I would highly recommend this book. I’m a huge fan of Brubaker’s more recent work such as Criminal and Reckless, so I was pretty excited to read his first collaboration with Sean Phillips, and this book did not disappoint.

Normally I’m not the biggest fan of spy thrillers, they can get too dense on names and details. But Sleeper didn’t have any of these issues. In many places it felt more like an undercover cop story than a traditional spy story. The narrative was gripping and the characters were detailed and well fleshed out (as I always expect with Brubaker). The use of superpowers in this story was perfect too. It’s not a superhero story really, but the fact that the characters have superpowers adds some very high stakes to the plot.

I can’t really say much more without spoiling it. Do be aware that this is definitely not for kids (swearing, sex, violence, gore are all present). These elements are never without purpose in the plot, but if you’re not keen on things like that be forewarned. Brubaker is a writer that made me love noir, and this is a prime example of some of his best work.