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Velvet
Velvet, Vol. 2: The Secret Lives of Dead Men
The white-hot spy series from the creators of Captain America: The Winter Soldier is back!
Everything Velvet Templeton ever believed about the worst night of her life has turned out to be a lie, and now she's coming back to London, taking the hunt back to the hunters, to find the truth or die trying.
Don't miss the second volume in the adventures of comics' favorite new super-spy!
Collecting: Velvet 6-10
Everything Velvet Templeton ever believed about the worst night of her life has turned out to be a lie, and now she's coming back to London, taking the hunt back to the hunters, to find the truth or die trying.
Don't miss the second volume in the adventures of comics' favorite new super-spy!
Collecting: Velvet 6-10
128 pages, Paperback
First published May 20, 2015
About the author
Ed Brubaker
1,735 books2,744 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.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 253 reviews
December 7, 2022
(A-) 82% | Very Good
Notes: Review pending re-read. Collected review for volumes 1-3 can be found here: Velvet
Notes: Review pending re-read. Collected review for volumes 1-3 can be found here: Velvet
June 21, 2015
Velvet is back!
This time around she's trying to piece together a list of suspects that would have been able to set her up, not only for the recent murder of an agent, but set her husband up as a traitor (and her to take him out) all of those years ago.
This isn't just life and death for Velvet, it's personal.
Fortunately, there's a short list of people who would have been alive and in a place to frame her husband, and yet still alive and in a place to frame her now. To get the answers she needs she's going to have to think outside the box, take some pretty big risks, and maybe help break a dangerous ex-agent out of prison.
Remember the agent who thought he was chasing down a glorified secretary in the first volume? Well, he's still trying to figure out how to catch her.
And he might finally be realizing that things don't seem to be adding up when it comes to Velvet's actions.
This was great! Brubaker shines when he writes these sort of stories!
The best part (to me), though, was Velvet herself.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for making a female character that's kick-ass, smart, tough, and sexy...without making her into a skanky boob monster in high heels.
Yeah, that sounds like a no-brainer, but (evidently) it's not.
If you haven't had the chance to read this one, make sure you keep your eyes open for it. It's definitely worth a read!
Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for giving me a digital copy to review.
Get this review and more at:
This time around she's trying to piece together a list of suspects that would have been able to set her up, not only for the recent murder of an agent, but set her husband up as a traitor (and her to take him out) all of those years ago.
This isn't just life and death for Velvet, it's personal.
Fortunately, there's a short list of people who would have been alive and in a place to frame her husband, and yet still alive and in a place to frame her now. To get the answers she needs she's going to have to think outside the box, take some pretty big risks, and maybe help break a dangerous ex-agent out of prison.
Remember the agent who thought he was chasing down a glorified secretary in the first volume? Well, he's still trying to figure out how to catch her.
And he might finally be realizing that things don't seem to be adding up when it comes to Velvet's actions.
This was great! Brubaker shines when he writes these sort of stories!
The best part (to me), though, was Velvet herself.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for making a female character that's kick-ass, smart, tough, and sexy...without making her into a skanky boob monster in high heels.
Yeah, that sounds like a no-brainer, but (evidently) it's not.
If you haven't had the chance to read this one, make sure you keep your eyes open for it. It's definitely worth a read!
Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for giving me a digital copy to review.
Get this review and more at:
January 14, 2018
Everyone at the super-secret British spy agency ARC-7 thought Velvet Templeton was just the Director’s secretary until their best agent was murdered, and she was accused of turning traitor and killing him. It also turned out that she used to be a top notch field agent.
See, that’s why you should always be nice to the admin in your office….
Actually, we know that Velvet was framed, and to clear her name she’s going on the offensive against her old organization to try and flush out the real traitor. Through the course of the story we’ve also learned the tragic event that took Velvet out of the field and put her behind a desk for years. Fortunately for her sake and our entertainment value Velvet hasn’t lost a step as she uses sneaky spy tactics and a general ability to kick ass to find out the truth.
This could be just your standard betrayed-spy-on-the-run story, but there’s two factors that make it seem fresh. First, the ‘70s setting was a smart choice and not just for the retro style it brings into it. The 21st century has given us all James Bond gadgets with the average smart phone acting as a handheld computer, camera, and tracking device, but by setting this back in days of yore it allows for some fun with classic spy stuff that modern technology has made commonplace. It also makes the things they do use like Velvet’s stolen bulletproof stealth suit with glider wings seem more inventive.
