Frank Miller's Sin City is visually quite astonishing. A brutal adult noir set in the fictional Basin City, Miller's black and white artwork realises the atmosphere of some weird Depression-era-style future superbly well. Our principal character, Marv, is a giant, as large as he is ugly, who has found some peace, some kindness, some shelter in the arms of a prostitute called Goldie. Goldie, running from someone, scared as hell, needs protection as much as Marv needs a little human kindness. Hauling himself out of the depths of a huge hangover Marv wakes to find Goldie murdered. And revenge is one of the things Marv does best. While the artwork is undeniably fine the story is rather thin in places, and the sound effects come a little too thick and fast. Although not a great comic it is a very good one and, as the first part of the classic Sin City series, the beginning chapter in what has become an essential addition to the adult graphic novel collector's list. --Mark Thwaite

Classic start to a classic series....a must have!, 24 Apr 2008
This is one of my favourite graphic novels. Utterly fantastic and visually stunning. Even if you are not a reader of graphic novels, any traditional crime fan would be pulled into Frank Millers world of hard cases, hitmen, dames and hookers. The men are big and burly, the women are so hot and curvy, and its all conveyed perfectly in harsh black and white artwork. Its like traditional film noir on the page.

This is the first in the series of Sin city, and the protagonist is the incredible Marv, hulking street fighter and tough guy with a "condition." He can't believe his luck when he meets a beautiful woman called Goldie...But it's not to last, and she ends up murdered. Then Marv is hot on the trail of her killers, and blood splattered vengeance will be his!! Kevin is truly one of the creepiest baddies I've seen, and Marv makes sure he gets what he deserves. Some of the characters are just amazing and recur throughout the Sin City series, like Gail, the fiery hooker, and Nancy, the angelic strip club dancer. This is a great crime story, as well a thrilling personal drama. I found it kind of romantic too, in a tragic way.

A welcome change from traditional superhero comics. Frank Miller is a genius! Read the rest of series now, and have a look at the art book! A great adult read indeed!

Impressive crime story, 06 Aug 2007
This is a great story and incredibly well drawn. Marv is a brute with justice on his side in this dark tale of violence, prostitution and corruption. Highly recommended if you're fond of noir and incredibly well designed drawings. Some of Miller's art is astounding and this is well worth a look.

Grimy "Goodbye", 26 Mar 2007
With a name like "The Hard Goodbye," it isn't surprising that the first volume of the Sin City series is pure, gritty noir. After practically reinventing the superhero comic, Frank Miller created a series that can definitely be called his opus -- gritty, dark, sexy and heady. Think of it as "The Big Sleep" meets "Kill Bill."

"The night is hot as hell. Everything sticks." With those words, tough, scarred Marv encounters and beds a beautiful, alluring "goddess" named Goldie. No sooner have they made love than she is found dead beside him, and unsurprisingly the police believe that Marv is the killer. Case closed? Not really.

Being blamed for the murder of the woman he loved, Marv devotes himself to finding who killed her and framed him. He rampages through the depths of Sin City, unearthing the twisted power structure that holds it up -- and in his homicidal quest, destroying his hidden enemies for the murder of Goldie... and in the process, dooming himself.

The noir atmosphere starts from the first panel -- toughguyspeak, a silhouette and a beautiful woman. That dark, dirty feel sets the mood for the book, and in fact for the entire series. Imagine one of those old Humphrey Bogart noir movies, with the smoky atmosphere and black-and-white film... but darker, more violent, openly sexual, and often gruesome in tone.

Miller's drawing style is all in black and white, and in "Hard Goodbye" the style is simple, but effective. He uses stark swashes of dark and light to illustrate the characters' faces and bodies, never overburdening the reader with too many unnecessary details. Although later volumes have more visual detail, Miller strips it down here to the bare bones, and it fits the spare narrative beautifully.

"Sin City" itself is a seedy underbelly, full of crime, revenge and corruption; Marv isn't the guy who's going to clean it up, a la Dashiell Hammett, but the guy who will get revenge, no matter what the consequences are. The characters are just as dark: a corrupted Cardinal, psychopathic cannibal Kevin, and moderately crooked cops. Lots of death ensues.

Frank Miller's "Sin City: The Hard Goodbye" is a hard book to read. However, the Chander-by-way-of-Tarantino comic book is an electrifying read, dark and bloody and vivid.

Five Star Sin, 29 Jun 2006
This has to be the perfect place to start from if you want to enter the world of Sin City. Frank Miller brings what has to be one of the best graphic novels ever to the public. If you have already seen the film and want to follow up your interest in Sin City, this is one of the 3 main books used. The others being That Yellow Bastard and The Big Fat Kill, there is also a small section of Booze, Broads and Bullets used.

The second Sin City film will be based around the book To Hell and Back, which is the seventh book of the Sin City Empire.

Hartigan saves little Nancy Callahan in Miller's comic noir, 07 Jun 2005
Although I still have a preference for Marv and narrative of "The Hard Goodbye," the first of Frank Miller's "Sin City" graphic novels, I think that artistically he hits full stride in the fourth, "That Yellow Bastard." It is just mildly ironic that this becomes the first volume in the series to add any color to Miller's black and white world. But whereas "The Hard Goodbye" had an almost kitchen sink approach with Miller pretty much trying everything he could come up with for black & white (or white & black) illustrations, I find there is much more of a coherent artistic vision and a rhythm to way in which Miller goes from predominantly black to predominantly white pages, and back again.

"That Yellow Bastard" begins with tough cop John Hartigan, whose good heart is going bad on him, trying to stay alive long enough to do one last case before he dies. Somebody has been raping and murdering little girls for some time and now they have taken 11-year-old Nancy Callahan. Hartigan is able to save Nancy from Roark Junior, the son of Senator Roark, but takes four bullets in the process. Junior is in worse shape, having an ear and both of his "weapons" removed by Hartigan's bullets. If an old man dies and a little girl survives, then Hartigan considers that a fair deal. But this bloody encounter is but the first act in this particular comic noir.

The first episode sets the rules for Hartigan's world, where protecting women is hard-wired into the psyches of tough guys like him. Even when Hartigan finds out that Nancy grew up and filled out, that does not change his mission (just complicates it a bit). Granted, the age difference would make more sense if he was her grandfather, but then there is a consistency to what Hartigan means when he says that he loves Nancy, even if she is inclined to read it a different way. There is a leap in the narrative at one point that you might find a bit hard to accept (i.e., confession leads to immediate release), but you have to admit it is a lot easier to be a pariah out in the world than stuck in prison (and I think Junior would have wanted it that way).

Again, the art work here is Miller at what I consider to be his best, but attention must also be paid to the sense of pacing that he shows in several scenes (most notably when Hartigan pulls himself together for the final confrontation with Junior). There are easily a dozen great looks at Hartigan's grizzled face, and a 15-page sequence, spanning two chapters, of Nancy dancing at the club, consisting of not only full-page shots but also two-page spreads, as she mesmerizes her audience. With "That Yellow Bastard" readers who were introduced to the graphic novels by the film that incorporated three of the first four volumes will be heading into new territory with "Family Values." It will interesting to see when and how Miller tops artistically what he came up with for this one.

Classic start to a classic series....a must have!, 24 Apr 2008
This is one of my favourite graphic novels. Utterly fantastic and visually stunning. Even if you are not a reader of graphic novels, any traditional crime fan would be pulled into Frank Millers world of hard cases, hitmen, dames and hookers. The men are big and burly, the women are so hot and curvy, and its all conveyed perfectly in harsh black and white artwork. Its like traditional film noir on the page.

This is the first in the series of Sin city, and the protagonist is the incredible Marv, hulking street fighter and tough guy with a "condition." He can't believe his luck when he meets a beautiful woman called Goldie...But it's not to last, and she ends up murdered. Then Marv is hot on the trail of her killers, and blood splattered vengeance will be his!! Kevin is truly one of the creepiest baddies I've seen, and Marv makes sure he gets what he deserves. Some of the characters are just amazing and recur throughout the Sin City series, like Gail, the fiery hooker, and Nancy, the angelic strip club dancer. This is a great crime story, as well a thrilling personal drama. I found it kind of romantic too, in a tragic way.

A welcome change from traditional superhero comics. Frank Miller is a genius! Read the rest of series now, and have a look at the art book! A great adult read indeed!

Impressive crime story, 06 Aug 2007
This is a great story and incredibly well drawn. Marv is a brute with justice on his side in this dark tale of violence, prostitution and corruption. Highly recommended if you're fond of noir and incredibly well designed drawings. Some of Miller's art is astounding and this is well worth a look.

Grimy "Goodbye", 26 Mar 2007
With a name like "The Hard Goodbye," it isn't surprising that the first volume of the Sin City series is pure, gritty noir. After practically reinventing the superhero comic, Frank Miller created a series that can definitely be called his opus -- gritty, dark, sexy and heady. Think of it as "The Big Sleep" meets "Kill Bill."

"The night is hot as hell. Everything sticks." With those words, tough, scarred Marv encounters and beds a beautiful, alluring "goddess" named Goldie. No sooner have they made love than she is found dead beside him, and unsurprisingly the police believe that Marv is the killer. Case closed? Not really.

Being blamed for the murder of the woman he loved, Marv devotes himself to finding who killed her and framed him. He rampages through the depths of Sin City, unearthing the twisted power structure that holds it up -- and in his homicidal quest, destroying his hidden enemies for the murder of Goldie... and in the process, dooming himself.

The noir atmosphere starts from the first panel -- toughguyspeak, a silhouette and a beautiful woman. That dark, dirty feel sets the mood for the book, and in fact for the entire series. Imagine one of those old Humphrey Bogart noir movies, with the smoky atmosphere and black-and-white film... but darker, more violent, openly sexual, and often gruesome in tone.

Miller's drawing style is all in black and white, and in "Hard Goodbye" the style is simple, but effective. He uses stark swashes of dark and light to illustrate the characters' faces and bodies, never overburdening the reader with too many unnecessary details. Although later volumes have more visual detail, Miller strips it down here to the bare bones, and it fits the spare narrative beautifully.

