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Sleeper #4
Sleeper, Vol. 4: The Long Way Home
Collecting the final chapter of the 'Sleeper' saga, Vol. 2 #7-12! The endgame is in play and the fates of Carver, Lynch and the mysterious Tao are all up for grabs. It's winner take all - and the stakes are deadly!
144 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2005
About the author
Ed Brubaker
1,750 books2,816 followersEd Brubaker (born November 17, 1966) is an Eisner Award-winning American cartoonist and writer. He was born at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland.
Brubaker is best known for his work as a comic book writer on such titles as Batman, Daredevil, Captain America, Iron Fist, Catwoman, Gotham Central and Uncanny X-Men. In more recent years, he has focused solely on creator-owned titles for Image Comics, such as Fatale, Criminal, Velvet and Kill or Be Killed.
In 2016, Brubaker ventured into television, joining the writing staff of the HBO series Westworld.
Brubaker is best known for his work as a comic book writer on such titles as Batman, Daredevil, Captain America, Iron Fist, Catwoman, Gotham Central and Uncanny X-Men. In more recent years, he has focused solely on creator-owned titles for Image Comics, such as Fatale, Criminal, Velvet and Kill or Be Killed.
In 2016, Brubaker ventured into television, joining the writing staff of the HBO series Westworld.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
March 16, 2021
After last portion of twists, series comes to the end. Last two books focuses on the fight between two (psychopathic) spy mastermind and their game of control, in which agent Carter is stuck in the middle. I must say that even though it was little predictable, it was also satisfying conclusion to the series, which gave the title another level of meaning.
April 21, 2023
Holy shit what a crazy last volume...and that ending? Geez.
So Carver finally puts his plans into action. He really doesn't trust either one of the head leads of either organziation so he does what he wants, and what he thinks is right. This leads to the Grifter coming back into the fold, so that Volume 0 did come in handy to have some weight to this volume for sure. Between Grifter back, Carver putting his plan forward, and every single person in his life paying the price for his actions, this goes to a dark place, with a bittersweet ending.
I loved this series. I can see why Brubaker and Phillips stuck together after this.
So Carver finally puts his plans into action. He really doesn't trust either one of the head leads of either organziation so he does what he wants, and what he thinks is right. This leads to the Grifter coming back into the fold, so that Volume 0 did come in handy to have some weight to this volume for sure. Between Grifter back, Carver putting his plan forward, and every single person in his life paying the price for his actions, this goes to a dark place, with a bittersweet ending.
I loved this series. I can see why Brubaker and Phillips stuck together after this.
November 12, 2023
Lectura 255 (2023) The long way home de Brubaker/Phillips
Todos los elementos preparados como piezas de ajedrez para culminar una gran historia. Con un final agridulce como no podia ocurrir de otra manera. Grandisima relectura de toda la serie
5/5
Todos los elementos preparados como piezas de ajedrez para culminar una gran historia. Con un final agridulce como no podia ocurrir de otra manera. Grandisima relectura de toda la serie
5/5
May 19, 2014
The conclusion to the 'Sleeper' series. This was a bit of a rebound from the 3rd book (Or part 1 of 'Season 2' as they call it) which I felt kinda lost the plot for a ways.
There's finally some resolution to most of the storylines, including a rather Shakespearean finish to the romantic story. Holden gets his shit together, and his plan unveils itself as we go along.
There's also an unexpected (to me at least) arrival from the Wildstorm Imprint, and he shakes things up, giving us a sort of catalyst to set off the fireworks of the final events.
A great job tying things up and giving us a satisfactory conclusion, which initially had me confused but then made total sense. There are some good solid characters here, I enjoyed the series quite a bit.
There's finally some resolution to most of the storylines, including a rather Shakespearean finish to the romantic story. Holden gets his shit together, and his plan unveils itself as we go along.
There's also an unexpected (to me at least) arrival from the Wildstorm Imprint, and he shakes things up, giving us a sort of catalyst to set off the fireworks of the final events.
A great job tying things up and giving us a satisfactory conclusion, which initially had me confused but then made total sense. There are some good solid characters here, I enjoyed the series quite a bit.
April 4, 2019
Tao finds out about another mole, this time one of Holden's friends named Triple X-Ray. Holden takes it personally when Ray is killed and then forces Lynch to step up his game plan. Miss Misery is reconsidering her alliance to him, so Holden seems to hace lost his only ally. He fights on to the endgame where he comes face to face with Lynch and Tao. The story kept me on the edge of my seat to the very end, when Holden kind of manages to screw both sides over.
