Sleeper Season 2
The quality of season two is remarkable. Not only is it as strong as the original but it's surprising to be told it wasn't even supposed to happen. In the acknowledgements, Brubaker reveals that he was content in leaving the series as it was following the finish of season one. After being swayed by others to continue the story, he put together an outline and a series conclusion within minutes. The depth here is ridiculous with multiple double crosses, keeping the reader in the dark for the majority of the second half. Considering how much is going on at anytime, Brubaker and Phillips manage to make it easy to follow.
Brubaker and Phillips are a team not to be ignored. They're far and above my favorite collaborative team working in comics and I look forward to reading anything and everything they put out. May 31, Sesana rated it really liked it Shelves: Season two of Sleeper brings Holden Carver's journey to a close.
I think I may have liked the first season a little better. There's an almost manic energy that takes up much of this volume, with Carver being pulled between Lynch and Tao and deciding to play them both. Tough game, and I spent much of the book wondering if he'd lost it, and what nasty end he would meet. The ending was satisfying, complete, and as good as it could be.
Jul 21, Pete rated it it was amazing Shelves: Deep throat this spy-sicle. It's that icy cold delicious. I didn't think it'd be possible to top season one. Well, the story took another welcomed twist, the action cranked up, the sex remained fully aroused, vibrating all the way to a satisfying end. I have nothing to complain about. Miss Misery and Peter Grimm are genius characters. I mean, Miss Misery I'm sad that there's no more Sleeper. This goes up there as an all time favorite. Feb 28, David Schaafsma rated it really liked it Shelves: This book of two completes the story arc of this story of Holden Carver, a "sleeper" or double agent who struggles to remain true to two opposing heroes, Tao, for the bad guys, and Lynch, for the "good" guys.
This book resolves all the major issues in pretty awesome fashion… it's a very complicated resolution that of course I can't talk about in any detail. But this book focuses on his relationship with the very original character Miss Misery… The twists and turns and surprises you get are wor This book of two completes the story arc of this story of Holden Carver, a "sleeper" or double agent who struggles to remain true to two opposing heroes, Tao, for the bad guys, and Lynch, for the "good" guys. But this book focuses on his relationship with the very original character Miss Misery… The twists and turns and surprises you get are worth the wait, in my opinion.
These are one of the very best comic teams alive and I am glad I went back to read this. Highly recommend to fans of nor, thrillers, dialogue, and intricate stories and great art. May 18, Jonny Campo rated it really liked it Shelves: Sleeper Season 2 was a great end too the series, it's very different very fresh idea for a Guy who doesn't really leave the superhero genre. I really liked the writing Ed Brubaker is a genius writer, this is a very deep and engaging story you really feel like you're part of what's going on.
The story has a great ending and alot of action where it needs to be if I have one complaint its that a lot of the filler stuff is unnecessary I mean its not bad but I could have lived with the book being an Sleeper Season 2 was a great end too the series, it's very different very fresh idea for a Guy who doesn't really leave the superhero genre. The story has a great ending and alot of action where it needs to be if I have one complaint its that a lot of the filler stuff is unnecessary I mean its not bad but I could have lived with the book being an issue shorter.
This reader was initially apprehensive about starting a story half-way, but finding a reading copy at an attractive price in a secondhand bookstore and the great reviews and feedback I've heard, made this an easy choice to pick up and I wasn't disappointed. Season 2 started where Season 1 ended, Holden Carver sinking deeper into the criminal organization he was tasked to infiltrate undercover.
The death of his handler complicated things because no else knew Carver was on a job. Based on hints and This reader was initially apprehensive about starting a story half-way, but finding a reading copy at an attractive price in a secondhand bookstore and the great reviews and feedback I've heard, made this an easy choice to pick up and I wasn't disappointed. Based on hints and flashback scenes in Season 2, Carver was totally out in the cold. Season 2 mixed the story up by returning Carver's handler and him dangling a lifeline back into Carver's old life.
I knew writer Brubaker could write cloak and dagger stories with his work on Captain America and Winter Soldier, but Sleeper predated his Marvel work and it's just as good. I couldn't see it from Captain America because he brought several characters from the Cap mythos but it is in full display in Sleeper: The cape-hate is full-blown here. Carver and his crew maim or kill several supers in Sleeper. Even Grifter, the most recognizable character is without his signature mask. It is almost a spiritual predecessor to Garth Ennis' The Boys, especially with the depiction of the excesses of super-crime culture.
If I could find a major fault in this story, it's probably because Brubaker comes from the Bendis school of caption boxes. There's a lot of it, which hampered artist Sean Phillips strong graphic storytelling.
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This was a great read and I would definitely be looking for Season 1 and read the whole story. Jul 17, Sophie rated it it was amazing Shelves: Seriously, this is so good. I think at some point reading it I must have stopped breathing. Season Two continues from Sleeper: Season One I know, who would've guessed.
Where Season One dealt mostly with Holden trying to get out from his position as undercover agent, Season Two finds him very much entangled in the plans of Tao and Lynch. There are conspiracies and double-crosses and triple-crosses, and a wonderfully fucked up romance. This book had me at the edge of my seat Excellent! This book had me at the edge of my seat the whole time, and there quite a few unexpected twists and turns. The only thing I didn't like was the origin story of one particular villain in this one, but it didn't have any impact on the rest of the story which may be part of why it bugged me?