"Sin City" itself is a seedy underbelly, full of crime, revenge and corruption; Marv isn't the guy who's going to clean it up, a la Dashiell Hammett, but the guy who will get revenge, no matter what the consequences are. The characters are just as dark: a corrupted Cardinal, psychopathic cannibal Kevin, and moderately crooked cops. Lots of death ensues.

Frank Miller's "Sin City: The Hard Goodbye" is a hard book to read. However, the Chander-by-way-of-Tarantino comic book is an electrifying read, dark and bloody and vivid.

Five Star Sin, 29 Jun 2006
This has to be the perfect place to start from if you want to enter the world of Sin City. Frank Miller brings what has to be one of the best graphic novels ever to the public. If you have already seen the film and want to follow up your interest in Sin City, this is one of the 3 main books used. The others being That Yellow Bastard and The Big Fat Kill, there is also a small section of Booze, Broads and Bullets used.

The second Sin City film will be based around the book To Hell and Back, which is the seventh book of the Sin City Empire.

Hartigan saves little Nancy Callahan in Miller's comic noir, 07 Jun 2005
Although I still have a preference for Marv and narrative of "The Hard Goodbye," the first of Frank Miller's "Sin City" graphic novels, I think that artistically he hits full stride in the fourth, "That Yellow Bastard." It is just mildly ironic that this becomes the first volume in the series to add any color to Miller's black and white world. But whereas "The Hard Goodbye" had an almost kitchen sink approach with Miller pretty much trying everything he could come up with for black & white (or white & black) illustrations, I find there is much more of a coherent artistic vision and a rhythm to way in which Miller goes from predominantly black to predominantly white pages, and back again.

"That Yellow Bastard" begins with tough cop John Hartigan, whose good heart is going bad on him, trying to stay alive long enough to do one last case before he dies. Somebody has been raping and murdering little girls for some time and now they have taken 11-year-old Nancy Callahan. Hartigan is able to save Nancy from Roark Junior, the son of Senator Roark, but takes four bullets in the process. Junior is in worse shape, having an ear and both of his "weapons" removed by Hartigan's bullets. If an old man dies and a little girl survives, then Hartigan considers that a fair deal. But this bloody encounter is but the first act in this particular comic noir.

The first episode sets the rules for Hartigan's world, where protecting women is hard-wired into the psyches of tough guys like him. Even when Hartigan finds out that Nancy grew up and filled out, that does not change his mission (just complicates it a bit). Granted, the age difference would make more sense if he was her grandfather, but then there is a consistency to what Hartigan means when he says that he loves Nancy, even if she is inclined to read it a different way. There is a leap in the narrative at one point that you might find a bit hard to accept (i.e., confession leads to immediate release), but you have to admit it is a lot easier to be a pariah out in the world than stuck in prison (and I think Junior would have wanted it that way).

Again, the art work here is Miller at what I consider to be his best, but attention must also be paid to the sense of pacing that he shows in several scenes (most notably when Hartigan pulls himself together for the final confrontation with Junior). There are easily a dozen great looks at Hartigan's grizzled face, and a 15-page sequence, spanning two chapters, of Nancy dancing at the club, consisting of not only full-page shots but also two-page spreads, as she mesmerizes her audience. With "That Yellow Bastard" readers who were introduced to the graphic novels by the film that incorporated three of the first four volumes will be heading into new territory with "Family Values." It will interesting to see when and how Miller tops artistically what he came up with for this one.

Brilliant series, Frank Miller is great!, 23 Apr 2008
Once again Frank Miller knocks it out of the park in this, the 3rd Sin City installment.
This is a welcome return for some characters, namely Dwight from Dame to Kill for, and the girls from Old Town, and the evil Manute (big, creepy guy that he is!) Dwight is out to put a stop to Jacky-Boy's drunken violence, but he gets whole lot more than he bargained for, when the voluptous Gail steps in. Theres some rough justice, Old Town style, and a fantastic showcase for deadly little Miho and some suprisingly funny use of shruiken! Then things get a whole lot worse, with the discovery of the "Atom Bomb," turns out Jacky-boy was kinda important! Another great crime noir from Miller, with all the amazing characteristics you expect from Sin City. The black and white art is sharp as ever and perfectly captures the mood. The shadows are just brilliant, so effective! Throw in some talking heads, rogue IRA mercs, hot babes, betrayal and the evil mafia. Passionate and thrilling! Theres a cracking gallery section at the back and some colour plates at the front. A must for any sane graphic novel fan!

Not the best so far, but certainly enough for a good time, 02 Jul 2001
The first thing you should realize before you order "The Big Fat Kill" is that it's really a big pro if you read the original Sin City story, and a MUST to read "A Dame to Kill For" prior to this one. See, the main character in this book is Dwight, a man who tries to stay as anonymous as possible because elseways his criminal past may catch up with him. This past that he's hiding from is the story from "A Dame to Kill For", so you should really get that first. It makes it a lot easier to understand a lot of why Dwight's acting the way he is. There's also some conversation about Marv, the main character from the original story. But Marv is not a major factor in this book so reading the original story is really only a pro, not a must.

About the story: Oneday a girl named Shelley is being harassed in her own home by a guy named Jack, her drunk ex-boyfriend, and his friends. Dwight, who is living with Shelley 'convinces' them to leave and decides to follow them to make sure he doesn't do any more damage. Only Jack turns out to be so dumb to drive into Old Town, a place where the hookers are the law because of the pact they made with the police ('they stay off the police's back, the police stays off their backs'). Jack and his friends wind up dead, upon which they find out Jack is really a cop while examing the body. This will clearly lead to war between the cops and Old Town, leaving it a free warzone for the mob, IF the cops ever find out about Jack. Dwight thinks to have the solution to get rid of the bodies and goes on his way. But things turn out to be not that easy. What follows is an interesting story with several different parties of power and interests, violence, a lot of backstabbing, loyalty and finally an interesting plot-twist.

In all honesty I think the original "Sin City", "A Dame to Kill For" and especially "That Yellow Bastard" are better books than this one, so if you haven't read all of those yet I think you'd rather read those first. With that I'm NOT saying this is a bad book because it isn't. In my opinion it's actually a very good tale which keeps interesting to the very end because of the different directions the story takes all the time. It's also carried by Frank Millers trademark (by now) art. This is really suitable for the story, it being a dark grimmy 'mad-cop' story, and of no less quality than you're used to if you've been a Sin City reader longer. I just don't think it's THE best Sin City story out there. Get the other ones I named first, than get this one and have yourself a good time with it.

Not Miller's best work but a worthy read., 11 Apr 2001
Pretty much a-typical for Miller. Obviously it's going to contain beautiful, noir, artwork and excellent story telling but it simply does have the edge offered by such titles as Dark Night Returns and A Dame to Kill For. The Big Fat Kill focuses on the activities of the old town so if your interest lies here in particular then this is the one for you

Classic start to a classic series....a must have!, 24 Apr 2008
This is one of my favourite graphic novels. Utterly fantastic and visually stunning. Even if you are not a reader of graphic novels, any traditional crime fan would be pulled into Frank Millers world of hard cases, hitmen, dames and hookers. The men are big and burly, the women are so hot and curvy, and its all conveyed perfectly in harsh black and white artwork. Its like traditional film noir on the page.

This is the first in the series of Sin city, and the protagonist is the incredible Marv, hulking street fighter and tough guy with a "condition." He can't believe his luck when he meets a beautiful woman called Goldie...But it's not to last, and she ends up murdered. Then Marv is hot on the trail of her killers, and blood splattered vengeance will be his!! Kevin is truly one of the creepiest baddies I've seen, and Marv makes sure he gets what he deserves. Some of the characters are just amazing and recur throughout the Sin City series, like Gail, the fiery hooker, and Nancy, the angelic strip club dancer. This is a great crime story, as well a thrilling personal drama. I found it kind of romantic too, in a tragic way.

A welcome change from traditional superhero comics. Frank Miller is a genius! Read the rest of series now, and have a look at the art book! A great adult read indeed!

Impressive crime story, 06 Aug 2007
This is a great story and incredibly well drawn. Marv is a brute with justice on his side in this dark tale of violence, prostitution and corruption. Highly recommended if you're fond of noir and incredibly well designed drawings. Some of Miller's art is astounding and this is well worth a look.

Grimy "Goodbye", 26 Mar 2007
With a name like "The Hard Goodbye," it isn't surprising that the first volume of the Sin City series is pure, gritty noir. After practically reinventing the superhero comic, Frank Miller created a series that can definitely be called his opus -- gritty, dark, sexy and heady. Think of it as "The Big Sleep" meets "Kill Bill."

"The night is hot as hell. Everything sticks." With those words, tough, scarred Marv encounters and beds a beautiful, alluring "goddess" named Goldie. No sooner have they made love than she is found dead beside him, and unsurprisingly the police believe that Marv is the killer. Case closed? Not really.

Being blamed for the murder of the woman he loved, Marv devotes himself to finding who killed her and framed him. He rampages through the depths of Sin City, unearthing the twisted power structure that holds it up -- and in his homicidal quest, destroying his hidden enemies for the murder of Goldie... and in the process, dooming himself.

The noir atmosphere starts from the first panel -- toughguyspeak, a silhouette and a beautiful woman. That dark, dirty feel sets the mood for the book, and in fact for the entire series. Imagine one of those old Humphrey Bogart noir movies, with the smoky atmosphere and black-and-white film... but darker, more violent, openly sexual, and often gruesome in tone.

Miller's drawing style is all in black and white, and in "Hard Goodbye" the style is simple, but effective. He uses stark swashes of dark and light to illustrate the characters' faces and bodies, never overburdening the reader with too many unnecessary details. Although later volumes have more visual detail, Miller strips it down here to the bare bones, and it fits the spare narrative beautifully.

"Sin City" itself is a seedy underbelly, full of crime, revenge and corruption; Marv isn't the guy who's going to clean it up, a la Dashiell Hammett, but the guy who will get revenge, no matter what the consequences are. The characters are just as dark: a corrupted Cardinal, psychopathic cannibal Kevin, and moderately crooked cops. Lots of death ensues.