February 5, 2017
Vom Finale hatte ich mir mehr erhofft, das sind nur knappe 3 Sterne. Die unkonventionelle, ungestüme und kreative Art der ersten zwei Bücher ist hier im Abschlussband kaum noch zu finden. Die letzten sechs Kapitel der 24-teiligen Serie verfallen in stereotype Muster und wirken erwzungen, halten nicht das erzählerische Niveau der ersten zwei Bände. Interessant im Nachwort nachzulesen ist, dass die Reihe ursprünglich für 12 Hefte konzipiert wurde, demnach also nach dem zweiten Buch "Die Schlinge zieht sich zu" ein Ende hätte finden sollen und aufgrund der positiven Resonanz eine Verlängerung in Auftrag gegeben wurde. Das passt zu meinen Leseeindrücken, denn für mein Empfinden war die Story in Band 1 und 2 erzählt, der Rest wirkte angedichtet und hatte nicht mehr den Geist der ersten Hälfte der Saga. Das große Finale dann auf den letzten Seiten funktioniert sicher in einem Action-Blockbuster ganz hervorragend, hat mich aber nicht mehr überzeugt.
September 17, 2016
Fantastic! This volume was a great wrap on a great series. I loved The Fade Out but this is my new favorite Brubaker/Phillips series. As is always the case with a B/P series the story was great, but what really put this series way over the top were the characters. All the main characters were deep & interesting & very well fleshed out. The way the story ends is perfect & fits the series just right. Highly recommend.
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November 13, 2015me lo terminé hace un millón de años pero no lo habia updateado porque estaba en negación
September 8, 2016
Satisfying end to another great run by Brubaker & Phillips.
May 15, 2022
(Zero spoiler review for the series as a whole) 4.5/5
My Boy Brubaker does it again. I've had the Sleeper sitting on my shelf for something like a year now, after purchasing it at considerable expense on the secondary market, which is the only place and the only price you'll pick up this book for, at the moment at least. And like every other really good book I have sitting on my shelf waiting to be read, I was doing all within my power to not read it. Each time I read a few average books in a row, I knew all I had to do was pick up a Brubaker book and all the bad story blues would just fade out, pun intended. But seeing as how you can only read something for the first time, once, I was admirably succeeding in keeping this little, no doubt gem, unread. But what the hell, it's Christmas, and I deserve it. And I do have a few other Brubaker books sitting there I haven't spoiled yet. Though for how long...
Whilst it took a little while to get going, I really wasn't a fan of the first five issues. Neither Brubaker's writing or Jim Lee's art were really clicking for me. All that changed once the book got going proper, and Mr Sean Philips entered the scene, to smear his beautiful noir chops all over the pages. These two men really do make beautiful music together, and the rest of us get to sit back and admire the results.
Whilst I wasn't the biggest fan of the superhero aspect of this book, finding it a unnecessary, a little ham fisted at times, especially during the (pretty bad) origin stories. Though Ol Ed might have been writing them with tongue firmly in cheek, everything else was pretty much pure gold, and gave me one of the greatest characters to grace the pages of a comic book in Miss Misery. Never before has a Femme been so Fatale, pun intended. I obviously won't spoil anything about her, but hot damn! Whilst she worked amazingly as a secondary character in this story, and likely wouldn't quite come off the same way in her own spin off series, I would kill for some Jennifer Blood type Sleeper spin off starring this twisted and titillating little lady.
Slight gripes aside, this is just yet more proof why Brubaker is the greatest writer still working in comics today. Or still performing at his peak, anyway. Aa few of the old guard float in and out, although most are past their prime. Sleeper might not be my favourite Brubaker story. Hell, it might not even crack the top three, although the fact that its still fucking awesome just goes to show the strength of this man's back catalogue. Get the softcovers if you have to, just make sure you read it. 4.5/5
OmniBen.
My Boy Brubaker does it again. I've had the Sleeper sitting on my shelf for something like a year now, after purchasing it at considerable expense on the secondary market, which is the only place and the only price you'll pick up this book for, at the moment at least. And like every other really good book I have sitting on my shelf waiting to be read, I was doing all within my power to not read it. Each time I read a few average books in a row, I knew all I had to do was pick up a Brubaker book and all the bad story blues would just fade out, pun intended. But seeing as how you can only read something for the first time, once, I was admirably succeeding in keeping this little, no doubt gem, unread. But what the hell, it's Christmas, and I deserve it. And I do have a few other Brubaker books sitting there I haven't spoiled yet. Though for how long...
