WIBR: Criminal vol. 5: The Sinners

I don’t know if writer Ed Brubaker knew at the time that this will probably be the last we’ll see of “Criminal” for a while (artist Sean Phillips is busy with other projects including “The Dark Tower” and the follow-up to “Incognito” due later this year), but at least this volume begins the hiatus on a high note.  “The Sinners” brings back Tracy Lawless, the ex-commando turned hired muscle from the second volume, and finds that he hasn’t adjusted well to working within Sebastian Hyde’s organization.  So instead of using him for killing, Hyde puts him to work on solving the mystery behind the deaths of several made men in the city.  It’s a foregone conclusion that Lawless’ investigation will lead him down a dark path of betrayal and violence, but the threats come from unexpected angles here and while our protagonist doesn’t exactly get a happy ending, it’s refreshing to see the main character in a noir thriller like this successfully administering his own brand of justice.  My sole gripe with this volume is in the main character’s romance with Hyde’s wife which feels like it was dictated by genre conventions rather than organic character development.