Velvet herself is the second thing that makes this stand out. The idea of essentially taking Miss Moneypenny and making her a bad ass was a nice hook, and in a time when females in comics is a hot topic having a 40-something woman be the fully formed hero of a series like this seems way more revolutionary then it should be. (It also probably means we’ll never see a movie version of it because Hollywood believes that old ladies such as Marisa Tomei can only play characters like Aunt May.)
Ed Brubaker is one of the best writers in comics, and here he teams up with artist Steve Epting to create a humdinger filled with spy vs. spy action.
See, that’s why you should always be nice to the admin in your office….
Actually, we know that Velvet was framed, and to clear her name she’s going on the offensive against her old organization to try and flush out the real traitor. Through the course of the story we’ve also learned the tragic event that took Velvet out of the field and put her behind a desk for years. Fortunately for her sake and our entertainment value Velvet hasn’t lost a step as she uses sneaky spy tactics and a general ability to kick ass to find out the truth.
This could be just your standard betrayed-spy-on-the-run story, but there’s two factors that make it seem fresh. First, the ‘70s setting was a smart choice and not just for the retro style it brings into it. The 21st century has given us all James Bond gadgets with the average smart phone acting as a handheld computer, camera, and tracking device, but by setting this back in days of yore it allows for some fun with classic spy stuff that modern technology has made commonplace. It also makes the things they do use like Velvet’s stolen bulletproof stealth suit with glider wings seem more inventive.
Velvet herself is the second thing that makes this stand out. The idea of essentially taking Miss Moneypenny and making her a bad ass was a nice hook, and in a time when females in comics is a hot topic having a 40-something woman be the fully formed hero of a series like this seems way more revolutionary then it should be. (It also probably means we’ll never see a movie version of it because Hollywood believes that old ladies such as Marisa Tomei can only play characters like Aunt May.)
Ed Brubaker is one of the best writers in comics, and here he teams up with artist Steve Epting to create a humdinger filled with spy vs. spy action.
September 19, 2015
The World’s most dangerous secretary is back!
“Velvet, two cups of Earl Grey, a kidney punch, a spleen shattering kick and a garrotting, if you please. Anything for you Nigel?”
Velvet’s continued search for the truth takes her and the reader further down a rabbit hole. The plot’s getting a tad slippery, but when the focus is on Velvet, it’s all business.
And that business is kick-ass, wear-a-cool-bullet-proof-flying-squirrel-suit, uncover-the-truth, spy stuff.
Brubaker has a knack for this type of writing and he’s head and shoulders above anyone else. There’s not much I can add beyond what others have written. The art is exemplary and enhances perfectly Brubaker’s shadowy tale of espionage.
“Velvet, two cups of Earl Grey, a kidney punch, a spleen shattering kick and a garrotting, if you please. Anything for you Nigel?”
Velvet’s continued search for the truth takes her and the reader further down a rabbit hole. The plot’s getting a tad slippery, but when the focus is on Velvet, it’s all business.
And that business is kick-ass, wear-a-cool-bullet-proof-flying-squirrel-suit, uncover-the-truth, spy stuff.
Brubaker has a knack for this type of writing and he’s head and shoulders above anyone else. There’s not much I can add beyond what others have written. The art is exemplary and enhances perfectly Brubaker’s shadowy tale of espionage.
December 28, 2019
James Bond ain't got nothing on Velvet. In fact, if it came down to it, she'd more than likely kick his ass. Does anyone do espionage better than Brubaker? They should get him to write the next Bond film. I love how Brubaker has created a confidant, kick-ass heroine with sex appeal who's not a bimbo. I also dig how Steve Epting is a talented enough artist that he can actually draw her at the age she's supposed to be. In the current story she looks like a woman of around 40. In the flashbacks, she looks younger. Epting has grown into one of the top artists in comics and it's all on display here.
December 10, 2019
5 stars again – so great! Just like Volume 1!
If you like spy craft, revenge, espionage, and graphic novels and you are not reading this series right now, I am not really sure what you are doing with your life. So far this series has been absolutely amazing. Well written, beautiful art, and a fabulously perfect heroine. Velvet Templeton is the character authors hope to create when they set out to create a strong female lead.
Oh, did I mention the artwork? Yes, yes I did . . . but I will again! I always put in a few images with my reviews of graphic novels, but it was tough to pick only a few this time because every frame is stunning. Sometimes brutal, sometimes sleek and dark, sometimes sexy – always perfect!