Whilst it took a little while to get going, I really wasn't a fan of the first five issues. Neither Brubaker's writing or Jim Lee's art were really clicking for me. All that changed once the book got going proper, and Mr Sean Philips entered the scene, to smear his beautiful noir chops all over the pages. These two men really do make beautiful music together, and the rest of us get to sit back and admire the results.
Whilst I wasn't the biggest fan of the superhero aspect of this book, finding it a unnecessary, a little ham fisted at times, especially during the (pretty bad) origin stories. Though Ol Ed might have been writing them with tongue firmly in cheek, everything else was pretty much pure gold, and gave me one of the greatest characters to grace the pages of a comic book in Miss Misery. Never before has a Femme been so Fatale, pun intended. I obviously won't spoil anything about her, but hot damn! Whilst she worked amazingly as a secondary character in this story, and likely wouldn't quite come off the same way in her own spin off series, I would kill for some Jennifer Blood type Sleeper spin off starring this twisted and titillating little lady.
Slight gripes aside, this is just yet more proof why Brubaker is the greatest writer still working in comics today. Or still performing at his peak, anyway. Aa few of the old guard float in and out, although most are past their prime. Sleeper might not be my favourite Brubaker story. Hell, it might not even crack the top three, although the fact that its still fucking awesome just goes to show the strength of this man's back catalogue. Get the softcovers if you have to, just make sure you read it. 4.5/5
OmniBen.
January 6, 2020
Brubaker manages to stick the landing with the riveting final volume.
It's a testament to Brubaker's writing that all the pieces were pretty much in place and I still could not see where this was headed and how it was going to resolve. Ultimately, we get a grim, if not "realistic" ending that keeps perfectly in tone with the rest of the book.
The series for the most part, deals a lot with the theme of identity and the idea that your actions dictate who you are, not your intentions. So when you have a guy so deeply embedded into a villainous organization, and who actively engages in crime and other horrible acts, is he not also a villain, even if he is doing it for "the greater good"? This question haunts Carver's thoughts endlessly as he spirals further and further down moral ambiguity and tries to find any way out of the pit that he himself dug.
This volume ends things with a bang, and does so in a way that is not a cheap cop out or easy "happy ending". There are ramifications for what Carver has done, and he certainly bears the brunt for his choices.
I really enjoyed this series and hope to read more crime books of this nature from Brubaker and company.
It's a testament to Brubaker's writing that all the pieces were pretty much in place and I still could not see where this was headed and how it was going to resolve. Ultimately, we get a grim, if not "realistic" ending that keeps perfectly in tone with the rest of the book.
The series for the most part, deals a lot with the theme of identity and the idea that your actions dictate who you are, not your intentions. So when you have a guy so deeply embedded into a villainous organization, and who actively engages in crime and other horrible acts, is he not also a villain, even if he is doing it for "the greater good"? This question haunts Carver's thoughts endlessly as he spirals further and further down moral ambiguity and tries to find any way out of the pit that he himself dug.
This volume ends things with a bang, and does so in a way that is not a cheap cop out or easy "happy ending". There are ramifications for what Carver has done, and he certainly bears the brunt for his choices.
I really enjoyed this series and hope to read more crime books of this nature from Brubaker and company.
March 21, 2018
A few years back, Wildstorm was the mack-daddy for intelligent, challenging adventure comics. All of those Marvel and DC readers who complain about wanting progression and change in their characters should've been reading Wildcats Version 3.0 and Sleeper, because these books were showcasing some innovative and exciting ideas without ever letting up on the "fun" of the adventure comic milieu.
What surprises me about Sleeper is that for being such a dark book on the surface, I laughed out loud several times while reading these books. Sure, the humor is pitch black, but it's still there and it's damn funny. The situations are believable in their moral complexity, every choice that Holden can make is a shade of dull charcoal grey.
Sean Phillips art is killer, and Colin Wilson may be even better.
What surprises me about Sleeper is that for being such a dark book on the surface, I laughed out loud several times while reading these books. Sure, the humor is pitch black, but it's still there and it's damn funny. The situations are believable in their moral complexity, every choice that Holden can make is a shade of dull charcoal grey.
