers is terrible and silly. Thank God he's still writing his independent crime books. His last installment of Criminal was his best yet, and this series is shaping up to be another terrific work. This series deals with Zack Overkill, a used-to-be super villain that is now working for the good guys. The first six-issue arc had Zack stuck in a witness protection program and this new one starts out similar: the U.S. Government has him working for them and living a deadly dull regular life as a decoy. He fights crime now and has taken down “Dark Leopold” and “his nuclear nazis,” “Zhing fu, the Asian underlord,” and “G.I. Gorilla.” This series sets up him attempting to bring back a maniacal rogue agent from the dark side. Oh, yeah: and he's sleeping with his boss, Zoe Zeppelin, but he doesn't want to tell his therapist. Yes, it's very old-school. It's like the old comic book and radio serials from the 30's and 40's but it has the modern edge to it. Artist Sean Phillips is doing an amazing job with this. The book is dark and muddy but also very film-noir and very retro. This new series is nothing new compared to the previous arc but it's hugely entertaining and highly satisfying as usual. Sure it's dark and bloody but it's also vibrant and thrillingly alive. ***