Official Site

Gorgeous artwork and a great story in the best noir tradition. Simply a must-read.

Review from Blog Critics:

I love the whole premise behind Hawaiian Dick, the ongoing 1950s private eye comics set in Hawaii. The noir feel of the storytelling and characters is dead-on. The ex-pat main character, Byrd, is well-drawn and has a lot of emotional baggage he’s carrying that only gets opened up in this first graphic novel.

Byrd of Paradise gathers the first three issues of the comics written by B. Clay Moore and drawn by Steven Griffin. The story immediately seized a lot of attention when it first came out because of the mixture of old and new.

Moore has a great grasp of the story, and noir must run in his veins. The set-up for the story and the execution hits all the cornerstones of the venue, and Byrd’s backstory comes as a natural progression of the case he’s on. Moore’s development of the story “reads” like a movie. He stays off the page and out of panels unless narration or dialogue is really needed. Action tells this story as well as anything, and readers often forget how much a good writer can do with a few panels of delineated action. Moore has a fantastic grasp of the concept.

As good as Moore’s story is, though, Griffin’s art emphasizes everything about it. Griffin’s use of color – bright and vibrant, then dark and moody – sets the tone for the scenes, the characters, and the atmosphere. Through color alone, Griffin could have brought home every emotion that he needed to in order to convey the story.

However, he doesn’t stop there. He gives us well imagined characters and body posture. Byrd just wouldn’t have been the cocky, worldly private eye without the five o’clock shadow and Hawaiian shirt. Mo wouldn’t have been the homicide cop without the immense stature, the clean-shaven appearance, and the immaculate black suit.

The artwork is loose and tight as needed. Sometimes panels only feature characters in action. Then there are times that the background is developed in depth. All of it looks painted, with lots of contrast and rounded shapes that flow naturally to the eye. After you read the graphic novel, don’t be surprised to find yourself leafing back through the pages just to see the artwork again.

The story is pedestrian by all outward appearances. Byrd gets handed a case to find a car, but he’s getting paid more for the recovery than the car is worth. Immediately suspicious, Byrd confronts the man hiring him and finds out the car has a cargo that belongs to drug kingpin, Bishop Masaki. This is the kind of story a noir fan would expect to find laid at the feet of Marlowe, Spade, or Hammer. Moore throws in an extra wrinkle by including Hawaiian voodoo and zombies. The horror aspect never overshadows the private eye story, though. Rather, it complements it and gives the reader a little extra zest that gives the appearance of being something brand new.

I love this story. I’ve read it a few times now and enjoy it each time. It’s simple in structure and delivers everything I’d want in a noir adventure. Plus, the zombie creep factor and a few twists and turns I didn’t see coming. The 1950s feel makes a big difference, too, like our heroes are just a little more exposed than they would be in the present day and age.

The graphic novel contains about 50 pages of extras, including sketches, notes, and script. Hawaiian Dick: Byrd of Paradise is a great entertainment and behind-the-scenes bargain. The property has also been licensed for movie development and you can see how a film would flow from these pages. This is a crackerjack read.

This file contains 2 volumes: Byrd of Paradise and The Last Resort.
http://www.multiupload.com/OVUB8ZSEJI (74 MB)

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Michael Gaydos, with Rick Mays, Mark Bagley and Art Thibert
Colourist: Matt Hollingsworth with Dean White

Wikipedia

There should be more comics like Alias. Even though the main protagonist of Alias is an ex-Avenger and the story takes place in Marvel's world, this series is about a thousand miles far from your run of the mill superhero comics. Jessica Parker used to be superhero - one with unremarkable power - now she is a hard-bitten, neurotic private detective who takes photos of cheating spouses for a living, in between bouts of drunken fornication. The classic noir anti-hero. Brian Michael Bandis's great characterization and superb storytelling makes this series an instant classic and a must-read for anyone, especially people who wrongly perceive comic books as a lesser medium.

Review from Comics Daily:

Alias was launched as part of Marvel’s MAX line, a rival of sorts to DC’s Vertigo imprint intended to tell stories with subject matter unsuitable for children. And certainly, Alias did that, with its warts-and-all portrayal of Jessica Jones, a private investigator and former super heroine consumed by self-loathing. The fairer sex has received notoriously short shrift from the mainstream comic book companies over the years, so allowing a male writer free rein to use graphic nudity, violence and swearing in a female-led series about a down-and-out super heroine – well, let’s just say it could easily have gone horribly wrong.

Instead, Jessica Jones might just be one of the greatest new characters to come out of Marvel in decades. Indeed, in creating a female character who wasn’t conventionally attractive or sexualised, who wasn’t exclusively defined by her relationship to the men around her, and who wasn’t portrayed as a fantasy girlfriend for the series’ readers, Bendis created a female lead who was almost unique in the genre. That alone made the series great. The fact that he also placed her in a gripping detective saga that also served as an ongoing character study just made it even better.