Frank Miller's "Sin City: The Hard Goodbye" is a hard book to read. However, the Chander-by-way-of-Tarantino comic book is an electrifying read, dark and bloody and vivid.

Five Star Sin, 29 Jun 2006
This has to be the perfect place to start from if you want to enter the world of Sin City. Frank Miller brings what has to be one of the best graphic novels ever to the public. If you have already seen the film and want to follow up your interest in Sin City, this is one of the 3 main books used. The others being That Yellow Bastard and The Big Fat Kill, there is also a small section of Booze, Broads and Bullets used.

The second Sin City film will be based around the book To Hell and Back, which is the seventh book of the Sin City Empire.

Hartigan saves little Nancy Callahan in Miller's comic noir, 07 Jun 2005
Although I still have a preference for Marv and narrative of "The Hard Goodbye," the first of Frank Miller's "Sin City" graphic novels, I think that artistically he hits full stride in the fourth, "That Yellow Bastard." It is just mildly ironic that this becomes the first volume in the series to add any color to Miller's black and white world. But whereas "The Hard Goodbye" had an almost kitchen sink approach with Miller pretty much trying everything he could come up with for black & white (or white & black) illustrations, I find there is much more of a coherent artistic vision and a rhythm to way in which Miller goes from predominantly black to predominantly white pages, and back again.

"That Yellow Bastard" begins with tough cop John Hartigan, whose good heart is going bad on him, trying to stay alive long enough to do one last case before he dies. Somebody has been raping and murdering little girls for some time and now they have taken 11-year-old Nancy Callahan. Hartigan is able to save Nancy from Roark Junior, the son of Senator Roark, but takes four bullets in the process. Junior is in worse shape, having an ear and both of his "weapons" removed by Hartigan's bullets. If an old man dies and a little girl survives, then Hartigan considers that a fair deal. But this bloody encounter is but the first act in this particular comic noir.

The first episode sets the rules for Hartigan's world, where protecting women is hard-wired into the psyches of tough guys like him. Even when Hartigan finds out that Nancy grew up and filled out, that does not change his mission (just complicates it a bit). Granted, the age difference would make more sense if he was her grandfather, but then there is a consistency to what Hartigan means when he says that he loves Nancy, even if she is inclined to read it a different way. There is a leap in the narrative at one point that you might find a bit hard to accept (i.e., confession leads to immediate release), but you have to admit it is a lot easier to be a pariah out in the world than stuck in prison (and I think Junior would have wanted it that way).

Again, the art work here is Miller at what I consider to be his best, but attention must also be paid to the sense of pacing that he shows in several scenes (most notably when Hartigan pulls himself together for the final confrontation with Junior). There are easily a dozen great looks at Hartigan's grizzled face, and a 15-page sequence, spanning two chapters, of Nancy dancing at the club, consisting of not only full-page shots but also two-page spreads, as she mesmerizes her audience. With "That Yellow Bastard" readers who were introduced to the graphic novels by the film that incorporated three of the first four volumes will be heading into new territory with "Family Values." It will interesting to see when and how Miller tops artistically what he came up with for this one.

Brilliant series, Frank Miller is great!, 23 Apr 2008
Once again Frank Miller knocks it out of the park in this, the 3rd Sin City installment.
This is a welcome return for some characters, namely Dwight from Dame to Kill for, and the girls from Old Town, and the evil Manute (big, creepy guy that he is!) Dwight is out to put a stop to Jacky-Boy's drunken violence, but he gets whole lot more than he bargained for, when the voluptous Gail steps in. Theres some rough justice, Old Town style, and a fantastic showcase for deadly little Miho and some suprisingly funny use of shruiken! Then things get a whole lot worse, with the discovery of the "Atom Bomb," turns out Jacky-boy was kinda important! Another great crime noir from Miller, with all the amazing characteristics you expect from Sin City. The black and white art is sharp as ever and perfectly captures the mood. The shadows are just brilliant, so effective! Throw in some talking heads, rogue IRA mercs, hot babes, betrayal and the evil mafia. Passionate and thrilling! Theres a cracking gallery section at the back and some colour plates at the front. A must for any sane graphic novel fan!

Not the best so far, but certainly enough for a good time, 02 Jul 2001
The first thing you should realize before you order "The Big Fat Kill" is that it's really a big pro if you read the original Sin City story, and a MUST to read "A Dame to Kill For" prior to this one. See, the main character in this book is Dwight, a man who tries to stay as anonymous as possible because elseways his criminal past may catch up with him. This past that he's hiding from is the story from "A Dame to Kill For", so you should really get that first. It makes it a lot easier to understand a lot of why Dwight's acting the way he is. There's also some conversation about Marv, the main character from the original story. But Marv is not a major factor in this book so reading the original story is really only a pro, not a must.

About the story: Oneday a girl named Shelley is being harassed in her own home by a guy named Jack, her drunk ex-boyfriend, and his friends. Dwight, who is living with Shelley 'convinces' them to leave and decides to follow them to make sure he doesn't do any more damage. Only Jack turns out to be so dumb to drive into Old Town, a place where the hookers are the law because of the pact they made with the police ('they stay off the police's back, the police stays off their backs'). Jack and his friends wind up dead, upon which they find out Jack is really a cop while examing the body. This will clearly lead to war between the cops and Old Town, leaving it a free warzone for the mob, IF the cops ever find out about Jack. Dwight thinks to have the solution to get rid of the bodies and goes on his way. But things turn out to be not that easy. What follows is an interesting story with several different parties of power and interests, violence, a lot of backstabbing, loyalty and finally an interesting plot-twist.

In all honesty I think the original "Sin City", "A Dame to Kill For" and especially "That Yellow Bastard" are better books than this one, so if you haven't read all of those yet I think you'd rather read those first. With that I'm NOT saying this is a bad book because it isn't. In my opinion it's actually a very good tale which keeps interesting to the very end because of the different directions the story takes all the time. It's also carried by Frank Millers trademark (by now) art. This is really suitable for the story, it being a dark grimmy 'mad-cop' story, and of no less quality than you're used to if you've been a Sin City reader longer. I just don't think it's THE best Sin City story out there. Get the other ones I named first, than get this one and have yourself a good time with it.

Not Miller's best work but a worthy read., 11 Apr 2001
Pretty much a-typical for Miller. Obviously it's going to contain beautiful, noir, artwork and excellent story telling but it simply does have the edge offered by such titles as Dark Night Returns and A Dame to Kill For. The Big Fat Kill focuses on the activities of the old town so if your interest lies here in particular then this is the one for you

A great stand alone story too! , 13 Sep 2008
Having loved the film, it was only a matter of time before I delved into the graphic form of frank miller's sin city. I started with that yellow bastard, knowing the plot for the first book (The hard goodbye) inside out. Although this is in fact book 4 it is still a great place to start, the story which I wont go into detail about doesn't really connect with the other books in the series in any major way, so this is great as a stand alone novel too!

I was a big miller fan long before reading sin city, the dark knight returns being masterfully writen and 300 just blowing me away entirely. That yellow bastard though, for me topped them all. Miller's artwork is amazing, striking out from every page. The story, although no war & peace runs along at break neck speeds and the only down side I found was that I read it all too quickly and was disappointed to finish it, thankfully sin city is a series.

If you're new to sin city entirely then I would advise you read this first before watching the film, bruce willis is good as hartigan the main character in the film but I don't think he was the best choice and reading the book I get a completely different feel for the hartigan character to that portrayed on screen.


One of the best in the series...., 23 Apr 2008
That Yellow Bastard is the fourth installment of Sin City, the noir epic of Frank Miller.

An absolute classic this one, with one of the nastiest villains ever, Junior! This is pure, gritty crime noir. Its got all the right features - corrupt cops, crooked politicians, a dame to be saved and a tough, noble cop called Hartigan. He's one hour from retirement, but it all goes horribly wrong as he refuses to let a senators son get away with murder and child rape, and shoots the guy to pieces in the process. Hartigan is framed for everything, but won't talk, so he can save skinny little Nancy Callahan. He serves his time, takes the beatings and cruelties, until.....a parcel arrives for him in jail that changes everything...He swallows his pride and gets his parole, and goes after Nancy, one of the most stunning looking girls in comics! The chase in on! The pacing is fantastic and urgent, and the use of a single colour, yellow, really picks out that character and his sick, evil essence! Some pages are almost eniterly black, really emphasising the oppresive nature of the moment, its bleakness. The violence is harsh and unrelenting. A gripping and dramatic read. "I took his weapons away...Both of them." Immortal lines from a genius creation!! Read it now!

Thrill a minute, 06 Feb 2007
What can I say - brilliant.

I chose to review this one and not the others as

a) people who read the series will suspect review the first one only, and
b) this is is my favourite of them all (personally)

Buy all of these books, 1-7, they are all truly great stories. Some people have knocked the graphical style of these books - to me, they are one of the high points - they has a superb style all of their own. Millers dialogue, jokes, slang and story are all superb - great film noir, and add in his sound effects (SPAK! HEFF!) and he really has made this series unique Miller.

Finally, I'm not a fan of comparisons with films - usually graphic novels are changed dramatically (often for the worse) in the movies. Sin City is different. I thought it was a cracking film and is incredibly faithful to the books (although in differing order). Therefore, for once I can say, if you liked the film you'll love the book, as opposed to if you hated the film dont be put off by the book.

Cinematic, thrill a minute series.

Miller writes his way into the comic-book hall of fame, 16 Feb 2001
Frank Miller is one of the greatest writers of comic book literature to date. With a tone that can be likened to Raymond Chandler in a bad mood, Miller's style is lean and very mean. His characters are extreme yet believable, the situations are dramatic but have their feet stuck in reality. And thats ust the writing. The artwork? Breathtaking and so complimentary to Miller's words that it is scarey. We see colour introdced to the frames - a simple splash of yellow that signifies the crooked villain of the story. Genius. Not the first time he has used the technique but still brilliant. The plot revolvs around one of Miller's usual hard-nuts with a heart. The villain this time is his opposite rather than equal. Enough from me. Buy the book.