I read this in one sitting. I could not stop! And, I did not want to binge into volume 3. I need to savor this. And, I don’t want to rush to the end as it appears volume 3 is the last!
Moral of this story so far: Don’t f&$! with your secretary – you never know what secrets she might be hiding . . . and she might be really good at revenge!
If you like spy craft, revenge, espionage, and graphic novels and you are not reading this series right now, I am not really sure what you are doing with your life. So far this series has been absolutely amazing. Well written, beautiful art, and a fabulously perfect heroine. Velvet Templeton is the character authors hope to create when they set out to create a strong female lead.
Oh, did I mention the artwork? Yes, yes I did . . . but I will again! I always put in a few images with my reviews of graphic novels, but it was tough to pick only a few this time because every frame is stunning. Sometimes brutal, sometimes sleek and dark, sometimes sexy – always perfect!
I read this in one sitting. I could not stop! And, I did not want to binge into volume 3. I need to savor this. And, I don’t want to rush to the end as it appears volume 3 is the last!
Moral of this story so far: Don’t f&$! with your secretary – you never know what secrets she might be hiding . . . and she might be really good at revenge!
November 23, 2015
Oh hells yes, yes and more YES to this! Velvet is back and somehow the second book is even better than the first!
Velvet Templeton looked like an average secretary. She worked for the Director of ARC-7, the (fictional) British secret intelligence agency, until she was framed for the murder of one of their top agents. Suddenly she’s on the run and it turns out Velvet wasn’t just anyone - she was one of the agency’s best before she was retired.
Now forced back into the game, Velvet’s wrapped up her covert investigations on the continent and turned her sights back to Blighty. She’s done running - now she’s bringing the fight to her former masters’ doorsteps. Will she find out who’s setting her up? And who’s the mysterious “Pierre Duprey”? Velvet’s about to discover the rabbit hole goes down much deeper than she realised. Welcome to the “Real Game” in The Secret Lives of Dead Men.
Ed Brubaker really knows how to write an exciting story. From the moment Velvet touches down on British soil, the tension is up as she gets through customs and begins laying false leads for the spies on her tail. As we see her make preparations, gathering supplies from old contacts, more of her backstory is related through perfectly measured flashbacks. Then Brubaker throws in an action scene just when the pace is flagging.
The action in this book is fantastic. There’s a daring break-in to a top secret organisation, two separate kidnappings of high-profile espionage figures, AND a classic feature of the spy thriller: a fight atop a moving train! Brubaker manages to perfectly balance moments of story and character, talking/exposition and action, so there’s never too much of one and each scene builds upon the last so the pacing increases the closer we get to the end - brilliant! Exactly what a thriller should do!
Unlike some Cold War spy thrillers, Velvet’s plot never becomes convoluted to the point of confusion. There is complexity over who’s playing who, what the truth is and what’s being covered up, and there’s the ever-present question of who’s doing this to Velvet and why - masterfully advanced just far enough but still keeping the audience in the dark - though the reader can always follow the story and knows what’s going on.
I also really liked that Brubaker is expanding the story through the perspectives of other characters. We’re introduced to Colt and Roberts, two spies tasked with finding Velvet, and seeing things through their eyes shows us the intricacies of what’s happening - that there’s something bigger going on than just a dangerous agent gone rogue. The different characters add variety and keeps thing fresh so we don’t just have Velvet’s voice and point of view throughout. More importantly though, we see the stakes being raised - we’re not told. Showing, not telling, at it’s best.
A large part of the comic’s success is the art team of Steve Epting and Elizabeth Breitweiser. Epting’s work has always been high quality but Velvet’s pages are something else. I’d say they’re captivatingly realistic but real life doesn’t look this gorgeous. I can’t single out specific pages to praise, they’re all without fault - the work of a true master. Breitweiser’s colours enhances the art to another level: the panels set at night in the rain, the dawn over London, the twilit train sequence, the darkened chase in the French forest; stunning, just stunning.
My favourite comic of the year was Brubaker’s other Image series, The Fade Out, but my new favourite is Velvet, Volume 2. He truly is at the top of his game right now. He’s written some superb books in the past but he’s entered into some golden age right now and he’s being joined by two artists - Sean Phillips on The Fade Out and Steve Epting on Velvet - who’re also producing career-best pages. If you want to read some exceptional comics today, look for the ones with Ed Brubaker’s name on the front.
The Secret Lives of Dead Men is one of the most compelling spy thrillers you’ll have the pleasure of reading. The comparisons have now shifted because Bond was never this good - Bond is like Velvet but less exciting and not nearly as badass. Velvet Volume 2 is the top tier of comics today - read it, read it, read it, I can’t recommend it more highly to every comics fan out there!
