Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Superb hardboiled storytelling and killer mid-century design power this noir from Eisner nominees Cantwell (Plastic Man No More) and Crook (Harrow County). The twists and betrayals start with the eponymous escape in 1962, as three felons bust free from the infamous prison in San Francisco Bay, though only two seem to survive the harrowing raft trip to Marin County. The fugitives--cold schemer Frank Morris and shattered, childlike Clarence Anglin--make their way to Modesto to meet up with their contact, a young Black woman who often passes as white and quickly loses her cool as she tries to shepherd the escapees to a Canadian work camp. On their trail are an FBI agent and a U.S. Marshal whose heated argument over jurisdiction is cover for their clandestine queer romance. The fugitives kill recklessly yet also feel conflicted about bloodshed (in one bitter dilemma, a local rancher, IDing them as on the run, demands they murder his wife) as they evade the law and a surprise pursuer. Cantwell's script is sharp, both in its thriller jolts and surprising empathy. Bleakly gorgeous art by Crook evokes Alfred Hitchcock, Edward Hopper, Badlands, American Graffiti, and vintage crime paperbacks. The effect brilliantly imbues wide-open West Coast vistas with grim beauty and, in the end, a touch of welcome warmth. This will certainly win over noir fans--and may make new ones. (Oct.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Mining the historical intrigue of the 1962 escape from Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, which saw a trio of inmates slip away from the island and vanish completely, this gripping thriller proposes that escaping from prison was by far the easiest obstacle on the men's path to freedom. Cantwell (Star Trek: Defiant) crafts a propulsive, noir-tinged narrative as the convicts limp into a murky Northern California underworld, pursued by lawmen, haunted by violence, and betrayed at nearly every turn. While the fugitives stumble toward freedom, they're forced to confront a bleak truth: escape is not liberation, and the world beyond bars may be just another cell. Crook's (The Lonesome Hunters) painterly and cinematic illustration heightens scenes of stark natural beauty by alternating them with grim interiors and bursts of violence. His use of color and light evokes a cinematic dread that matches the script's fatalism. It's rooted in crime fiction, but the graphic novel hints at metaphysical despair, transcending its genre premise to become something bolder, eerier, and more tragic. VERDICT Atmospheric, beautifully rendered, and psychologically rich, this is a standout thriller for fans of Ed Brubaker, Jeff Lemire, and True Detective.
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