Not The Best......., 19 Jul 2000
That Yellow Bastard....does exactly what it says on the cover. That is, he's yellow, and my, what a bastard he is! In typical Sin City stylee, this is a tale of revenge and redemption. The main character, Hartigan is every bit as lovable as Marv, and the other regulars, but the story does not twist and turn as the previous episodes do. It all seems like a very long-winded way of telling a short, but heart rendering story of what is basically boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy goes crazy-ape-bonkers and kills everyone. This has already been done by the solo Miller in the eponymous debut and 'The Big Fat Kill'. Still this series has got legs, and if anyone can keep it going it is King Frank.

Classic start to a classic series....a must have!, 24 Apr 2008
This is one of my favourite graphic novels. Utterly fantastic and visually stunning. Even if you are not a reader of graphic novels, any traditional crime fan would be pulled into Frank Millers world of hard cases, hitmen, dames and hookers. The men are big and burly, the women are so hot and curvy, and its all conveyed perfectly in harsh black and white artwork. Its like traditional film noir on the page.

This is the first in the series of Sin city, and the protagonist is the incredible Marv, hulking street fighter and tough guy with a "condition." He can't believe his luck when he meets a beautiful woman called Goldie...But it's not to last, and she ends up murdered. Then Marv is hot on the trail of her killers, and blood splattered vengeance will be his!! Kevin is truly one of the creepiest baddies I've seen, and Marv makes sure he gets what he deserves. Some of the characters are just amazing and recur throughout the Sin City series, like Gail, the fiery hooker, and Nancy, the angelic strip club dancer. This is a great crime story, as well a thrilling personal drama. I found it kind of romantic too, in a tragic way.

A welcome change from traditional superhero comics. Frank Miller is a genius! Read the rest of series now, and have a look at the art book! A great adult read indeed!

Impressive crime story, 06 Aug 2007
This is a great story and incredibly well drawn. Marv is a brute with justice on his side in this dark tale of violence, prostitution and corruption. Highly recommended if you're fond of noir and incredibly well designed drawings. Some of Miller's art is astounding and this is well worth a look.

Grimy "Goodbye", 26 Mar 2007
With a name like "The Hard Goodbye," it isn't surprising that the first volume of the Sin City series is pure, gritty noir. After practically reinventing the superhero comic, Frank Miller created a series that can definitely be called his opus -- gritty, dark, sexy and heady. Think of it as "The Big Sleep" meets "Kill Bill."

"The night is hot as hell. Everything sticks." With those words, tough, scarred Marv encounters and beds a beautiful, alluring "goddess" named Goldie. No sooner have they made love than she is found dead beside him, and unsurprisingly the police believe that Marv is the killer. Case closed? Not really.

Being blamed for the murder of the woman he loved, Marv devotes himself to finding who killed her and framed him. He rampages through the depths of Sin City, unearthing the twisted power structure that holds it up -- and in his homicidal quest, destroying his hidden enemies for the murder of Goldie... and in the process, dooming himself.

The noir atmosphere starts from the first panel -- toughguyspeak, a silhouette and a beautiful woman. That dark, dirty feel sets the mood for the book, and in fact for the entire series. Imagine one of those old Humphrey Bogart noir movies, with the smoky atmosphere and black-and-white film... but darker, more violent, openly sexual, and often gruesome in tone.

Miller's drawing style is all in black and white, and in "Hard Goodbye" the style is simple, but effective. He uses stark swashes of dark and light to illustrate the characters' faces and bodies, never overburdening the reader with too many unnecessary details. Although later volumes have more visual detail, Miller strips it down here to the bare bones, and it fits the spare narrative beautifully.

"Sin City" itself is a seedy underbelly, full of crime, revenge and corruption; Marv isn't the guy who's going to clean it up, a la Dashiell Hammett, but the guy who will get revenge, no matter what the consequences are. The characters are just as dark: a corrupted Cardinal, psychopathic cannibal Kevin, and moderately crooked cops. Lots of death ensues.

Frank Miller's "Sin City: The Hard Goodbye" is a hard book to read. However, the Chander-by-way-of-Tarantino comic book is an electrifying read, dark and bloody and vivid.

Five Star Sin, 29 Jun 2006
This has to be the perfect place to start from if you want to enter the world of Sin City. Frank Miller brings what has to be one of the best graphic novels ever to the public. If you have already seen the film and want to follow up your interest in Sin City, this is one of the 3 main books used. The others being That Yellow Bastard and The Big Fat Kill, there is also a small section of Booze, Broads and Bullets used.

The second Sin City film will be based around the book To Hell and Back, which is the seventh book of the Sin City Empire.

Hartigan saves little Nancy Callahan in Miller's comic noir, 07 Jun 2005
Although I still have a preference for Marv and narrative of "The Hard Goodbye," the first of Frank Miller's "Sin City" graphic novels, I think that artistically he hits full stride in the fourth, "That Yellow Bastard." It is just mildly ironic that this becomes the first volume in the series to add any color to Miller's black and white world. But whereas "The Hard Goodbye" had an almost kitchen sink approach with Miller pretty much trying everything he could come up with for black & white (or white & black) illustrations, I find there is much more of a coherent artistic vision and a rhythm to way in which Miller goes from predominantly black to predominantly white pages, and back again.

"That Yellow Bastard" begins with tough cop John Hartigan, whose good heart is going bad on him, trying to stay alive long enough to do one last case before he dies. Somebody has been raping and murdering little girls for some time and now they have taken 11-year-old Nancy Callahan. Hartigan is able to save Nancy from Roark Junior, the son of Senator Roark, but takes four bullets in the process. Junior is in worse shape, having an ear and both of his "weapons" removed by Hartigan's bullets. If an old man dies and a little girl survives, then Hartigan considers that a fair deal. But this bloody encounter is but the first act in this particular comic noir.

The first episode sets the rules for Hartigan's world, where protecting women is hard-wired into the psyches of tough guys like him. Even when Hartigan finds out that Nancy grew up and filled out, that does not change his mission (just complicates it a bit). Granted, the age difference would make more sense if he was her grandfather, but then there is a consistency to what Hartigan means when he says that he loves Nancy, even if she is inclined to read it a different way. There is a leap in the narrative at one point that you might find a bit hard to accept (i.e., confession leads to immediate release), but you have to admit it is a lot easier to be a pariah out in the world than stuck in prison (and I think Junior would have wanted it that way).

Again, the art work here is Miller at what I consider to be his best, but attention must also be paid to the sense of pacing that he shows in several scenes (most notably when Hartigan pulls himself together for the final confrontation with Junior). There are easily a dozen great looks at Hartigan's grizzled face, and a 15-page sequence, spanning two chapters, of Nancy dancing at the club, consisting of not only full-page shots but also two-page spreads, as she mesmerizes her audience. With "That Yellow Bastard" readers who were introduced to the graphic novels by the film that incorporated three of the first four volumes will be heading into new territory with "Family Values." It will interesting to see when and how Miller tops artistically what he came up with for this one.

Brilliant series, Frank Miller is great!, 23 Apr 2008
Once again Frank Miller knocks it out of the park in this, the 3rd Sin City installment.
This is a welcome return for some characters, namely Dwight from Dame to Kill for, and the girls from Old Town, and the evil Manute (big, creepy guy that he is!) Dwight is out to put a stop to Jacky-Boy's drunken violence, but he gets whole lot more than he bargained for, when the voluptous Gail steps in. Theres some rough justice, Old Town style, and a fantastic showcase for deadly little Miho and some suprisingly funny use of shruiken! Then things get a whole lot worse, with the discovery of the "Atom Bomb," turns out Jacky-boy was kinda important! Another great crime noir from Miller, with all the amazing characteristics you expect from Sin City. The black and white art is sharp as ever and perfectly captures the mood. The shadows are just brilliant, so effective! Throw in some talking heads, rogue IRA mercs, hot babes, betrayal and the evil mafia. Passionate and thrilling! Theres a cracking gallery section at the back and some colour plates at the front. A must for any sane graphic novel fan!

Not the best so far, but certainly enough for a good time, 02 Jul 2001
The first thing you should realize before you order "The Big Fat Kill" is that it's really a big pro if you read the original Sin City story, and a MUST to read "A Dame to Kill For" prior to this one. See, the main character in this book is Dwight, a man who tries to stay as anonymous as possible because elseways his criminal past may catch up with him. This past that he's hiding from is the story from "A Dame to Kill For", so you should really get that first. It makes it a lot easier to understand a lot of why Dwight's acting the way he is. There's also some conversation about Marv, the main character from the original story. But Marv is not a major factor in this book so reading the original story is really only a pro, not a must.

About the story: Oneday a girl named Shelley is being harassed in her own home by a guy named Jack, her drunk ex-boyfriend, and his friends. Dwight, who is living with Shelley 'convinces' them to leave and decides to follow them to make sure he doesn't do any more damage. Only Jack turns out to be so dumb to drive into Old Town, a place where the hookers are the law because of the pact they made with the police ('they stay off the police's back, the police stays off their backs'). Jack and his friends wind up dead, upon which they find out Jack is really a cop while examing the body. This will clearly lead to war between the cops and Old Town, leaving it a free warzone for the mob, IF the cops ever find out about Jack. Dwight thinks to have the solution to get rid of the bodies and goes on his way. But things turn out to be not that easy. What follows is an interesting story with several different parties of power and interests, violence, a lot of backstabbing, loyalty and finally an interesting plot-twist.

In all honesty I think the original "Sin City", "A Dame to Kill For" and especially "That Yellow Bastard" are better books than this one, so if you haven't read all of those yet I think you'd rather read those first. With that I'm NOT saying this is a bad book because it isn't. In my opinion it's actually a very good tale which keeps interesting to the very end because of the different directions the story takes all the time. It's also carried by Frank Millers trademark (by now) art. This is really suitable for the story, it being a dark grimmy 'mad-cop' story, and of no less quality than you're used to if you've been a Sin City reader longer. I just don't think it's THE best Sin City story out there. Get the other ones I named first, than get this one and have yourself a good time with it.

