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Book Cover for: Out of Alcatraz, Christopher Cantwell

Out of Alcatraz

Christopher Cantwell

"Atmospheric, beautifully rendered, and psychologically rich, this is a standout thriller for fans of Ed Brubaker, Jeff Lemire, and True Detective." --Library Journal, starred review

"This will certainly win over noir fans--and may make new ones." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Nothing short of cinematic. From its '60s thriller setting, to the blend of fact and fiction, all the way to the hardcover design, Out of Alcatraz feels like a long lost Nicholas Ray movie." --Comics Beat, Best of 2025

Born from one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the 20th century, Eisner Award-nominated writer Christopher Cantwell (Plastic Man No More, Briar) and Eisner Award-nominated illustrator Tyler Crook (Harrow County, The Lonesome Hunters) present the year's most taut and breathtaking graphic novel event . . .

Convicts Frank Morris and Clarence Anglin have washed ashore in San Francisco after surviving their infamous escape from Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in June 1962. They soon meet their gruff and disappointed handler, a mysterious young woman who's also running from something, and hope to quickly get their way north to the border-if they can even make it out of Modesto alive. As a dogged federal manhunt and chance encounters threaten the desperate convicts, everyone involved is about to discover the same bloodstained truth: Life on the run is an even more hellish prison than Alcatraz could have ever been . . .

Book Details

  • Publisher: Oni Press
  • Publish Date: Oct 21st, 2025
  • Pages: 176
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 10.30in - 6.70in - 0.70in - 1.45lb
  • EAN: 9781637158685
  • Categories: Crime & MysteryHistorical Fiction - GeneralAction & Adventure

About the Author

Cantwell, Christopher: - Christopher Cantwell is an American writer, producer, and director who has worked in television, film, and comic books. He is best known as one of the two co-creators of the TV series Halt and Catch Fire, for which he also served as a producer, showrunner, screenwriter, and director.
Crook, Tyler: - Tyler Crook is a comic book artist and illustrator. For over two decades, he has worked as a comics creator, artist, and 3D modeler in the video game industry. Released in 2011, Petrograd was Tyler's first published comic and earned Tyler the Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award. Since then, he has worked on dozens of comics titles including B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth, Witchfinder, Bad Blood, and The Sixth Gun. In 2016, Harrow County, the horror comic he created with Cullen Bunn, was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best New Series, and his Comixology Original book, Stone King, was nominated for Best Digital Comic in 2019. Tyler lives in rural Oregon with his wonderful spouse and many terrible pets

Praise for this book

"An exhilarating tale where history and fiction collide... Christopher Cantwell and Tyler Crook craft a cinematic [story] hooking me from the very first panel. Cantwell's writing shines through in his characterization of Frank Morris and Clarence Anglin... Tyler Crook's artwork elevates this outstanding tale further into something truly extraordinary... Out of Alcatraz serves as both an homage to historical events while simultaneously offering something entirely new. With its blend of suspenseful storytelling and stunning artwork, Out of Alcatraz is a beautiful and outstanding historical fiction comic."-- "Capes and Tights"
"A fantastic exercise of historical fiction, concerned about depicting the U.S. precisely as it was in the 1960s. That includes the racial tensions bubbling below the surface of a civilized country and the unfortunate objectification of women. These strokes of social analysis are perfectly intertwined with the plot, making the story all the more believable without deviating the focus from the main characters. It's a phenomenal work of comic book storytelling, complete with an impressionist artwork that adds texture to what could be a bland realistic setting. Every reader interested in crime thriller and historical fiction will be well-served with Out of Alcatraz."-- "Comicbook.com"
"Showstopping...An escape from Alcatraz becomes a highway to Hell. Cantwell takes the two leads into deep levels with the writing. Crook's art sets the stage with the painful repercussions of their actions. This story is one readers won't want to escape from anytime soon."-- "Nerd Initiative"
"Cantwell and Crook craft a crime thriller steeped in paranoia that keeps the men trapped even though they've left their prison cells behind. .... The time and place are exquisitely captured by Crook, a versatile artist who is equally adept at thrilling action and more subtle character interactions, and he tracks the fraught emotional journey of these characters with crystal-clear specificity." -- "AV Club"
"This is noir at its best."-- "Freak Sugar"
"An intriguing and plausible tale that explores what might have happened after the escape... Populating the panels with energy and a water-colored palette that made the narrative jump from the page, Crook captures the pent-up frustration, fear and anger of the convicts in every close-up of their faces... A must read."-- "Geek Vibes Nation"
"This book uses a real life incident in which convicts escaped from Alcatraz (and were never found) as a starting point for a new crime-suspense comic. The premise is great, but the execution of this series is absolutely perfect, from the art to the characterization to the plot twists."-- "Comics Beat"
"Mining the historical intrigue of the 1962 escape from Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, which saw a trio of inmates slip away from the island and vanish completely, this gripping thriller proposes that escaping from prison was by far the easiest obstacle on the men's path to freedom. Cantwell (Star Trek: Defiant) crafts a propulsive, noir-tinged narrative as the convicts limp into a murky Northern California underworld, pursued by lawmen, haunted by violence, and betrayed at nearly every turn. While the fugitives stumble toward freedom, they're forced to confront a bleak truth: escape is not liberation, and the world beyond bars may be just another cell. Crook's (The Lonesome Hunters) painterly and cinematic illustration heightens scenes of stark natural beauty by alternating them with grim interiors and bursts of violence. His use of color and light evokes a cinematic dread that matches the script's fatalism. It's rooted in crime fiction, but the graphic novel hints at metaphysical despair, transcending its genre premise to become something bolder, eerier, and more tragic. VERDICT Atmospheric, beautifully rendered, and psychologically rich, this is a standout thriller for fans of Ed Brubaker, Jeff Lemire, and True Detective."-- "Library Journal, Starred Review"
"Cantwell's script is sharp, both in its thriller jolts and surprising empathy. Bleakly gorgeous art by Crook evokes Alfred Hitchcock, Edward Hopper, Badlands, American Graffiti, and vintage crime paperbacks. The effect brilliantly imbues wide-open West Coast vistas with grim beauty and, in the end, a touch of welcome warmth. This will certainly win over noir fans--and may make new ones."-- "Publishers Weekly, Starred Review"
"Action-packed, fast-paced, and atmospheric."-- "Booklist"