Sean Phillips art is killer, and Colin Wilson may be even better.
January 1, 2021
I became fan of Ed brubakar and Sean Philips after reading Kill or Be Killed(Though just read Vol. 1 and maybe Vol. 2). After reading Vol. 1 I think this is good. But from Vol. 2 the story catch up to amazing level. What isn't in there - Action, Espionage, Violence, Sex, Super-Villain, Conspiracy you name it. The story is dark and full of tragedy. At first I think the story is about good vs evil. The more the story goes on, the thin boundary between them became thinner. Then it became a game of chess, no matter who's on whose side. Ending was good but not what I wished for. Talking about characters every one was great except Peter Grimm.
June 5, 2019
This series ends just as you'd expect it to. With more backstabbing, double-crossing and twists. Not one of my favourite Brubaker/Phillips series but I can't say that it really outstays its welcome. Not somewhere I would start if you want to get into Brubaker/Phillips but certainly worth reading if you're a fan.
December 26, 2019
The long, twisting world of Sleeper ends with bang and as it should. No one here is good, just evil or different shades of gray. While it could be said that the book was overlong it still had a satisfying ending and felt complete. Brubaker and Phillips are still one of the best and most consistent pairs in the business. Overall, a very good read.
January 17, 2024
Wow. Qué final. Un cierre perfecto para una gran historia.
Brubaker ha ido superándose a lo largo de toda la serie. Desde un gran prólogo (Point Blank), pasando por el final de la primera temporada (ese vol.2 donde decide tirar por la calle de en medio y romper con todo) hasta llegar a un final perfecto para una serie (casi) perfecta.
Brubaker ha ido superándose a lo largo de toda la serie. Desde un gran prólogo (Point Blank), pasando por el final de la primera temporada (ese vol.2 donde decide tirar por la calle de en medio y romper con todo) hasta llegar a un final perfecto para una serie (casi) perfecta.
June 26, 2018
That was as satisfying an ending as I have read in a comic series. Holden went out the right way, and every significant character seemed to get as good a closure as they deserve. This was a fantastic series, sent off the right way.
November 1, 2021
That’s how you end a series like this. Not happy. But not NOT happy.
Some of the twists are transparent. I was kinda glad Grifter got a bigger part (Why does he work as a character?).
Sad it’s over. Glad I read it. And glad I just re read it.
Some of the twists are transparent. I was kinda glad Grifter got a bigger part (Why does he work as a character?).
Sad it’s over. Glad I read it. And glad I just re read it.
February 26, 2019
Satisfying conclusion to the ultra-gritty and twisted superhero noir.
July 9, 2021
Roller coaster is finally over. Whew. Now I can breathe again. Great from start to finish. Brubaker…wow.
July 19, 2023
Grade: A-. I especially liked the ending, which struck a perfect balance between bitter and sweet, believable and satisfying.
July 15, 2014
"Да си добър пич и да правиш лоши неща , или да си лош пич и вършиш добри неща?" - Това е въпроса за Холден Карвър- двоен агент в тройна игра за четирима. Ако прибавим и от двете страни по една жена , изборът се оказва невъзможен. Или поне ако може да се каже че има избор. В случая единствения избор на Холден е оцеляването , но оцеляването на каква цена? Определено не искам да съм на негово място , прекалено много са му моралните дилеми за разрешаване. Че се гръмнем като нищо , което в случая за него няма как да стане. Тъжно , много тъжно. Каквото и решение да вземе Холден ..е да речем че хепи енд не се вижда.
"За какво ти е да казваш истината , след като лъжата ще ти свърши по добра работа?" - Това е въпроса за Линч - шефа на "Интернационалните операции" , които вкарва Холден под прикрите. Да речем че има хора за които лъжата и манипулациите са начин на живот. Това е неговия начин на живот. Имаше една приказка за лъжата ако я повтаряш достатъчно дълго , то тя ще стане истина. В случая за Линч , лъжата е истина.
"Да умра от скука , или да превзема света?" - Въпрос с изключителна трудност за ТАО - Шефа на терорягите. Еми кво , скучно му е на човека и си търси разнообразие.
И така света е една голяма шахматна дъска - от едната страна ТАО а от другата Линч. И Холден по средата опитващ се да прецака и двамата. Емиии.... успех пич!