Not Miller's best work but a worthy read., 11 Apr 2001
Pretty much a-typical for Miller. Obviously it's going to contain beautiful, noir, artwork and excellent story telling but it simply does have the edge offered by such titles as Dark Night Returns and A Dame to Kill For. The Big Fat Kill focuses on the activities of the old town so if your interest lies here in particular then this is the one for you

A great stand alone story too! , 13 Sep 2008
Having loved the film, it was only a matter of time before I delved into the graphic form of frank miller's sin city. I started with that yellow bastard, knowing the plot for the first book (The hard goodbye) inside out. Although this is in fact book 4 it is still a great place to start, the story which I wont go into detail about doesn't really connect with the other books in the series in any major way, so this is great as a stand alone novel too!

I was a big miller fan long before reading sin city, the dark knight returns being masterfully writen and 300 just blowing me away entirely. That yellow bastard though, for me topped them all. Miller's artwork is amazing, striking out from every page. The story, although no war & peace runs along at break neck speeds and the only down side I found was that I read it all too quickly and was disappointed to finish it, thankfully sin city is a series.

If you're new to sin city entirely then I would advise you read this first before watching the film, bruce willis is good as hartigan the main character in the film but I don't think he was the best choice and reading the book I get a completely different feel for the hartigan character to that portrayed on screen.


One of the best in the series...., 23 Apr 2008
That Yellow Bastard is the fourth installment of Sin City, the noir epic of Frank Miller.

An absolute classic this one, with one of the nastiest villains ever, Junior! This is pure, gritty crime noir. Its got all the right features - corrupt cops, crooked politicians, a dame to be saved and a tough, noble cop called Hartigan. He's one hour from retirement, but it all goes horribly wrong as he refuses to let a senators son get away with murder and child rape, and shoots the guy to pieces in the process. Hartigan is framed for everything, but won't talk, so he can save skinny little Nancy Callahan. He serves his time, takes the beatings and cruelties, until.....a parcel arrives for him in jail that changes everything...He swallows his pride and gets his parole, and goes after Nancy, one of the most stunning looking girls in comics! The chase in on! The pacing is fantastic and urgent, and the use of a single colour, yellow, really picks out that character and his sick, evil essence! Some pages are almost eniterly black, really emphasising the oppresive nature of the moment, its bleakness. The violence is harsh and unrelenting. A gripping and dramatic read. "I took his weapons away...Both of them." Immortal lines from a genius creation!! Read it now!

Thrill a minute, 06 Feb 2007
What can I say - brilliant.

I chose to review this one and not the others as

a) people who read the series will suspect review the first one only, and
b) this is is my favourite of them all (personally)

Buy all of these books, 1-7, they are all truly great stories. Some people have knocked the graphical style of these books - to me, they are one of the high points - they has a superb style all of their own. Millers dialogue, jokes, slang and story are all superb - great film noir, and add in his sound effects (SPAK! HEFF!) and he really has made this series unique Miller.

Finally, I'm not a fan of comparisons with films - usually graphic novels are changed dramatically (often for the worse) in the movies. Sin City is different. I thought it was a cracking film and is incredibly faithful to the books (although in differing order). Therefore, for once I can say, if you liked the film you'll love the book, as opposed to if you hated the film dont be put off by the book.

Cinematic, thrill a minute series.

Miller writes his way into the comic-book hall of fame, 16 Feb 2001
Frank Miller is one of the greatest writers of comic book literature to date. With a tone that can be likened to Raymond Chandler in a bad mood, Miller's style is lean and very mean. His characters are extreme yet believable, the situations are dramatic but have their feet stuck in reality. And thats ust the writing. The artwork? Breathtaking and so complimentary to Miller's words that it is scarey. We see colour introdced to the frames - a simple splash of yellow that signifies the crooked villain of the story. Genius. Not the first time he has used the technique but still brilliant. The plot revolvs around one of Miller's usual hard-nuts with a heart. The villain this time is his opposite rather than equal. Enough from me. Buy the book.

Not The Best......., 19 Jul 2000
That Yellow Bastard....does exactly what it says on the cover. That is, he's yellow, and my, what a bastard he is! In typical Sin City stylee, this is a tale of revenge and redemption. The main character, Hartigan is every bit as lovable as Marv, and the other regulars, but the story does not twist and turn as the previous episodes do. It all seems like a very long-winded way of telling a short, but heart rendering story of what is basically boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy goes crazy-ape-bonkers and kills everyone. This has already been done by the solo Miller in the eponymous debut and 'The Big Fat Kill'. Still this series has got legs, and if anyone can keep it going it is King Frank.

Hmmm..., 29 Jun 2007
Having read all of the other 6 previous Sin City books i was hoping for a final book to really blow the rest out of the water with loads of action and secret sbeing revealed, hopefully whilst including the characters i had become accustomed to i.e. Marv,Dwight and Jon. Unfortunately, i was rather disapointed. I was very unsre whether to give it a 4 star rating to be honest because of how split i am in my verdict.
The book does have its good bits involving alot of action sequences and bits of humour, however, as i was with the 5th and 6th books, i felt slightly in the dark as to who the main characters were. In A Dame To Kill For for example, we had already met Marv, learning of what sort of person he would be. The same is in The Big Fat Kill as we had already met Dwight and seen his unique personality. In contrast, the main man in Hell and Back goes by the name of Wallace whom we have seen no history of or background to. I was hoping while starting to read the book that he may somehow link into other characters pasts. Again i felt disappointed when this wasnt the case.
I have to say this isnt the first time the final book in a series has left me feeling rather incomplete and empty yet entertained at the same time. All in all, the book seems to me to be slightly confused and with no link to the previous books (which i found was so appealing about the first 4). Therefore i reluctantly label this book as one of the more average in the series with very little stand out moments or storyline to it. Buy it to complete your collection, but dont get your hopes up.

Frank Miller's "Sin City" has a new hero in town, 19 Aug 2005
Bigger does not prove to be better in Book 7 of Frank Miller's "Sin City" series. "Hell and Back" is a 296-page graphic noir that introduces a new hero in Wallace, an ex-Navy seal who takes it personally when he saves Esther from committing suicide only to have her taken by men unknown for reasons unknown. He does not know why she jumped or even where she lives, but that does not matter. He was kissing Esther when the lights went out and a guy like Wallace tends to take something like that personally. As he says on the title page of this one: "I'm going to kill somebody. Put your clothes on." When we find out who he is saying that to you have to wonder if our hero might not be in over his head on this one.

So, once again we have a hard-boiled guy looking to save a sexy dame, but despite the basic similarity "Hell and Back" comes across a bit differently from Miller's previous graphic novels in the series. It is not just that Wallace has that mop of hair hanging in this face, but that for the most part Miller has cleared the stage of a lot of the familiar characters. The only previous "Sin City" book you need to have read is the previous one, "Booze, Broads, & Bullets," so that when Delia shows up with her blue eyes and blue bodice you know this is not a good sign. Miller is sparse with introducing color into the black & white world of "Sin City," but Delia's blue is far and away the most effective use of color. But the orange of leopard skinned Mariah makes me think maybe the color pink does not occupy the other end of the spectrum here.

"Sin City" actually breaks into full color at one point, when Wallace gets injected with a hallucinogenic drug and starts freaking out. Comic book fans will spot the likes of Lone Wolf & Cub, Captain America, Hagar the Horrible, and the Cat in the Hat as Wallace totally trips out and tries to find the truth in the illusions. Actually, he does a pretty good job of it. Artistically Miller also plays with white a lot more in this one than he did in most of the previous books, although apparently just to be different rather than to any specific effect. Then again, Miller is over a thousand pages into his comic book noir and how many different ways can the guy draw play and white pages?

I know that with Book 7 we now have a complete set of "Sin City" graphic novels. You can tell because when you put the seven books side-by-side on the shelf the bindings form a picture of Nancy. But I would hate to think this is the last "Sin City" from Miller because it does not provide a big finish. Since Miller provided the definitive big finish with "The Dark Knight Returns" we have reason to hope for something similar with his own creation, but this is not it. Wallace is almost too competent of a hero compared to Marv and Dwight, especially with the support group he has in place, but Esther being the least interesting damsel in distress to date helps take this one down a notch as well. Consequently, "Hell and Back" is good but not great, and with Miller that always ends up being something of a disappointment.

The word was that this was going to be part of the "Sin City" movie, with Johnny Depp as Wallace (he was also supposed to be Robert Rodriguez's first choice for Jackie Boy), but who wants to see a "Sin City" movie with an intermission or cut in two parts like "Kill Bill"? I do not know if any or all of these rumors are true, but trying to think of Wallace as being Johnny Depp while I read "Hell and Back" did not quite work, more in terms of the body type pulling off all of Wallace's stunts than the longhaired look, because obviously Depp can pull that off.

Gripping, enthralling, not to mention cool!, 18 Jul 2005
I love this book so much. I didn't get into the Sin City graphic novels until after the film - which I enjoyed but whoa! The books are so much better. And of the first seven Sin City graphic novels - this one is by far the best. Not least because it has a happy ending! Wallace and Esther rock and the ending moved me to tears when Wallace asks Esther why she did what she did at the beginning of the story (I'm trying not to spoil it for those who haven't read it.) All the Sin City novels are great - (the weakest in my opinion being Family Values, which was still good) - but if you want to get lost in a great story - then look no further than this one. You won't be disappointed. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

One of the lesser in a great series!, 14 Mar 2001
Frank Miller ... well what can you say. Frank Miller is one of the prime GRAPHIC artist alive these days. The Sin city series has been one of the coolest comic series around. Still this story about loss, love & revenge involving kidnapping, wierd stroylines and as always extremely good looking women did not take me in as tight a grip like as previous volumes of the series did. Still Frank Miller doesn't produce bad stories. As a comic novel it still transcends above a lot of the other stuff out there these days!

Classic start to a classic series....a must have!, 24 Apr 2008
This is one of my favourite graphic novels. Utterly fantastic and visually stunning. Even if you are not a reader of graphic novels, any traditional crime fan would be pulled into Frank Millers world of hard cases, hitmen, dames and hookers. The men are big and burly, the women are so hot and curvy, and its all conveyed perfectly in harsh black and white artwork. Its like traditional film noir on the page.

