James Groves
Apr 1, 2005, 04:10 pm
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/dh/SCTheBigFatKill.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/dh/SCTheBigFatKillt.jpg" hspace=10 align=left alt="Sin City: The Big Fat Kill"></a>Reviewer: James Groves, JamesandtheDragon@hotmail.com
"...A hardtop. With a decent engine. And make sure it's got a big trunk!"
Written and Illustrated by: Frank Miller
"The thunder doesn't stop. We fire and reload and fire and reload and fire and watch their heads explode and their guts fly like butcher's scraps and the alley walls get caked with wet wads of skin and meat and the smoke gets so thick that the things we're pumping bullets into are nothing but twisted toppling screaming smudges of movement."
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/dh/SCTBFK1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/dh/SCTBFK1t.jpg" hspace=10 align=right alt="Sin City: The Big Fat Kill"></a> Frank Miller's The Big Fat Kill embodies the dark, shadowy, nihilistic styles of literary noir; submerging the reader and his sadistic side in a dark, dank pit of visceral realism, surreal, dreamlike experiences, and vividly set out, silhouetted imagery. Miller creates an atmosphere that is intensely intimate and deeply personal, setting our key protagonist, Dwight, in a world where violence is brutal--carried out to it's extremes; sex is passionate, rough, and at times, strangely sensual; and criminal activity and prostitution is rampant, commonplace--a way of life; a way of maintaining a delicate balance between the police, the mob and the harlots themselves within the corrupt and deadly streets of Sin City. The Big Fat Kill carries with it a raw, pessimistic, downbeat tone. Yet there are intermittent periods of dark, jet black humour that serve to stir the story out of its character-driven despair and place it on an altogether more wild and satisfying level. Miller implements everything you could ever want in a action-oriented tale of pure, pulp noir, and if there was ever a book that deserved to be recognised as one of the true greats of the medium, then look no further than this little gem right here.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/dh/SCTBFK3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/dh/SCTBFK3t.jpg" hspace=10 align=left alt="Sin City: The Big Fat Kill"></a> The story focuses on Dwight, our lead protagonist, an antihero, and a character of weary integrity; lacking traditional moral boundaries. Hard-living, with a twisted sense of nobility, Dwight is an emotional rollercoaster; at times indecisive, anxious, melancholic, delusional, psychotic, and confused, and at other times, strong willed, confident, cunning and arrogant--as his role shifts from badass to victim to conspirator to interrogator to lover to hero to outright murderer towards the end. Yet, this is what makes him instantly likable--as we see him become somewhat disorientated in a world that seemingly disintegrates around him. He is a multifaceted character, with an incredible depth and versatility to his personality. Miller guides us through events via Dwight himself, and a noir narrative that ranges from being short, sharp, simple and incredibly effective, to being long, flowing, graphically detailed and vividly descriptive.
The book is filled with hard-boiled dialogue and unique interpretations of the femme fatale archetype. From the one dimensional portrayal of Miho--a silent, ninja bad-ass prostitute, whose actions speak louder than her words, and whose actions create some of the more memorable and more excruciating moments within the book--to Gail, Dwight’s former lover and a strong willed female protagonist who acts as Dwight’s equal almost. There are also a number of interesting antagonists within this book as well. From the cruel and unforgiving Irish soldiers, to the pushy, loud-mouthed sleaze ball, Jack Rafferty, we get a mixture of characters that bring to life this gruesome world with great clarity.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/dh/SCTBFK2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/dh/SCTBFK2t.jpg" hspace=10 align=right alt="Sin City: The Big Fat Kill"></a> Frank Miller's gritty, black and white artwork is simply stunning, and utilises chiaroscuro effects in superb fashion; blending the surreal with the graphic, and defining objects and characters by contrasting light with dark. Miller uses perspective skilfully here, none moreso evident than the scene where Dwight forces Rafferty's head down the toilet. We get five different images that portray the same event, but each picture gives us a different glimpse into Dwight’s character and the thoughts that are running through his head. Miller grasps how to portray the physical effects of light upon surfaces, and in turn, uses the shadows created to give his images depth and feeling. Miller's artwork is, in two words, simply breathtaking.
Sin City: The Big Fat Kill, is one of the best books of the whole Sin City tapestry and one of the best comics in the industry period.
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg
STORY:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg
Read more Sin City reviews! (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=32936)
"...A hardtop. With a decent engine. And make sure it's got a big trunk!"
Written and Illustrated by: Frank Miller
"The thunder doesn't stop. We fire and reload and fire and reload and fire and watch their heads explode and their guts fly like butcher's scraps and the alley walls get caked with wet wads of skin and meat and the smoke gets so thick that the things we're pumping bullets into are nothing but twisted toppling screaming smudges of movement."
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/dh/SCTBFK1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/dh/SCTBFK1t.jpg" hspace=10 align=right alt="Sin City: The Big Fat Kill"></a> Frank Miller's The Big Fat Kill embodies the dark, shadowy, nihilistic styles of literary noir; submerging the reader and his sadistic side in a dark, dank pit of visceral realism, surreal, dreamlike experiences, and vividly set out, silhouetted imagery. Miller creates an atmosphere that is intensely intimate and deeply personal, setting our key protagonist, Dwight, in a world where violence is brutal--carried out to it's extremes; sex is passionate, rough, and at times, strangely sensual; and criminal activity and prostitution is rampant, commonplace--a way of life; a way of maintaining a delicate balance between the police, the mob and the harlots themselves within the corrupt and deadly streets of Sin City. The Big Fat Kill carries with it a raw, pessimistic, downbeat tone. Yet there are intermittent periods of dark, jet black humour that serve to stir the story out of its character-driven despair and place it on an altogether more wild and satisfying level. Miller implements everything you could ever want in a action-oriented tale of pure, pulp noir, and if there was ever a book that deserved to be recognised as one of the true greats of the medium, then look no further than this little gem right here.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/dh/SCTBFK3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/dh/SCTBFK3t.jpg" hspace=10 align=left alt="Sin City: The Big Fat Kill"></a> The story focuses on Dwight, our lead protagonist, an antihero, and a character of weary integrity; lacking traditional moral boundaries. Hard-living, with a twisted sense of nobility, Dwight is an emotional rollercoaster; at times indecisive, anxious, melancholic, delusional, psychotic, and confused, and at other times, strong willed, confident, cunning and arrogant--as his role shifts from badass to victim to conspirator to interrogator to lover to hero to outright murderer towards the end. Yet, this is what makes him instantly likable--as we see him become somewhat disorientated in a world that seemingly disintegrates around him. He is a multifaceted character, with an incredible depth and versatility to his personality. Miller guides us through events via Dwight himself, and a noir narrative that ranges from being short, sharp, simple and incredibly effective, to being long, flowing, graphically detailed and vividly descriptive.
The book is filled with hard-boiled dialogue and unique interpretations of the femme fatale archetype. From the one dimensional portrayal of Miho--a silent, ninja bad-ass prostitute, whose actions speak louder than her words, and whose actions create some of the more memorable and more excruciating moments within the book--to Gail, Dwight’s former lover and a strong willed female protagonist who acts as Dwight’s equal almost. There are also a number of interesting antagonists within this book as well. From the cruel and unforgiving Irish soldiers, to the pushy, loud-mouthed sleaze ball, Jack Rafferty, we get a mixture of characters that bring to life this gruesome world with great clarity.
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/dh/SCTBFK2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/dh/SCTBFK2t.jpg" hspace=10 align=right alt="Sin City: The Big Fat Kill"></a> Frank Miller's gritty, black and white artwork is simply stunning, and utilises chiaroscuro effects in superb fashion; blending the surreal with the graphic, and defining objects and characters by contrasting light with dark. Miller uses perspective skilfully here, none moreso evident than the scene where Dwight forces Rafferty's head down the toilet. We get five different images that portray the same event, but each picture gives us a different glimpse into Dwight’s character and the thoughts that are running through his head. Miller grasps how to portray the physical effects of light upon surfaces, and in turn, uses the shadows created to give his images depth and feeling. Miller's artwork is, in two words, simply breathtaking.
Sin City: The Big Fat Kill, is one of the best books of the whole Sin City tapestry and one of the best comics in the industry period.
ART:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg
STORY:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/dhfull.jpg
Read more Sin City reviews! (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=32936)