(One minor critique: Brits say “arsehole” not “asshole” - the latter is American!)
Velvet Templeton looked like an average secretary. She worked for the Director of ARC-7, the (fictional) British secret intelligence agency, until she was framed for the murder of one of their top agents. Suddenly she’s on the run and it turns out Velvet wasn’t just anyone - she was one of the agency’s best before she was retired.
Now forced back into the game, Velvet’s wrapped up her covert investigations on the continent and turned her sights back to Blighty. She’s done running - now she’s bringing the fight to her former masters’ doorsteps. Will she find out who’s setting her up? And who’s the mysterious “Pierre Duprey”? Velvet’s about to discover the rabbit hole goes down much deeper than she realised. Welcome to the “Real Game” in The Secret Lives of Dead Men.
Ed Brubaker really knows how to write an exciting story. From the moment Velvet touches down on British soil, the tension is up as she gets through customs and begins laying false leads for the spies on her tail. As we see her make preparations, gathering supplies from old contacts, more of her backstory is related through perfectly measured flashbacks. Then Brubaker throws in an action scene just when the pace is flagging.
The action in this book is fantastic. There’s a daring break-in to a top secret organisation, two separate kidnappings of high-profile espionage figures, AND a classic feature of the spy thriller: a fight atop a moving train! Brubaker manages to perfectly balance moments of story and character, talking/exposition and action, so there’s never too much of one and each scene builds upon the last so the pacing increases the closer we get to the end - brilliant! Exactly what a thriller should do!
Unlike some Cold War spy thrillers, Velvet’s plot never becomes convoluted to the point of confusion. There is complexity over who’s playing who, what the truth is and what’s being covered up, and there’s the ever-present question of who’s doing this to Velvet and why - masterfully advanced just far enough but still keeping the audience in the dark - though the reader can always follow the story and knows what’s going on.
I also really liked that Brubaker is expanding the story through the perspectives of other characters. We’re introduced to Colt and Roberts, two spies tasked with finding Velvet, and seeing things through their eyes shows us the intricacies of what’s happening - that there’s something bigger going on than just a dangerous agent gone rogue. The different characters add variety and keeps thing fresh so we don’t just have Velvet’s voice and point of view throughout. More importantly though, we see the stakes being raised - we’re not told. Showing, not telling, at it’s best.
A large part of the comic’s success is the art team of Steve Epting and Elizabeth Breitweiser. Epting’s work has always been high quality but Velvet’s pages are something else. I’d say they’re captivatingly realistic but real life doesn’t look this gorgeous. I can’t single out specific pages to praise, they’re all without fault - the work of a true master. Breitweiser’s colours enhances the art to another level: the panels set at night in the rain, the dawn over London, the twilit train sequence, the darkened chase in the French forest; stunning, just stunning.
My favourite comic of the year was Brubaker’s other Image series, The Fade Out, but my new favourite is Velvet, Volume 2. He truly is at the top of his game right now. He’s written some superb books in the past but he’s entered into some golden age right now and he’s being joined by two artists - Sean Phillips on The Fade Out and Steve Epting on Velvet - who’re also producing career-best pages. If you want to read some exceptional comics today, look for the ones with Ed Brubaker’s name on the front.
The Secret Lives of Dead Men is one of the most compelling spy thrillers you’ll have the pleasure of reading. The comparisons have now shifted because Bond was never this good - Bond is like Velvet but less exciting and not nearly as badass. Velvet Volume 2 is the top tier of comics today - read it, read it, read it, I can’t recommend it more highly to every comics fan out there!
(One minor critique: Brits say “arsehole” not “asshole” - the latter is American!)
February 20, 2022
2022 buddy (re)read with Nataliya:
I changed my opinion about this. I think the first time around I struggled a bit with how this story is told. See, I was still new to comics and the "voiceover" got on my nerves a little. This time around? Not at all. This is just as awesome as the first volume. New rating: 4.5 stars rounded up. Very intriguing- the whole thing. And Ms. Templeton? Well, I'm in love.
2018 review:
My favorite secretary is back to kick some more ass!
After realizing she has been framed, Velvet decides to not run away. Instead she’s trying to piece together who’s responsible and takes the fight to the bad guys.
Since we’re dealing with secret agents here, it’s hard to tell who’s on which side. Velvet can basically trust no one. This volume asks more questions than it answers.