This is the first in the series of Sin city, and the protagonist is the incredible Marv, hulking street fighter and tough guy with a "condition." He can't believe his luck when he meets a beautiful woman called Goldie...But it's not to last, and she ends up murdered. Then Marv is hot on the trail of her killers, and blood splattered vengeance will be his!! Kevin is truly one of the creepiest baddies I've seen, and Marv makes sure he gets what he deserves. Some of the characters are just amazing and recur throughout the Sin City series, like Gail, the fiery hooker, and Nancy, the angelic strip club dancer. This is a great crime story, as well a thrilling personal drama. I found it kind of romantic too, in a tragic way.

A welcome change from traditional superhero comics. Frank Miller is a genius! Read the rest of series now, and have a look at the art book! A great adult read indeed!

Impressive crime story, 06 Aug 2007
This is a great story and incredibly well drawn. Marv is a brute with justice on his side in this dark tale of violence, prostitution and corruption. Highly recommended if you're fond of noir and incredibly well designed drawings. Some of Miller's art is astounding and this is well worth a look.

Grimy "Goodbye", 26 Mar 2007
With a name like "The Hard Goodbye," it isn't surprising that the first volume of the Sin City series is pure, gritty noir. After practically reinventing the superhero comic, Frank Miller created a series that can definitely be called his opus -- gritty, dark, sexy and heady. Think of it as "The Big Sleep" meets "Kill Bill."

"The night is hot as hell. Everything sticks." With those words, tough, scarred Marv encounters and beds a beautiful, alluring "goddess" named Goldie. No sooner have they made love than she is found dead beside him, and unsurprisingly the police believe that Marv is the killer. Case closed? Not really.

Being blamed for the murder of the woman he loved, Marv devotes himself to finding who killed her and framed him. He rampages through the depths of Sin City, unearthing the twisted power structure that holds it up -- and in his homicidal quest, destroying his hidden enemies for the murder of Goldie... and in the process, dooming himself.

The noir atmosphere starts from the first panel -- toughguyspeak, a silhouette and a beautiful woman. That dark, dirty feel sets the mood for the book, and in fact for the entire series. Imagine one of those old Humphrey Bogart noir movies, with the smoky atmosphere and black-and-white film... but darker, more violent, openly sexual, and often gruesome in tone.

Miller's drawing style is all in black and white, and in "Hard Goodbye" the style is simple, but effective. He uses stark swashes of dark and light to illustrate the characters' faces and bodies, never overburdening the reader with too many unnecessary details. Although later volumes have more visual detail, Miller strips it down here to the bare bones, and it fits the spare narrative beautifully.

"Sin City" itself is a seedy underbelly, full of crime, revenge and corruption; Marv isn't the guy who's going to clean it up, a la Dashiell Hammett, but the guy who will get revenge, no matter what the consequences are. The characters are just as dark: a corrupted Cardinal, psychopathic cannibal Kevin, and moderately crooked cops. Lots of death ensues.

Frank Miller's "Sin City: The Hard Goodbye" is a hard book to read. However, the Chander-by-way-of-Tarantino comic book is an electrifying read, dark and bloody and vivid.

Five Star Sin, 29 Jun 2006
This has to be the perfect place to start from if you want to enter the world of Sin City. Frank Miller brings what has to be one of the best graphic novels ever to the public. If you have already seen the film and want to follow up your interest in Sin City, this is one of the 3 main books used. The others being That Yellow Bastard and The Big Fat Kill, there is also a small section of Booze, Broads and Bullets used.

The second Sin City film will be based around the book To Hell and Back, which is the seventh book of the Sin City Empire.

Hartigan saves little Nancy Callahan in Miller's comic noir, 07 Jun 2005
Although I still have a preference for Marv and narrative of "The Hard Goodbye," the first of Frank Miller's "Sin City" graphic novels, I think that artistically he hits full stride in the fourth, "That Yellow Bastard." It is just mildly ironic that this becomes the first volume in the series to add any color to Miller's black and white world. But whereas "The Hard Goodbye" had an almost kitchen sink approach with Miller pretty much trying everything he could come up with for black & white (or white & black) illustrations, I find there is much more of a coherent artistic vision and a rhythm to way in which Miller goes from predominantly black to predominantly white pages, and back again.

"That Yellow Bastard" begins with tough cop John Hartigan, whose good heart is going bad on him, trying to stay alive long enough to do one last case before he dies. Somebody has been raping and murdering little girls for some time and now they have taken 11-year-old Nancy Callahan. Hartigan is able to save Nancy from Roark Junior, the son of Senator Roark, but takes four bullets in the process. Junior is in worse shape, having an ear and both of his "weapons" removed by Hartigan's bullets. If an old man dies and a little girl survives, then Hartigan considers that a fair deal. But this bloody encounter is but the first act in this particular comic noir.

The first episode sets the rules for Hartigan's world, where protecting women is hard-wired into the psyches of tough guys like him. Even when Hartigan finds out that Nancy grew up and filled out, that does not change his mission (just complicates it a bit). Granted, the age difference would make more sense if he was her grandfather, but then there is a consistency to what Hartigan means when he says that he loves Nancy, even if she is inclined to read it a different way. There is a leap in the narrative at one point that you might find a bit hard to accept (i.e., confession leads to immediate release), but you have to admit it is a lot easier to be a pariah out in the world than stuck in prison (and I think Junior would have wanted it that way).

Again, the art work here is Miller at what I consider to be his best, but attention must also be paid to the sense of pacing that he shows in several scenes (most notably when Hartigan pulls himself together for the final confrontation with Junior). There are easily a dozen great looks at Hartigan's grizzled face, and a 15-page sequence, spanning two chapters, of Nancy dancing at the club, consisting of not only full-page shots but also two-page spreads, as she mesmerizes her audience. With "That Yellow Bastard" readers who were introduced to the graphic novels by the film that incorporated three of the first four volumes will be heading into new territory with "Family Values." It will interesting to see when and how Miller tops artistically what he came up with for this one.

Brilliant series, Frank Miller is great!, 23 Apr 2008
Once again Frank Miller knocks it out of the park in this, the 3rd Sin City installment.
This is a welcome return for some characters, namely Dwight from Dame to Kill for, and the girls from Old Town, and the evil Manute (big, creepy guy that he is!) Dwight is out to put a stop to Jacky-Boy's drunken violence, but he gets whole lot more than he bargained for, when the voluptous Gail steps in. Theres some rough justice, Old Town style, and a fantastic showcase for deadly little Miho and some suprisingly funny use of shruiken! Then things get a whole lot worse, with the discovery of the "Atom Bomb," turns out Jacky-boy was kinda important! Another great crime noir from Miller, with all the amazing characteristics you expect from Sin City. The black and white art is sharp as ever and perfectly captures the mood. The shadows are just brilliant, so effective! Throw in some talking heads, rogue IRA mercs, hot babes, betrayal and the evil mafia. Passionate and thrilling! Theres a cracking gallery section at the back and some colour plates at the front. A must for any sane graphic novel fan!

Not the best so far, but certainly enough for a good time, 02 Jul 2001
The first thing you should realize before you order "The Big Fat Kill" is that it's really a big pro if you read the original Sin City story, and a MUST to read "A Dame to Kill For" prior to this one. See, the main character in this book is Dwight, a man who tries to stay as anonymous as possible because elseways his criminal past may catch up with him. This past that he's hiding from is the story from "A Dame to Kill For", so you should really get that first. It makes it a lot easier to understand a lot of why Dwight's acting the way he is. There's also some conversation about Marv, the main character from the original story. But Marv is not a major factor in this book so reading the original story is really only a pro, not a must.

About the story: Oneday a girl named Shelley is being harassed in her own home by a guy named Jack, her drunk ex-boyfriend, and his friends. Dwight, who is living with Shelley 'convinces' them to leave and decides to follow them to make sure he doesn't do any more damage. Only Jack turns out to be so dumb to drive into Old Town, a place where the hookers are the law because of the pact they made with the police ('they stay off the police's back, the police stays off their backs'). Jack and his friends wind up dead, upon which they find out Jack is really a cop while examing the body. This will clearly lead to war between the cops and Old Town, leaving it a free warzone for the mob, IF the cops ever find out about Jack. Dwight thinks to have the solution to get rid of the bodies and goes on his way. But things turn out to be not that easy. What follows is an interesting story with several different parties of power and interests, violence, a lot of backstabbing, loyalty and finally an interesting plot-twist.

In all honesty I think the original "Sin City", "A Dame to Kill For" and especially "That Yellow Bastard" are better books than this one, so if you haven't read all of those yet I think you'd rather read those first. With that I'm NOT saying this is a bad book because it isn't. In my opinion it's actually a very good tale which keeps interesting to the very end because of the different directions the story takes all the time. It's also carried by Frank Millers trademark (by now) art. This is really suitable for the story, it being a dark grimmy 'mad-cop' story, and of no less quality than you're used to if you've been a Sin City reader longer. I just don't think it's THE best Sin City story out there. Get the other ones I named first, than get this one and have yourself a good time with it.

Not Miller's best work but a worthy read., 11 Apr 2001
Pretty much a-typical for Miller. Obviously it's going to contain beautiful, noir, artwork and excellent story telling but it simply does have the edge offered by such titles as Dark Night Returns and A Dame to Kill For. The Big Fat Kill focuses on the activities of the old town so if your interest lies here in particular then this is the one for you

A great stand alone story too! , 13 Sep 2008
Having loved the film, it was only a matter of time before I delved into the graphic form of frank miller's sin city. I started with that yellow bastard, knowing the plot for the first book (The hard goodbye) inside out. Although this is in fact book 4 it is still a great place to start, the story which I wont go into detail about doesn't really connect with the other books in the series in any major way, so this is great as a stand alone novel too!

I was a big miller fan long before reading sin city, the dark knight returns being masterfully writen and 300 just blowing me away entirely. That yellow bastard though, for me topped them all. Miller's artwork is amazing, striking out from every page. The story, although no war & peace runs along at break neck speeds and the only down side I found was that I read it all too quickly and was disappointed to finish it, thankfully sin city is a series.

