Cover of Reckless

Reckless

Written by Ed Brubaker. Art by Sean Phillips.

Ranked No. 82 of 100 · 2020 · Image Comics / USA

Los Angeles private-eye noir, conspiracy, crime

A California troubleshooter takes cases other people cannot safely bring to the police.

Overview

Ethan Reckless works for a price while carrying the damage of a past life. Brubaker and Phillips began the graphic-novel series in 2020, building each book as a case that also exposes another part of Ethan’s history.

Why It Matters

The format lets mystery and biography deepen together; a completed assignment rarely closes the emotional account.

Genre & Themes

Private-eye noir with California counterculture and historical aftermath.

Art & Visual Identity

Sean Phillips’s period settings and Jacob Phillips’s color evoke a sun-faded 1980s without making it nostalgic.

Read This If You Like

  • Los Angeles noir
  • Case-by-case mysteries
  • Brubaker and Phillips