Most of the story takes place in London. So we don’t get around as much as in the first volume, which is a pity. Still, Epting’s art shines again.
The plot is not quite as engaging as in the first volume. That's probably why the only thing I was complaining about back then (Brubaker telling us all the time what the characters are thinking) started to get a little annoying this time around.
Velvet though, Velvet is fantastic. As strong female characters go, they don't get much better.
Only 3.5 stars for this volume. But I definitely want more of its 5-star heroine.
I changed my opinion about this. I think the first time around I struggled a bit with how this story is told. See, I was still new to comics and the "voiceover" got on my nerves a little. This time around? Not at all. This is just as awesome as the first volume. New rating: 4.5 stars rounded up. Very intriguing- the whole thing. And Ms. Templeton? Well, I'm in love.
2018 review:
My favorite secretary is back to kick some more ass!
After realizing she has been framed, Velvet decides to not run away. Instead she’s trying to piece together who’s responsible and takes the fight to the bad guys.
Since we’re dealing with secret agents here, it’s hard to tell who’s on which side. Velvet can basically trust no one. This volume asks more questions than it answers.
Most of the story takes place in London. So we don’t get around as much as in the first volume, which is a pity. Still, Epting’s art shines again.
The plot is not quite as engaging as in the first volume. That's probably why the only thing I was complaining about back then (Brubaker telling us all the time what the characters are thinking) started to get a little annoying this time around.
Velvet though, Velvet is fantastic. As strong female characters go, they don't get much better.
Only 3.5 stars for this volume. But I definitely want more of its 5-star heroine.
June 1, 2015
I usually write a longer review than this:
But the question I just want answered is...Can I be Velvet when I grow up?
But the question I just want answered is...Can I be Velvet when I grow up?
October 1, 2016
I've loved spy stories for quite a while.
All the details that can be put together like a puzzle, the secret identities, different countries, masquerades, intricate planning which requires intelligence - all challenging the reader as much as the characters in the story. I love it!
However, there's a downside to it: lies and secrets. At a certain point nobody can know what is real and what isn't, who can be trusted etc.
In this second volume, we delve deeper into Velvet's story, her background, where she comes from, what happened to her - and it's heartbreaking (even more than I thought it would be).
Again, she kicks some ass while staying classy and sassy and that although she's been out of the game for a while. Apropos, that's another thing I like about this story: she was and is good but since she's been practically out for so long, she's a little rusty (physically as well as psychologically). It makes it much more realistic. And her greatest asset? Still her brain. Oh and I love that she didn't kill the dog!
We still don't get all the answers, there will be (probably several) more volumes, but it was fun again to watch this lady kick ass. :)
All the details that can be put together like a puzzle, the secret identities, different countries, masquerades, intricate planning which requires intelligence - all challenging the reader as much as the characters in the story. I love it!
However, there's a downside to it: lies and secrets. At a certain point nobody can know what is real and what isn't, who can be trusted etc.
In this second volume, we delve deeper into Velvet's story, her background, where she comes from, what happened to her - and it's heartbreaking (even more than I thought it would be).
Again, she kicks some ass while staying classy and sassy and that although she's been out of the game for a while. Apropos, that's another thing I like about this story: she was and is good but since she's been practically out for so long, she's a little rusty (physically as well as psychologically). It makes it much more realistic. And her greatest asset? Still her brain. Oh and I love that she didn't kill the dog!
We still don't get all the answers, there will be (probably several) more volumes, but it was fun again to watch this lady kick ass. :)
October 12, 2015
This second volume steps up the intensity by a big leap. Velvet is back in the game, and she has her former employees on her tail, not to mention the traitor who is trying to frame her. "The Secret Lives of Dead Men" delves deeper in Velvet Templeton's past, and her secret hurts. The reader learns that she has more than one reason to take her betrayal personal, and also we see how she embarks on the life of a spy at a young age. While Velvet can hold her own, the reader sees that she has vulnerabilities just like any other human being, despite her formidable skills.
This is fine storytelling with excellent art. I think this would be an awesome movie or limited tv series. Velvet is an excellent role for an older (fortyish actress), and she'd not only get to show some real dramatic acting, but also plenty of buttkicking.
This book has a heck of a cliffhanger that has me waiting with baited breath for the next installment.
Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.
This is fine storytelling with excellent art. I think this would be an awesome movie or limited tv series. Velvet is an excellent role for an older (fortyish actress), and she'd not only get to show some real dramatic acting, but also plenty of buttkicking.
