With Biggle there's not much of a line between the serious and the comic. The funny parts are all oh, I get it, funny, not har-har funny, and the serious parts are all, wow, I didn't expect him to die like THAT. It's satirical but not farcical--the resolution of the story is serious and realistic.

Part of what makes this one work is that it's made crystal clear from the start that the Plan involves being very careful to avoid violent confrontation. So you're watching all along for what kind of trick they'll pull off (or not), rather than stuck with some disappointing surprise reversal.