To be completely honest this was going to be my make or break issue with this series. I enjoyed the first story arc (issues 1-7), but as I read the second arc (issues 8-current) I started to become very bored with the story and found myself being able to predict what was going to come next. With this being the last issue of the second arc I was curious to see if there were any game changing, what the fuck kind of moments to continue on with the up and coming third story arc.
The issue begins high above the streets of San Diego with Redmond and Augustus trying to make an escape from the police and the FBI after their plan to rescue Emma from the Cartel goes to shit, because Emma had already contacted agent Cohen to make a deal with the FBI so she could get out of the building alive. Since they are completely surrounded, Augustus decides to throw up a hail marry by pulling the fire alarm and creating a huge commotion for the boys in blue downstairs. Guess what? To nobody’s surprise, Augustus’s escape plan worked, but this is where the story gets interesting and actually hooks me in.
Celia is able to meet the boys down stairs and drive them back to gear locker without anyone following them. As Augustus starts celebrating what he sees as a victory, Redmond tells him to calm the fuck down because they haven’t accomplished shit. Redmond is angry and believes that Augustus sold him out to the feds just so he could have Emma rescued and taken care of. After a brawl with Augustus, Redmond tells Augustus and Celia to stay away from him until it can be proven that he was not set up.
I’d be lying if I said that I’m going to miss Asmus as the writer for the series. I hate to sound like an asshole, especially because I praise his writing in, “The End Times of Bram and Ben”, but in my eyes he just wasn’t right for the series. To be fair he is writing a story that Robert Kirkman has final say over, and he did hook me back in to the series with the way he ended this issue, but I would be weary as a reader if he was set to write the third story arc.
There’s not much that can be said about the art in this issue that hasn’t already been said about the previous twelve. That might make it sound like I’ve lost interest in the artwork but it’s the exact opposite. The art is my favorite thing about Thief of Thieves because every issue has consistent, clean and vibrant art.
When all is said and done this was a strong ending to the second arc and for the first time in several issues, I’m excited to pick up where the story left off. Although I went into this issue with the mindset that it might be my last, I’m really glad that I read it because it reinstated my faith in the story.
Score: 4/5
Writers: Robert Kirkman and James Asmus
Artist: Shawn Martinbrough
Colorist: Felix Serrano
Publisher: Skybound and Image Comics
Price: $2.99
Release Date: 4/17/13