This week, we're continuing our top 25 DC comics countdown. We have Sleeper, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, at number 23 on our list! Nowadays, Brubaker and Phillips are household names for their creator-owned crime comics. Let's go back in time and take a look at this early work from the pair! Sleeper is a super powered espionage neo-noir thriller that contains a whole lot of tension and suspense. A creeping sense of dread permeates the narrative. It's also got a lot of heavy emotional, psychological, and thematic material that gives it that added element of depth.

Here are some of the other episodes we've done in which we've featured these creators:

Episode 6: Criminal

Episode 8: Captain America

Episode 20: Scene of the Crime

Episode 155: Wildcats

Episode 192: Gotham Central

Like we did for our Marvel top 25 list, we applied a set of criteria and scored all the DC books we've read to create our list. Our criteria are as follows:

CRAFT. Is the comic technically sound? Is it well-written? Is it well-illustrated? Did the creators demonstrate mastery of the language and form of comics?

ORIGINALITY. Is the comic creative and imaginative? Does it have something meaningful to say?

IMPACT. What sort of lasting influence did the comic have? Did it leave a mark within the DC universe, on the industry, or on pop culture? Do fans remember it with affection?

WITHSTAND THE TEST OF TIME. Is the comic something that holds up today, outside of the context of its original publication? Is it something we could read over and over again in the future?

If you have any thoughts, comments, questions, or corrections, we're here. Feel free to hit us up on our socials, or email us! We have a Linktree here: linktr.ee/betweenthegutters

Check our Linktree for a handy Spotify playlist of all of our DC Top 25 episodes (including our honorable and dishonorable mentions)!

Thanks again to Corey J. Beats for producing our theme music. Check out all of his music on various platforms here: linktr.ee/Coreyjbeats