This book has a heck of a cliffhanger that has me waiting with baited breath for the next installment.
Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.
July 31, 2015
This is SO good. Ed Brubaker is so good, at the top of his game. And I like Steve Epting's artwork here. Great stuff. I liked this even more than the first volume, the set up, where we see Velvet, former ARC-7 operative, then secretary, returned to the field and in this volume, she is trying to figure out how it is she is being framed, and why it is what should have been the best night of her life became her worst. Great dialogue, great story, great spy thriller suspense. One of the best comics I have read this year. Velvet is a winner, gritty, with a little bit of a throwback vibe to it, in a good way.
November 9, 2015
Bullet Review:
Fantastic; I love Velvet! My biggest problem is that it's been so long since I read Volume 1, I felt lost/confused multiple times with the convoluted plot. That said, I would love to continue to Volume 3, hopefully sooner than I got to Volume 2 so I don't forget as much!
Fantastic; I love Velvet! My biggest problem is that it's been so long since I read Volume 1, I felt lost/confused multiple times with the convoluted plot. That said, I would love to continue to Volume 3, hopefully sooner than I got to Volume 2 so I don't forget as much!
February 3, 2016
Velvet Templeton has been accused of setting up the murder of a field agent within her super-spy organization, ARC-7. While many simply viewed her as the complacent secretary, it comes to light that Velvet used to be a field agent herself – and a kick-ass one at that!
On the run and desperate to clear her name, Velvet begins assembling her own list of potential suspects as she tries to narrow down the real culprit.
Building on a hell of a first trade, Brubaker and company produced an enthralling read with this second volume that I consumed in a single sitting. Epting’s pencils and Breitweiser’s colors are just jaw-droppingly gorgeous and more than add to an already compelling story. I’m not sure if it’s Brubaker’s direction or Epting and Breitweiser’s god-given talent but they’re providing a visual presentation unlike any comic I’m currently reading.
Velvet continues to be a great character. Her back is constantly against the wall, but she shows no signs of slowing down. I suppose it doesn’t hurt that she has little alternative but she’s bright, quick on her feet and deeply confident. Did I mention she’s also in her mid-forties? How many series currently going today showcase that type of character?
I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on the next trade. Hopefully we get to see it this summer in keeping with the trend of putting out one book per year. Can’t wait to see where this one is headed.
On the run and desperate to clear her name, Velvet begins assembling her own list of potential suspects as she tries to narrow down the real culprit.
Building on a hell of a first trade, Brubaker and company produced an enthralling read with this second volume that I consumed in a single sitting. Epting’s pencils and Breitweiser’s colors are just jaw-droppingly gorgeous and more than add to an already compelling story. I’m not sure if it’s Brubaker’s direction or Epting and Breitweiser’s god-given talent but they’re providing a visual presentation unlike any comic I’m currently reading.
Velvet continues to be a great character. Her back is constantly against the wall, but she shows no signs of slowing down. I suppose it doesn’t hurt that she has little alternative but she’s bright, quick on her feet and deeply confident. Did I mention she’s also in her mid-forties? How many series currently going today showcase that type of character?
I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on the next trade. Hopefully we get to see it this summer in keeping with the trend of putting out one book per year. Can’t wait to see where this one is headed.
May 27, 2015
The first volume of Velvet was a winner on every level, so it's far from surprising that the second volume is every bit as good. The art remains stellar and perfectly matched to the subject and tone of the book. The espionage is exciting and convincing. And the overarching story just gets more and more compelling. There are a few answers thrown out here, but also new questions. Deeper down the rabbit hole, so to speak.
I loved the first volume for being a pitch perfect spy book, with a fantastic female lead. Volume two delivers everything that I liked about volume one, and it adds layers without giving me the sense that Brubaker is making this up as he goes along. More, please.
I loved the first volume for being a pitch perfect spy book, with a fantastic female lead. Volume two delivers everything that I liked about volume one, and it adds layers without giving me the sense that Brubaker is making this up as he goes along. More, please.
February 16, 2019
The saga of secret agent Velvet continues. Betrayed by someone on the inside, set up as the fall girl for killings, and on the run. Velvet spends this volume chasing after the truth, wherever it leads. Even if this means breaking into a prison, tying the London chief to a chair, or doing battle with half the police in France. Velvet is tough, uncompromising, and relentless. This is a transitional section of the story and probably requires first reading part one to understand what's at stake.
July 19, 2019
This series is fixin’ to be an all time favorite.
What’s it about?