Collaborating with Bendis on the series was Michael Gaydos, an artist who translated the noir-influences and emotional depth of Alias into a unique look that capably placed real, human drama alongside the fantastical background of the Marvel Universe. Occasional appearances by Ultimate Spider-Man artist Mark Bagley helped the book evolve into a meta-commentary on female superheroes just in time for the series to conclude, too soon for the readers, but, in fairness, at exactly the right moment for the narrative.

Years after the series finished, there are still lessons that can and should be learned from Alias, and it’s a shame that Jones herself has been relegated to the supporting cast of New Avengers, losing a lot of her character in the process. The planned Bendis/Gaydos Alias miniseries should remind readers of this frequently overlooked modern classic, but hopefully it’ll also serve to remind Bendis of the depth and nuance he once instilled in the character. Whatever her fate, there can be no doubt that the initial 28-issue series of Jessica Jones’ adventures deserves to be recognized as one of the best comics of the decade. If any Marvel comic can be considered a must-read, this is one that can.


http://www.multiupload.com/6G59F5Y1AN (part 1)
http://www.multiupload.com/A39H28JM4H (part 2)

Download both parts before extracting.

Publisher: Dark Horse Books
Writer: David Lapham, Jeff Lemire, Alex De Campi, Chris Offutt, M.K. Perker, Paul Grist, Rick Geary, Ken Lizzi, Gary Phillips, Ed Brubaker, Brian Azzarello and Matthew and Shawn Fillbach
Artist: Hugo Petrus, Joelle Jones, Eduardo Barreto, Sean Phillips, Kano, Stefano Gaudiano, Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba

Review from Comic Revolution:

As a fan of crime fiction and, even better, crime comics, Noir: A Collection of Crime Comics was one of those graphic novels I could not ignore. Rarely has Dark Horse ever disappointed me with the titles under the crime genre and now I must say I have a new favorite with Noir. The reason is simple: it contains a collection of short stories told by some of the industry’s most talented writers and artists and boy are these stories wonderfully grim.

With 13 stories by brilliant minds such as Brian Azzarello, Jeff Lemire, Paul Grist and Gary Phillips (just to name a few), the stories are on the short side but are no less exceptional. In fact, the bite-sized nature of the stories actually work well. Starting with David Lapham’s “Open The Goddamned Box” where a pair of angry boys take a female classmate captive and stuff her in a box and continues with a story by Jeff Lemire about a farmer on the verge of losing his land to a bank when fortune smiles upon him when a wounded bank robber ends up in his barn.

Fans of Mister X and the Kane series will not be disappointed seeing as there are two short stories featuring the characters from the series. In “Mister X: Yacht on the Styx,” Mister X helps journalist Rosetta Stone try to uncover the mystery behind a massacre that might have involved a dead shipping magnate. In “Kane: The Card Player,” Detective Kane and Detective Felix look into the case of a burglar that leaves a calling card. It’s certainly great to find short stories with Mister X and Kane and these two stories are actually good.

There are also some truly gruesome crime stories such as “The Albanian” where an Albanian nightshift custodian arrives on time to witness the finale of a disgruntled employee’s macabre handiwork. In “The Last Hit,” a seasoned hitman goes up against a younger hitman. Then, in “21st Century Noir” a young man meets a sexy woman online and has a chance encounter that goes sour. It’s the more gruesome stories that actually make Noir even more fascinating.

“The New Me” finds a gym’s personal trainer hitting on just about every woman in the place only to find himself interested in a woman that suddenly becomes more attractive now that she’s lost all the weight. What makes this an interesting tale is the reason why she got fit and what she has in store for the playboy personal trainer. In “Blood On My Hands,” a man thinks his wife is cheating on him so he orders a hit with an unexpected aftermath. There’s even a text short story called “Trustworthy” where a man hooks up with a woman who comes with her own baggage of the deadly kind.

Some stories are actually wonderfully written but just feel out of place in this graphic novel for some reason. “Ladies’ Choice,” for instance, finds a bored woman whose boyfriend think’s he’s a tough gangster when a cowboy shows up and sweeps her off her feet. “Fracture” deals with a woman who wonders what would happen if she pushed a homeless person in front of a subway train. Finally, there’s the short story “The Bad Night” that has a familiar content for those who know who recognize the surprise ending.

As I mentioned in the beginning, this graphic novel contains short stories written by some of the most talented writers and artists working in comics and it shows. All the stories, even the ones that I felt didn’t seem like they belonged in this collection, are not only intriguing but fun stories to read. Many of them are actually unforgettable gems.

Noir: A Collection of Crime Comics is just how I love my crime comics … gritty, dark and downright brilliant. With a collection of talented writers and artists, the stories might be on the short side but they will not fail to impress and to put on smile on your face from beginning to end. Yes, comic fans, it is just that good so trust me when I say that you will most definitely want to pick up a copy immediately.

