- Part two of Nick Jones' series on Donald Westlake's science fiction:
http://bit.ly/lKAdwU # - More Nick Jones, this time at Ilex Press discussing The Hunter and 500 Essential Cult Books: http://bit.ly/ltUxIy #
- A look at some noir comics:
http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/05/26/best-noir-comics/ # - Ron Goulart–The Saint in Junior High
http://mysteryfile.com/blog/?p=10116 #
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The comic book Fell mention in the best noir comics article manages to be a really weird comic without while being a straight crime book without any science fiction/horror/fantasy elements. The most fantastic element is that it set in a “feral city” a sociological speculation that has yet to come to pass. Some of the really weird crimes, like the poison enema, were actually based on real events.
It’s also very good and it’s a shame that Warren Ellis hasn’t released an issue in years. This was because his computer with the scripts crashed. Though he seems to be working on a new issue now. The first eight (of nine) issues have been collected in one volume, though.
I don’t read a lot of comics, but I thought readers would enjoy the list. It’s also a handy way for me to bookmark it for some time in the future when I do read comics–probably when I get a tablet big enough to properly enjoy the format. (I have way too many books, so I’ve switched to electronic (when available) for stuff that I want to read but don’t feel a compelling need to have a hard copy of.)
But I am sorta keeping track of noir/crime comics that I hear good things about for possible future reading. So if anyone wants to give their opinion of the ones on the list or others not on it, please do!
I have no idea what comics are available electronically or not.
The only other comic on the list I’ve read is Sin City. It could be described as noir on steroids but that is actually an understatement. It’s a comic that people either love or hate. That’s because it’s so over the top that people either think it’s awesome or ridiculous.
I’ve heard good things about Criminal, but never read it.
I don’t know if you’ve read Selina’s Big Score by Darwyn Cooke but it is essentially a Catwoman story written in the mode of the Parker books. One of the character is named Stark in tribute. It’s been collected on it’s own and in Batman: Ego & Other Tales.
Garth Ennis’s Punisher work under Marvel’s Mature Readers Max imprint is also good. It is essentially the Punisher divorced from the Marvel Universe. It is very very dark. The storyline The Slavers is extraordinarily disturbing particularly because it was inspired by the realities of human trafficing.
I’ve been meaning to read Selena’s Big Score for a long time now. Thanks for reminding me.
I didn’t much care for the movie version of Sin City, but am told I shouldn’t let that stop me.
And I’ve been told over and over again to read Criminal.
Maybe I ought to go to the comic shop this afternoon…
Yes, read Selena’s Big Score.
From what I understand the Sin City movie was very faithfully adapted from three storylines (The Hard Goodbye, The Big Fat Kill, and That Yellow Bastard), so you might not like the series if you did not like the movie.
With Fell, the single issues have back matter (essays, letter columns) that aren’t in the collect volume. From what I understand, it’s the same with Criminal.
There’s also Black Lagoon, a Japanese comic about a salaryman who falls with a group of criminals in a fictional city in Thailand. It’s argubly more of an action adventure series than a crime series. One of the characters, Revy, is one of the few lead characters that is scarier than Parker. Parker for all his amorality was basically a rational being. Revy’s the type who shoots people to end arguments, though she does show more concern for a fellow human being (whom she had previously tried to shoot) than Parker ever does.