Amazon’s quest to become one of the biggest names in the streaming market is showing no signs of slowing down, with reports of the studio picking up cult favorite comic book series Criminal for adaptation.
Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillip’s acclaimed crime drama Marvel imprint looks to follow in the footsteps of The Boys on Prime Video, with Deadline reporting that Amazon is close to clinching a deal for the series. Brubaker is expected to return for the adaptation as executive producer and showrunner, meaning his vision will remain the paramount one.
Criminal is a multi-generational story of crime and murder, with it assessing and playing with the cliches of crime, noir, and the trend of gritty comic imprints. First debuting in 2006 within Marvel, Criminal later moved to Image Comics and saw its most recent chapters released in 2020.
The move to pick up Criminal seems like a calculated one for Amazon, with it mostly unknown but showing great potential for adaptation. Viscerally colored pages adorn the books, with it a compelling look at how crime engulfs the lives of criminals and their lives outside of it.
Brubaker is known for stories such as the birth of The Winter Soldier storyline, Kill or Be Killed, as well as the Batman spin-off comic Gotham Noir. Criminal hasn’t officially ended just yet, with plans still afoot for further volumes. To date, four extended volumes have been released.