If you read volume one, you know. If you haven’t, I’d just spoil things. Skip!
Why it gets 5 stars:
The story is very interesting and the sort of bad-ass, exciting adventure fans of espionage thriller will want!
The art is still fantastic! Epting and Breitweiser work like peanut butter and chocolate!
The characters are interesting! More depth to them is added in this volume.
The action scenes are pretty fantastic and they’re frequent too! This series has the perfect spy action!
This book is super suspenseful!
There are a couple decent comic relief moments.
The dialogue is very well written.
As you can expect from Brubaker, the narrative is very interesting, engaging and well written!
Velvet loves puppers! I don’t want to spoil anything but I applaud Velvet’s love for dogs! I also love dogs!
The ending! Boy that was one hell of an ending!
Overall:
This series is fucking amazing! This is the perfect series for fans of espionage thriller! I already got volume 3 loaded up on my Kindle and am excited as hell to read it!
I highly recommend you read this too!
5/5
What’s it about?
If you read volume one, you know. If you haven’t, I’d just spoil things. Skip!
Why it gets 5 stars:
The story is very interesting and the sort of bad-ass, exciting adventure fans of espionage thriller will want!
The art is still fantastic! Epting and Breitweiser work like peanut butter and chocolate!
The characters are interesting! More depth to them is added in this volume.
The action scenes are pretty fantastic and they’re frequent too! This series has the perfect spy action!
This book is super suspenseful!
There are a couple decent comic relief moments.
The dialogue is very well written.
As you can expect from Brubaker, the narrative is very interesting, engaging and well written!
Velvet loves puppers! I don’t want to spoil anything but I applaud Velvet’s love for dogs! I also love dogs!
The ending! Boy that was one hell of an ending!
Overall:
This series is fucking amazing! This is the perfect series for fans of espionage thriller! I already got volume 3 loaded up on my Kindle and am excited as hell to read it!
I highly recommend you read this too!
5/5
May 26, 2015
Finally. I've been waiting for something great to sink my teeth into, and who should become available on NetGalley? Why my old friend Ed...Brubaker that is. Alongside for the ride is his other frequent collaborator, Steve Epting. (Winter Soldier arc of Cap).
I read and loved Volume 1 of Velvet, who's like Ms. Moneypenny if she'd been an even more lethal machine than Bond.
In the last volume, Velvet found herself framed for murders she didn't commit...unfortunately for ARC-7 (The Agency) she retained all of her field training and experience as an asset from before her 10+ yrs as the secretary to the Director.
This time around, they've caught on and they're coming at her hard, but tons of questions arise, and Velvet turns the tables on them. She finds someone who might be able to help her, but with her desire to work alongside someone else, has she lost sight of the most important rule? Trust No One.
It's great to have a female hero who kicks serious ass and is still sexy, even in her 40s...We don't have nearly enough characters like that, and when leading writers like Brubaker do it, you know there's going to be copycats soon. It won't be the same as Ed's work, but it's great that they don't all have to be young men.
The twists and turns sometimes can be ridiculous and forced in many spy/thriller books, but here it feels natural and legit.
I'm so very pleased to have got a chance to read this, and a thank you to Net Galley for making the ARC available. This is my honest review I give in exchange for getting to read this fantastic book.
Go out and grab this now! If you haven't, start with Vol. 1!
I read and loved Volume 1 of Velvet, who's like Ms. Moneypenny if she'd been an even more lethal machine than Bond.
In the last volume, Velvet found herself framed for murders she didn't commit...unfortunately for ARC-7 (The Agency) she retained all of her field training and experience as an asset from before her 10+ yrs as the secretary to the Director.
This time around, they've caught on and they're coming at her hard, but tons of questions arise, and Velvet turns the tables on them. She finds someone who might be able to help her, but with her desire to work alongside someone else, has she lost sight of the most important rule? Trust No One.
It's great to have a female hero who kicks serious ass and is still sexy, even in her 40s...We don't have nearly enough characters like that, and when leading writers like Brubaker do it, you know there's going to be copycats soon. It won't be the same as Ed's work, but it's great that they don't all have to be young men.
The twists and turns sometimes can be ridiculous and forced in many spy/thriller books, but here it feels natural and legit.
I'm so very pleased to have got a chance to read this, and a thank you to Net Galley for making the ARC available. This is my honest review I give in exchange for getting to read this fantastic book.
Go out and grab this now! If you haven't, start with Vol. 1!