If you're new to sin city entirely then I would advise you read this first before watching the film, bruce willis is good as hartigan the main character in the film but I don't think he was the best choice and reading the book I get a completely different feel for the hartigan character to that portrayed on screen.


One of the best in the series...., 23 Apr 2008
That Yellow Bastard is the fourth installment of Sin City, the noir epic of Frank Miller.

An absolute classic this one, with one of the nastiest villains ever, Junior! This is pure, gritty crime noir. Its got all the right features - corrupt cops, crooked politicians, a dame to be saved and a tough, noble cop called Hartigan. He's one hour from retirement, but it all goes horribly wrong as he refuses to let a senators son get away with murder and child rape, and shoots the guy to pieces in the process. Hartigan is framed for everything, but won't talk, so he can save skinny little Nancy Callahan. He serves his time, takes the beatings and cruelties, until.....a parcel arrives for him in jail that changes everything...He swallows his pride and gets his parole, and goes after Nancy, one of the most stunning looking girls in comics! The chase in on! The pacing is fantastic and urgent, and the use of a single colour, yellow, really picks out that character and his sick, evil essence! Some pages are almost eniterly black, really emphasising the oppresive nature of the moment, its bleakness. The violence is harsh and unrelenting. A gripping and dramatic read. "I took his weapons away...Both of them." Immortal lines from a genius creation!! Read it now!

Thrill a minute, 06 Feb 2007
What can I say - brilliant.

I chose to review this one and not the others as

a) people who read the series will suspect review the first one only, and
b) this is is my favourite of them all (personally)

Buy all of these books, 1-7, they are all truly great stories. Some people have knocked the graphical style of these books - to me, they are one of the high points - they has a superb style all of their own. Millers dialogue, jokes, slang and story are all superb - great film noir, and add in his sound effects (SPAK! HEFF!) and he really has made this series unique Miller.

Finally, I'm not a fan of comparisons with films - usually graphic novels are changed dramatically (often for the worse) in the movies. Sin City is different. I thought it was a cracking film and is incredibly faithful to the books (although in differing order). Therefore, for once I can say, if you liked the film you'll love the book, as opposed to if you hated the film dont be put off by the book.

Cinematic, thrill a minute series.

Miller writes his way into the comic-book hall of fame, 16 Feb 2001
Frank Miller is one of the greatest writers of comic book literature to date. With a tone that can be likened to Raymond Chandler in a bad mood, Miller's style is lean and very mean. His characters are extreme yet believable, the situations are dramatic but have their feet stuck in reality. And thats ust the writing. The artwork? Breathtaking and so complimentary to Miller's words that it is scarey. We see colour introdced to the frames - a simple splash of yellow that signifies the crooked villain of the story. Genius. Not the first time he has used the technique but still brilliant. The plot revolvs around one of Miller's usual hard-nuts with a heart. The villain this time is his opposite rather than equal. Enough from me. Buy the book.

Not The Best......., 19 Jul 2000
That Yellow Bastard....does exactly what it says on the cover. That is, he's yellow, and my, what a bastard he is! In typical Sin City stylee, this is a tale of revenge and redemption. The main character, Hartigan is every bit as lovable as Marv, and the other regulars, but the story does not twist and turn as the previous episodes do. It all seems like a very long-winded way of telling a short, but heart rendering story of what is basically boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy goes crazy-ape-bonkers and kills everyone. This has already been done by the solo Miller in the eponymous debut and 'The Big Fat Kill'. Still this series has got legs, and if anyone can keep it going it is King Frank.

Hmmm..., 29 Jun 2007
Having read all of the other 6 previous Sin City books i was hoping for a final book to really blow the rest out of the water with loads of action and secret sbeing revealed, hopefully whilst including the characters i had become accustomed to i.e. Marv,Dwight and Jon. Unfortunately, i was rather disapointed. I was very unsre whether to give it a 4 star rating to be honest because of how split i am in my verdict.
The book does have its good bits involving alot of action sequences and bits of humour, however, as i was with the 5th and 6th books, i felt slightly in the dark as to who the main characters were. In A Dame To Kill For for example, we had already met Marv, learning of what sort of person he would be. The same is in The Big Fat Kill as we had already met Dwight and seen his unique personality. In contrast, the main man in Hell and Back goes by the name of Wallace whom we have seen no history of or background to. I was hoping while starting to read the book that he may somehow link into other characters pasts. Again i felt disappointed when this wasnt the case.
I have to say this isnt the first time the final book in a series has left me feeling rather incomplete and empty yet entertained at the same time. All in all, the book seems to me to be slightly confused and with no link to the previous books (which i found was so appealing about the first 4). Therefore i reluctantly label this book as one of the more average in the series with very little stand out moments or storyline to it. Buy it to complete your collection, but dont get your hopes up.

Frank Miller's "Sin City" has a new hero in town, 19 Aug 2005
Bigger does not prove to be better in Book 7 of Frank Miller's "Sin City" series. "Hell and Back" is a 296-page graphic noir that introduces a new hero in Wallace, an ex-Navy seal who takes it personally when he saves Esther from committing suicide only to have her taken by men unknown for reasons unknown. He does not know why she jumped or even where she lives, but that does not matter. He was kissing Esther when the lights went out and a guy like Wallace tends to take something like that personally. As he says on the title page of this one: "I'm going to kill somebody. Put your clothes on." When we find out who he is saying that to you have to wonder if our hero might not be in over his head on this one.

So, once again we have a hard-boiled guy looking to save a sexy dame, but despite the basic similarity "Hell and Back" comes across a bit differently from Miller's previous graphic novels in the series. It is not just that Wallace has that mop of hair hanging in this face, but that for the most part Miller has cleared the stage of a lot of the familiar characters. The only previous "Sin City" book you need to have read is the previous one, "Booze, Broads, & Bullets," so that when Delia shows up with her blue eyes and blue bodice you know this is not a good sign. Miller is sparse with introducing color into the black & white world of "Sin City," but Delia's blue is far and away the most effective use of color. But the orange of leopard skinned Mariah makes me think maybe the color pink does not occupy the other end of the spectrum here.

"Sin City" actually breaks into full color at one point, when Wallace gets injected with a hallucinogenic drug and starts freaking out. Comic book fans will spot the likes of Lone Wolf & Cub, Captain America, Hagar the Horrible, and the Cat in the Hat as Wallace totally trips out and tries to find the truth in the illusions. Actually, he does a pretty good job of it. Artistically Miller also plays with white a lot more in this one than he did in most of the previous books, although apparently just to be different rather than to any specific effect. Then again, Miller is over a thousand pages into his comic book noir and how many different ways can the guy draw play and white pages?

I know that with Book 7 we now have a complete set of "Sin City" graphic novels. You can tell because when you put the seven books side-by-side on the shelf the bindings form a picture of Nancy. But I would hate to think this is the last "Sin City" from Miller because it does not provide a big finish. Since Miller provided the definitive big finish with "The Dark Knight Returns" we have reason to hope for something similar with his own creation, but this is not it. Wallace is almost too competent of a hero compared to Marv and Dwight, especially with the support group he has in place, but Esther being the least interesting damsel in distress to date helps take this one down a notch as well. Consequently, "Hell and Back" is good but not great, and with Miller that always ends up being something of a disappointment.

The word was that this was going to be part of the "Sin City" movie, with Johnny Depp as Wallace (he was also supposed to be Robert Rodriguez's first choice for Jackie Boy), but who wants to see a "Sin City" movie with an intermission or cut in two parts like "Kill Bill"? I do not know if any or all of these rumors are true, but trying to think of Wallace as being Johnny Depp while I read "Hell and Back" did not quite work, more in terms of the body type pulling off all of Wallace's stunts than the longhaired look, because obviously Depp can pull that off.

Gripping, enthralling, not to mention cool!, 18 Jul 2005
I love this book so much. I didn't get into the Sin City graphic novels until after the film - which I enjoyed but whoa! The books are so much better. And of the first seven Sin City graphic novels - this one is by far the best. Not least because it has a happy ending! Wallace and Esther rock and the ending moved me to tears when Wallace asks Esther why she did what she did at the beginning of the story (I'm trying not to spoil it for those who haven't read it.) All the Sin City novels are great - (the weakest in my opinion being Family Values, which was still good) - but if you want to get lost in a great story - then look no further than this one. You won't be disappointed. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

One of the lesser in a great series!, 14 Mar 2001
Frank Miller ... well what can you say. Frank Miller is one of the prime GRAPHIC artist alive these days. The Sin city series has been one of the coolest comic series around. Still this story about loss, love & revenge involving kidnapping, wierd stroylines and as always extremely good looking women did not take me in as tight a grip like as previous volumes of the series did. Still Frank Miller doesn't produce bad stories. As a comic novel it still transcends above a lot of the other stuff out there these days!

Dwight and Miho in a "Sin City" tale of revenge, 09 Aug 2005
When I started reading "Family Values," Book 5 of Frank Miller's "Sin City" series, I found myself wondering why Dwight keeps getting to be the narrator-protagonist of the comic noir stories. Then I remembered that Marv and Hartigan are both dead, so it means it is either Dwight or somebody new and Miller will have to get to the latter sooner or later. But for the third time in the first five books, once again Dwight is the man.

Dwight shows up at Poppa's Olympian Palace, an old fashioned diner (you know the type; it looks like you could put it on wheels and hitch it to a train as a cheap dinner car) driving a VW Beetle (hey, it is a German car, so what is your complaint? Besides, you can always trade up). The place is riddled with bullets and whatever happened there Dwight is interested, and since deadly little Miho is backing him up we have to think it has something to do with the girls of Old Town. The problem is that nobody is talking about why what happened at Poppa's happened and it takes a while and a couple of versions of the tale to figure out the meaning of the key detail Miller keeps working into the art. You are not going to be able to figure out what is going on until it is all laid out for you, but that is not necessarily a bad thing (as opposed to telegraphing the ending). I also like a red herring, especially when it walks on four legs.