Other than that, a really great book. Apr 18, Miles rated it it was amazing Shelves: That rare treasure - a sequel that I enjoyed even more than the original when I loved the original to begin with. In this volume, there is even more uncertainty over the loyalties of all of the characters. Brubaker pulls this off as well as I've seen it done in any medium. Sean Phillips' art work even grew on me as the series continued. Highly recommended as long as you don't mind a little over-the-top sex and violence.
Dec 08, Matt rated it really liked it. Brubaker and Phillips ratchet the stakes and expand the scope with this last book. Red herrings abound and build to an ending that proved happy compared to my expectations.
This is one of my favorites. Jan 06, J rated it it was amazing Shelves: A solid conclusion to a satisfying series. Jun 09, B rated it liked it Shelves: I still think it would be better without super powers. In this volume, the main character is playing quintuple agent.
It seems like most of the time is spent waiting for Lynch and Tao to make their respective moves. And few of the characters seem to really matter. They become more instrumental to Lynch and Tao's decisions. And why do they even need Holden. It seems like they should just fight each other to the death directly. Part of the problem with powers.
Sleeper: Season Two #1 (of 12)
Powers seem like they're more importan I still think it would be better without super powers. Powers seem like they're more important than authority and, moreover, planning itself is a power. So you can't really plan around powers. Because that's a power.
I don't think I explained this well. Feb 15, Luana rated it really liked it. Brubaker and Phillips continue their solid work from the first trade, only slightly hampered by the sudden importance of a superhero character named Grifter who was apparently important in events preceding the book and a key player in the climax here.
Sleeper Season Two
It gets explained in a big info dump so you kinda get the gist, but it's still bullshit and clunky. Sep 23, Ron rated it it was amazing Shelves: Great storytelling via Brubaker's strong noir dialogue and Phillip's artwork--felt almost more like a prose novel than a graphic novel. Nice ending to a long series. Apr 13, Kurt rated it liked it.
Sep 19, Nick rated it it was amazing Shelves: The second and final volume of Sleeper sees Lynch wake from a coma to begin pulling at our hero, Holden Carver's, strings once again, with Holden turning dark, to the point where we barely begin to register his mission's purpose anymore. Season two is a dark, twisted take on the fine line between hero and villain, that was briefly explored in season one, but really provides the final punch needed to bring this story home.
I really enjoyed Lynch's personality being added to the already bubbling p The second and final volume of Sleeper sees Lynch wake from a coma to begin pulling at our hero, Holden Carver's, strings once again, with Holden turning dark, to the point where we barely begin to register his mission's purpose anymore. I really enjoyed Lynch's personality being added to the already bubbling powder keg present with the other main characters in Sleeper. By the end, there are far too many double and triple crosses for anything to really matter think The Big Sleep in comic form and I wasn't all that shocked by the reveals found within the final pages, but that didn't detract from how enjoyable this story was.
I would highly recommend it to someone wanting to slip away from standard superhero storytelling in comics, but not completely abandon it. Sleeper proves the perfect mix for this type of introduction into darker, graphic tales within this medium. Oct 03, Kevin Mann rated it liked it. Not bad, but at times internal chuckles at this work happened, as the feeling of a big self-parody began to develop Lynch falls into a coma after being shot by Grifter , leaving Holden with no link to the outside world. He quickly rises through the ranks of Tao's syndicate and becomes one of his lieutenants, called "Prodigals".
He falls in love with another Prodigal named Miss Misery and befriends Genocide Jones, a super-strong, bullet-proof member of Tao's organization. The series also focuses on Holden's internal struggle over whether or not there is a difference between his actions while serving Tao and his actions while serving Lynch. Tao learns of Holden's true allegiance, and Holden is forced to live on the run. With the help of Peter Grimm, his most trusted Prodigal, Tao captures Holden and tells him that he is a survivor, past petty concepts like "good" and "evil.
As Season One ends, John Lynch miraculously awakes from his coma.
Coup D'Etat comes to pass and the members of Tao's organization are forced into hiding so The Authority cannot discover them. Holden is now a full-fledged villain and a trusted Prodigal. While on a mission with his own band of Torpedoes lower-level members of Tao's organization called the Hounds, consisting of the eager-to-please Pit Bull introduced in Season One and the werewolf Blackwolf, Holden is contacted by an agent of John Lynch.
Lynch wants Holden to leave Tao and defect back to I. He later presents Holden with a member of the alien race who built the artifact that gave Holden his abilities and promises that if he agrees to come back he'll rid him of his powers. Holden then begins to play both sides against the middle, hoping he will be able to free himself of his obligations to Tao and Lynch and run away with Miss Misery. As this goes on, he tries to reform, despite knowing that he will never again be the man he thought he was before falling in with Tao.
At the end of Season Two, Holden Carver is left in a vegetative state. Lynch uses his gen factor powers to make the vegetative Holden believe that he is finally retired and living with Miss Misery and his ex-fiancee, Veronica St. James, on a tropical island. Holden ripped out Tao's tongue as a last effort to 'disarm' the main villain of the series before being handed over to Lynch.