October 15, 2015
Velvet Templeton makes a surprising return to London (as she is supposedly a traitor) to figure out who is behind the death of an agent and the more dated death of her own husband. The list of suspects is small due to the lengthy timeline, and Velvet will have o be very creative to flush out the culprit, including securing a unusual ally, another pariah like herself, who is in prison. Good story and artwork, but the story is still a bit murky, at least for me.
December 31, 2015
Most people think that the Chief has a very capable secretary in Velvet Templeton. They don't know the half of it. Volume 2 of this series picks up right where the first volume left off. Blackmailed for the murder of an agent, Templeton is on the run for her life. With kidnappings, breakouts from an insane asylum and train-top chase scenes, the action never slows. I'm looking forward to volume 3.
August 14, 2018
Not as deep as I've come to expect from Brubaker, but too sharp and compelling as a genre exercise for anything less than 3.5 stars.
September 29, 2015
Probably the best series of the year as far as I'm concerned. Vol.2 is as thrilling as Vol.1, Brubaker being really at its best here, and just as beautiful. Epting and Breitweiser are producing a flawless pleasure to the eyes.
Velvet is narrowing down her list of suspects and has to get in touch with someone who might be better than her in this game. Half truths might lead to real deaths. Now she remembers she also have to be afraid in order to survive.
Solid action-packed plot with a main character whose bad-ass mode makes 007 look like a sissy, what's not to like?
Velvet is narrowing down her list of suspects and has to get in touch with someone who might be better than her in this game. Half truths might lead to real deaths. Now she remembers she also have to be afraid in order to survive.
Solid action-packed plot with a main character whose bad-ass mode makes 007 look like a sissy, what's not to like?
November 19, 2017
Incredible artwork from Epting as per usual.
May 20, 2015
I'm so mad that I discovered this series now and not five years from now. Do you know how long it has been since I had to wait for a monthly serial instead of just reading entire arcs in trades? And this one isn't even monthly, but on a "we'll print it sometime and you'll like it" schedule.
This series is fantastic, and like Vol 1, this one doesn't resolve a damn thing. This major arc is supposed to be resolved in the next small arc (I assume issues 11-15), but we will see. It's going to be a difficult wait.
This series is fantastic, and like Vol 1, this one doesn't resolve a damn thing. This major arc is supposed to be resolved in the next small arc (I assume issues 11-15), but we will see. It's going to be a difficult wait.
June 13, 2018
This is awesome. Great artwork with superb storytelling by Brubaker. Feels like an old school spy thriller with a few Bond themes thrown in. Dont expect Bond, this is really orignal and unique plotting. Highly recommended!!
August 29, 2015
Part two does not disappoint. Great dialogue and illustration, along with a great story. There is mystery and intrigue, as I said with volume one, like an old Sean Connery James Bond movie.
After finishing this volume, I realized that Volume three is not released, as I was looking to find out what happens next.
I hope Brubaker keeps it going.
After finishing this volume, I realized that Volume three is not released, as I was looking to find out what happens next.
I hope Brubaker keeps it going.
July 7, 2015
As visually and viscerally stunning as the first volume.
February 20, 2022
Review for the entire story is under my review for Volume 1: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
December 13, 2018
Trade ao ritmo do cinema de acção com evoluções narrativas à boa moda de XIII antes de ter pulado o tubarão.
Os painéis são essencialmente de formato clássico, ganhando ênfase as páginas em que é usada maior fluidez dos painéis (sempre de aplicação parcimoniosa em eco gráfico dos pontos-chave do argumento, revelando a boa dinâmica letras/arte).
Uma magnífica continuação que incrementa a avidez pelo terceiro volume.
Os painéis são essencialmente de formato clássico, ganhando ênfase as páginas em que é usada maior fluidez dos painéis (sempre de aplicação parcimoniosa em eco gráfico dos pontos-chave do argumento, revelando a boa dinâmica letras/arte).
Uma magnífica continuação que incrementa a avidez pelo terceiro volume.
May 12, 2021
Velvet je prostě skvělá, mám rád jak sérii tak postavu která je správná badass agentka. Příběh se nám zase o kousek rozpletl a posouvá se strašně dobře. Líbí se mi, že zase trochu prostoru dostaly vedlejší postavy které jsou strašně dobře napsané, nefunguje to jen na principu "Velvet nám utekla je to logicky zrádkyně a badguy". Ne, postavy reálně uvažují nad Velvetinými pochody a to proč se tohle všechno děje.
Perfektní špionážní drama 4,5*.
Perfektní špionážní drama 4,5*.
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