Advance Review — ‘Out Of Alcatraz’ Is One Of The Best Comic Book Reads Of 2025
by Tom Smithyman
Overview
The superb limited series – perhaps the best of the year – is collected for the first time in a hardcover edition. Smart fans will gobble up this fantastic tale of escapees from the infamous prison. It features unforgettable characters as well as some great artwork that will transport you back to mid-century California.
Overall
10/10It’s not hyperbole to say that Out of Alcatraz, the limited series by writer Christopher Cantwell and artist Tyler Crook, is one of the best reads of the year. Publisher Oni Press seems to realize that and is now offering this superb story in hardcover for the first time.
Alcatraz tells the story of three prisoners who escaped the infamous prison in 1962. In real life, the trio were presumed drowned in San Francisco Bay, but here, two of the inmates somehow washed up on shore with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. It turns out that escaping jail was the easy part.
If all you’re looking for is a prison break story, look elsewhere, because Out of Alcatraz is so much more. Cantwell crafts an intricate story, replete with complicated characters who are all too human. The convicts couldn’t be more different. Frank Morris is the hardened criminal with the short temper while Clarence Anglin is the slow-witted one. Clarence’s brother John escaped with the pair but was left to drown in the bay when the waters became too treacherous.
Their mysterious handler is an unnamed woman who is hiding her race as well as her motivations. Throw in a couple of closeted G-Men and you have the ingredients for a compelling tale.
Ingredients alone, of course, do not make a great recipe. That’s where Crook comes in. Like a master chief, Crook takes these elements and breathes life into them. With his throwback artistic style and mostly muted color palette, Crook is the perfect artist to handle this series. He is able to instantly able to transport readers back to mid-century California and make them believe they are living there. He’s also able to give us insights into the characters that the script alone cannot.
As the story unfolds, every character is given his or her due. And the team ties things up in an unexpected, but still satisfying, way. If there is any justice come awards season, this title should clean up.
Out of Alcatraz hardcover will be available in comic book stores on October 22nd from Oni Press.