"За какво ти е да казваш истината , след като лъжата ще ти свърши по добра работа?" - Това е въпроса за Линч - шефа на "Интернационалните операции" , които вкарва Холден под прикрите. Да речем че има хора за които лъжата и манипулациите са начин на живот. Това е неговия начин на живот. Имаше една приказка за лъжата ако я повтаряш достатъчно дълго , то тя ще стане истина. В случая за Линч , лъжата е истина.
"Да умра от скука , или да превзема света?" - Въпрос с изключителна трудност за ТАО - Шефа на терорягите. Еми кво , скучно му е на човека и си търси разнообразие.
И така света е една голяма шахматна дъска - от едната страна ТАО а от другата Линч. И Холден по средата опитващ се да прецака и двамата. Емиии.... успех пич!
August 20, 2014
This is where it all ends. The plans, the plans within plans, the doublecrosses, the triplecrosses, everything comes together here, gets stirred up with some plain old good and bad luck, and the tragedy unfolds. Although much of the emotion in the story focuses on Carver and Miss Misery's relationship and its reflections in Carver's interactions with Lynch and Tao, there's also a surprising amount of other characters showing up. Grifter makes a significant crossover appearance that helps tie this book into the larger Wildstorm universe, although it doesn't hurt anything if you're not familiar with that. The way things play out is fascinating, as everyone gets a moment to shine. But don't go looking for a happy ending. There's no way this ends well, but the way it does go out feels fair and true to the story. For something this complex, that's a huge accomplishment.
November 25, 2007
volume four, the last in the Sleeper saga, is one of the best, if not *the* best. some surprising plot twists and moments of genuine intrigue bring this back to the level of the original volume. since Sleeper was originally intended as a 12-issue run and then expanded to twice that due to popularity, the middle two issues were definitely more watered down than the first and last books but you can't enjoy this one unless you know what's going on so there you have it: the perfect ending to a great series. Brubaker FTW.
February 16, 2009
There is no denying this is a very well written series and I can see why people liked it. My only problem (and this is just a personal issue) is the tie-in with the Wildstorm Universe. I never bothered getting into any of those titles, so I'm kind of lost with feeling any connection to characters beyond how they appear in this series and still don't feel compelled to find out more.
I'm definitely looking forward to reading Criminal and catching up with Daredevil and Captain America after I finish this up.
I'm definitely looking forward to reading Criminal and catching up with Daredevil and Captain America after I finish this up.
January 30, 2013
this is the final of a 4 volume work, but my review refers to the whole thing. very solid crime/spook thriller. some of the elements of the dark/gritty superhero genre that put it into the Wildstorm Universe seem forced & gratuitous, and that bogged the story down for me, at times. but overall it's a well-crafted yarn that doesn't pull punches. Sean Phillips has pretty much never been less than great. highly recommended if you're into cloak-and-dagger type stuff & don't mind some genetically altered post-human intelligence operatives.
August 15, 2015
Very odd ending with good and bad aspects. My biggest issue with the series is that it was extended while it was initially planned for 12 chapters. The extension had some great ideas like the relationship between, Carver and Misery. but still some aspects felt thrown in and not very well thought out. still a great series that I can recommend to any noir fan. Also I have to say this is the perfect time to make this series into films given the current superhero film extravaganzas were having, this would flip the table.
July 24, 2007
oh my god, i got so into this book. ed brubaker is an effin' great writer. he weaves the story really well, and no amount of space is ever wasted. you can tell this was his baby, mos def. best if you read point blank between volume three and this one. fills some of the story. i'm a big dork about these cat and mouse type plot lines (esp. when you have to ask who exactly is the cat and/or mouse), and this is a great example. mmmm...good stuff.
March 8, 2009
I'm glad I read this series. I'm still trying to process how I felt about it. The first volume, which I read a while ago, blew me away. I picked up and read the rest of it recently and I'm not sure it quite lived up to the brilliant set-up. A lot of the twists and turns were unexpected, but after a while I lost track of who was teaming up and who was screwing who over.
Definitely compelling but I'm no sure how much I really liked it.
Definitely compelling but I'm no sure how much I really liked it.
October 22, 2012
Wow. This was the final volume in the series. I haven't read #1-3 yet, just picked this up from the library shelves not having any idea what it was about. Now I want to pick up the other volumes to see what I missed. Not having read the first three volumes, I still didn't have any trouble with figuring out what's what and the final conclusion was still pretty intense. Dark, brutal, super-hero/sci-fi/spy noir. Good stuff. Read it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews