What is a Bell Bottom Pick? At Comic Pants, we love the new, but sometimes we get nostalgic to talk up an older book or series and remember some greatness from “back in the day.” That “day” could be the extreme 90’s, the socially relevant 70’s, or the guys-wore-hats 50’s. Who knows? All we can tell you is that a Bell Bottom Pick is worth rifling though back issue bins for or even braving the wilds of Ebay. Our latest “Bell Bottom Pick” is Scene of the Crime: A Little Piece of Goodnight TPB (2000).

Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Michael Lark & Sean Phillips
Company: Vertigo

Many have discovered Ed Brubaker’s name since he started making waves with DC’s Catwoman or Marvel’s Captain America and Daredevil. Others discovered him in his early days on books like Lowlife or An Accidental Death. Me, I first learned Ed Brubaker’s name when I picked up a little Vertigo miniseries called Scene of the Crime, where he was paired with a little known artist named Michael Lark, inked by another up and comer, Sean Phillips. What I read in this tightly-paced four issue mini knocked me on my ass. It remains one of the best pieces of crime fiction ever produced in the comics medium, even with the resurgence of the genre in the early ’00s, and ever since reading it, I’ve been checking out everything Brubaker has written, and most of what Lark and Phillips have drawn.

While Scene of the Crime is a crime book, it is not the type of crime book comics usually get. There aren’t a lot of running gun battles, no torture scenes, and the lead is smart but not the best at what he does, and weak enough physically that he needs somebody else to carry the muscle part of the job. In addition, while Scene of the Crime is built around a strong mystery crackling with intensity, the story doesn’t just rely on a solid mystery plot and a series of reveals. Indeed, the strength of Scene of the Crime lies just as much in the depiction of Jack Herriman, the protagonist P.I. with minor anger, substance abuse and self-respect issues and plenty of trauma in his past to justify them.

The writing on Scene of the Crime is remarkably intricate yet approachable. Brubaker weaves together the stories of a modern-day cult, a ’70s cult that burned to the ground, a dead girl, a policeman’s mistress and a faked death… and that’s just the A plot. The second story, involving the slow reveal of Herriman’s past, from how he lost his eye to what broke some of his relationships, is sprinkled liberally throughout, always connecting thematically to what’s going on in the main story. Brubaker’s writing is a perfect blend of plot-driven mystery and character-driven development. And even with all that’s going on and the rich, complex characters, the book never loses the thread of the story or threatens to lose the reader.

The backup story recaps all the key revelations of the miniseries for those who might have missed it along with a dark but brief tale of a holiday stakeout. It’s not as strong as the main story, and reads mostly like another pilot for a Scene of the Crime ongoing, but it has that same punch in the gut feeling that much of Scene of the Crime has, without the more uplifting touches in the ending.

Art throughout is by Michael Lark, with inks by Sean Phillips and colors by James Sinclair, and the results are astounding. As he did on Gotham Central and as he continues to do on Daredevil, Lark really brings his urban settings to life, and it’s clear that he did some heavy research to get the look of San Francisco right. Lark and Phillips’ styles really compliment one another, and the tone of the book, set up so effectively in the script, is reinforced by the artwork. The pain of these characters’ lives plays out across their faces and the violence is visceral, real and dangerous. The atmosphere is also key to this story, and Lark and Phillips nail it, from the depiction of a seedy bar in Chinatown to the perfect use of rain several times to set the mood.

Scene of the Crime is subtitled “A Little Piece of Goodnight” and the trade includes a short story from the Vertigo Winter’s Edge special in 1999, both of which seem like indications of a plan for more Scene of the Crime material, maybe even an ongoing series. Though I haven’t been disappointed by the output of these creators in other places, I can’t help but be disappointed that more Scene of the Crime never materialized. There’s a lot of life in these characters, and I’d love it if Brubaker and Lark were to go back and revisit them someday. On the other hand, part of the charm of Scene of the Crime is the self-contained nature of its plot, complete with a somewhat hopeful ending that contrasts the darker tone of the story throughout, and that would be harder to maintain with an ongoing series. Whether there’s ever any more Scene of the Crime or not, though, this is a must-read for anyone with an interest in the crime genre.