It seems like every killing in Sin City is revenge for a previous killing, which just means there is another killing in Sin City that needs to be revenged and the cycle goes on and on and on. But there is a moral to this particular story and as Dwight notes it is a great big wide world out there and there's all kinds of families in it. Apparently they all play by the same rules, it is just that some are a lot better at it, especially when it comes to covering their tracks. The best part of this story is the way Dwight has to unravel the truth, moving from one source to the next to find out another layer of the truth so that he and Miho know exactly who has to pay for what happened (and we finally get to find out what really happened).

"Family Values" is a relative short "Sin City" tale, coming it at 126 black & white pages and I think picking pink as the color on the cover to go along with the drawing of Miho in the snow might be a made choice (besides red and yellow, do any colors really make sense in Miller's "Sin City"). Miller does some nice things with the snow in Book 5 that are interesting, but reducing Miho to a ghostly figure of pure white takes a little getting used to (especially if you want to start unpacking the symbolic value of doing so in contrast to the shadows and dirt of Sin City in general). It is a rather simple and ordinary tale by "Sin City" standards, but that still makes it above average if you are looking at the overall genre of graphic novels.

The Short Pink One, 20 Jul 2005
Another awesome sin city installment. Admittidly not with the same raw, cut graphics of the first few but still beautiful & signature Miller. As this was the shortest of the books i've read from the series it does leave you wanting but for the price it is a cracking read - dark, blunt and full of that amazing circling dialogue that Miller fans have seen in not only Sin City but his Batman aswell. Incidentally, had some serious deja vous moments with some of the compositions of Miho and Miller's Caroline Kelly (Robin From Dark Knight Returns & Strikes Again) and there is a hint of Vinnie in Lex Luthor aswell. Basically if you were a fan of the above titles or the series in general this won't let you down but i would be tempted to invest in another aswell to keep you busy as it is short and pacey. For the those daring to enter Sin City for the first time this is a great piece but i'd hit the Yellow Bastard or A Dame to Kill For first- this one is a good accompeniament to save for a cookie break or a rainy day.
Keep it casual
r

Wow, 29 Oct 2003
I first read this when i was about 10 and have only found a copy now that i had the wonderful idea of amazon and it is as good as i originally thought it was. The plot is fantastic and miho was and still is the best assassin i have ever read or seen in anything, full marks go to the author

Welcome To Blood Spattered Sin City, 05 Jan 2001
Another yarn of violent payback on the mean streets of Sin City. A man with a debt to pay is looking for answers regarding the murder of a city official called Bruno. Bruno has a shadowy past, and his killers haven't managed to cover their tracks.....

Business as usual in Sin City - the breathtaking use of black and white imagery successfully conveys the mean streets and low lifes, whilst the violence is suitably grotesque and over the top. The bitter black comedic plot should grab anyone who is a fan of of Chandler, Leonard or Ellroy.

Not top notch when compared to The Big Fat Kill or the original Sin City but still worth taking a look at for lovers of crime or if you wonder what Miller got up to after Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.

priests and whores and nobody left to blame, 04 Sep 1998
if frank miller could find a motive for any of his characters besides evil priests and evil women, he could write a story that competed with unillustrated fiction. I appreciate all the progress he has made in the comic book and graphic novel realm but I'm waiting for the next step. He has become formulaic in his character's motives and so the storylines have become simple revenge stories. Though revenge stories are typical of the 'film noir' style he has developed, they remain typical. I am really looking forward to Miller's breaking out of the trend in which he has stuck himself.

Classic start to a classic series....a must have!, 24 Apr 2008
This is one of my favourite graphic novels. Utterly fantastic and visually stunning. Even if you are not a reader of graphic novels, any traditional crime fan would be pulled into Frank Millers world of hard cases, hitmen, dames and hookers. The men are big and burly, the women are so hot and curvy, and its all conveyed perfectly in harsh black and white artwork. Its like traditional film noir on the page.

This is the first in the series of Sin city, and the protagonist is the incredible Marv, hulking street fighter and tough guy with a "condition." He can't believe his luck when he meets a beautiful woman called Goldie...But it's not to last, and she ends up murdered. Then Marv is hot on the trail of her killers, and blood splattered vengeance will be his!! Kevin is truly one of the creepiest baddies I've seen, and Marv makes sure he gets what he deserves. Some of the characters are just amazing and recur throughout the Sin City series, like Gail, the fiery hooker, and Nancy, the angelic strip club dancer. This is a great crime story, as well a thrilling personal drama. I found it kind of romantic too, in a tragic way.

A welcome change from traditional superhero comics. Frank Miller is a genius! Read the rest of series now, and have a look at the art book! A great adult read indeed!

Impressive crime story, 06 Aug 2007
This is a great story and incredibly well drawn. Marv is a brute with justice on his side in this dark tale of violence, prostitution and corruption. Highly recommended if you're fond of noir and incredibly well designed drawings. Some of Miller's art is astounding and this is well worth a look.

Grimy "Goodbye", 26 Mar 2007
With a name like "The Hard Goodbye," it isn't surprising that the first volume of the Sin City series is pure, gritty noir. After practically reinventing the superhero comic, Frank Miller created a series that can definitely be called his opus -- gritty, dark, sexy and heady. Think of it as "The Big Sleep" meets "Kill Bill."

"The night is hot as hell. Everything sticks." With those words, tough, scarred Marv encounters and beds a beautiful, alluring "goddess" named Goldie. No sooner have they made love than she is found dead beside him, and unsurprisingly the police believe that Marv is the killer. Case closed? Not really.

Being blamed for the murder of the woman he loved, Marv devotes himself to finding who killed her and framed him. He rampages through the depths of Sin City, unearthing the twisted power structure that holds it up -- and in his homicidal quest, destroying his hidden enemies for the murder of Goldie... and in the process, dooming himself.

The noir atmosphere starts from the first panel -- toughguyspeak, a silhouette and a beautiful woman. That dark, dirty feel sets the mood for the book, and in fact for the entire series. Imagine one of those old Humphrey Bogart noir movies, with the smoky atmosphere and black-and-white film... but darker, more violent, openly sexual, and often gruesome in tone.

Miller's drawing style is all in black and white, and in "Hard Goodbye" the style is simple, but effective. He uses stark swashes of dark and light to illustrate the characters' faces and bodies, never overburdening the reader with too many unnecessary details. Although later volumes have more visual detail, Miller strips it down here to the bare bones, and it fits the spare narrative beautifully.

"Sin City" itself is a seedy underbelly, full of crime, revenge and corruption; Marv isn't the guy who's going to clean it up, a la Dashiell Hammett, but the guy who will get revenge, no matter what the consequences are. The characters are just as dark: a corrupted Cardinal, psychopathic cannibal Kevin, and moderately crooked cops. Lots of death ensues.

Frank Miller's "Sin City: The Hard Goodbye" is a hard book to read. However, the Chander-by-way-of-Tarantino comic book is an electrifying read, dark and bloody and vivid.

Five Star Sin, 29 Jun 2006
This has to be the perfect place to start from if you want to enter the world of Sin City. Frank Miller brings what has to be one of the best graphic novels ever to the public. If you have already seen the film and want to follow up your interest in Sin City, this is one of the 3 main books used. The others being That Yellow Bastard and The Big Fat Kill, there is also a small section of Booze, Broads and Bullets used.

The second Sin City film will be based around the book To Hell and Back, which is the seventh book of the Sin City Empire.

Hartigan saves little Nancy Callahan in Miller's comic noir, 07 Jun 2005
Although I still have a preference for Marv and narrative of "The Hard Goodbye," the first of Frank Miller's "Sin City" graphic novels, I think that artistically he hits full stride in the fourth, "That Yellow Bastard." It is just mildly ironic that this becomes the first volume in the series to add any color to Miller's black and white world. But whereas "The Hard Goodbye" had an almost kitchen sink approach with Miller pretty much trying everything he could come up with for black & white (or white & black) illustrations, I find there is much more of a coherent artistic vision and a rhythm to way in which Miller goes from predominantly black to predominantly white pages, and back again.

"That Yellow Bastard" begins with tough cop John Hartigan, whose good heart is going bad on him, trying to stay alive long enough to do one last case before he dies. Somebody has been raping and murdering little girls for some time and now they have taken 11-year-old Nancy Callahan. Hartigan is able to save Nancy from Roark Junior, the son of Senator Roark, but takes four bullets in the process. Junior is in worse shape, having an ear and both of his "weapons" removed by Hartigan's bullets. If an old man dies and a little girl survives, then Hartigan considers that a fair deal. But this bloody encounter is but the first act in this particular comic noir.

The first episode sets the rules for Hartigan's world, where protecting women is hard-wired into the psyches of tough guys like him. Even when Hartigan finds out that Nancy grew up and filled out, that does not change his mission (just complicates it a bit). Granted, the age difference would make more sense if he was her grandfather, but then there is a consistency to what Hartigan means when he says that he loves Nancy, even if she is inclined to read it a different way. There is a leap in the narrative at one point that you might find a bit hard to accept (i.e., confession leads to immediate release), but you have to admit it is a lot easier to be a pariah out in the world than stuck in prison (and I think Junior would have wanted it that way).

Again, the art work here is Miller at what I consider to be his best, but attention must also be paid to the sense of pacing that he shows in several scenes (most notably when Hartigan pulls himself together for the final confrontation with Junior). There are easily a dozen great looks at Hartigan's grizzled face, and a 15-page sequence, spanning two chapters, of Nancy dancing at the club, consisting of not only full-page shots but also two-page spreads, as she mesmerizes her audience. With "That Yellow Bastard" readers who were introduced to the graphic novels by the film that incorporated three of the first four volumes will be heading into new territory with "Family Values." It will interesting to see when and how Miller tops artistically what he came up with for this one.

Brilliant series, Frank Miller is great!, 23 Apr 2008
Once again Frank Miller knocks it out of the park in this, the 3rd Sin City installment.
This is a welcome return for some characters, namely Dwight from Dame to Kill for, and the girls from Old Town, and the evil Manute (big, creepy guy that he is!) Dwight is out to put a stop to Jacky-Boy's drunken violence, but