COMIC REVOLUTION RATING BREAKDOWN

STORY: A+
There are several standout stories among the collection as well as some Dark Horse favorites like Mister X and Kane show up in interesting short stories. There are some deliciously twisted stories like “21st Century Noir” and “Open the Goddamned Box” as well as story or two with no real crime but the best ones are violent and unforgettable.

ART: A
There’s certainly no shortage of amazing artists on display whether you love Jeff Lemire’s interesting visual style, Eduardo Barreto’s classic artistic vision or Hugo Petrus’ wonderfully detailed artwork.

OVERALL: A+
Noir isn’t just a collection of brilliant crime stories but it is also one of the most darkly enjoyable rarities that make this a real gem for fans of the genre. All of it, of course, is due to the enormously talented writers and illustrators that bring these short stories to life on the pages of this Must Have graphic novel.

http://www.multiupload.com/B7TIQQNBW1

"Inside this attache case is irrefutable evidence that what I'm telling you is true. Also in the attache, a gun and 100 rounds of ammunition. All untraceable, all yours. Do with it as you see fit. If you act on this information, you will have carte blache."
— Agent Graves to Dizzy Cordova, 100 Bullets #1.

100 bullets on Wikipedia


Review from Graphic Novel Reporter:

After a serial publication history spanning nearly 10 years, the final issue of 100 Bullets was published by Vertigo in April, followed in October by the final trade paperback collection, bringing an incredible, extended noir tale by writer Brian Azzarello and artist Eduardo Risso to an absolutely explosive conclusion. And while the ending wraps things up in grand fashion—and fans wouldn’t have it any other way—the real fun is in the journey.

One hundred issues for 100 Bullets seems like such perfect construction, and from the very begging, Azzarello’s story is smart. We are introduced in the very first issue to Dizzy Cordova, who goes on to play a bigger role in the series. Cordova’s family is murdered in Chicago. A mysterious man in a suit named Agent Graves approaches her and offers a way to avenge their deaths—an attaché briefcase with a handgun and 100 rounds of ammunition that by some method, initially unknown, have been rendered untraceable. Any police investigation that comes across the rounds will halt immediately. The case also includes indisputable evidence regarding the culprit. Essentially, it is a way to get away with murder, seemingly without consequences, and a nudge in the right direction.

Cordova’s initial short story wraps up in three issues, and then 100 Bullets moves onto a man wrongly sentenced in a child pornography case and the woman who set him up. As 100 Bullets progresses, we meet a full cast of characters who learn in their own short stories that there is someone to blame for the way their lives turned out. In each case, Graves offers the individual a way to rectify it with an attaché briefcase and 100 untraceable bullets. Some question the consequences of a higher power; some question the contents of the briefcase; some question their own accountability for where their lives are at; some simply take the opportunity to kill…and not always just the person responsible. No matter what, they all deal with the moral dilemma of that briefcase and their actions following it.

But as the stories unfold one after another, characters start to return as the reader learns that they are all connected by something more than the mysterious man and his attaché briefcases, and then a larger plot and conspiracy begins to unfold, keeping readers on the edge of their seats until the very last pages of chapter 13, “Wilt.”

The individual stories as well as the overall arc in 100 Bullets feel like good old-fashioned crime fiction, with beautiful, big-breasted blonde women, suave men in business suits carrying out some of the most violent action around, with everyone trying to stay one step ahead of the other in a plot that will keep readers thinking the entire time. But 100 Bullets also stays away from major clichés, and we also get women who, while, yes, are still almost universally big-breasted and beautiful, are such in a less traditional sense. Likewise, the guys are all cool in their own way, but each of them has a unique back story, leaving different reasons to both root for and despise them. The story finds a level of complexity unique to the storytelling in comics, and that’s what makes 100 Bullets truly special.

But arguably none of Azzarello’s story works without the art of Risso and his supporting staff. Risso’s management of designs for an incredible cast of characters is noted, but the real treat is how he handles perspectives, panel construction, focusing on small details and most notably his shadings of characters and shadow. This is accented by colorist Patricia Mulvihill. From the scenes bathed in sunset oranges to the nighttime blues and blacks, she possibly does the most in creating the true tone of 100 Bullets. And Dave Johnson doesn’t leave one cover in the entire series unmemorable.

Like most ongoing series, 100 Bullets has some rough edges at the very start, as Azzarello and Risso try to click and find their groove. The dialects Azzarello tries to recreate can be jarring at the beginning, but whether he gets better or the readers simply become accustomed to his incredible work along the way, it doesn’t take long for things to sink in, and then the story and the visuals grab hold. And unlike most other ongoing series, 100 Bullets never lets go. It’s hard to find a dull moment or an uninteresting character, dilemma, or story along the way, making 100 Bullets a true testament to what can only be accomplished with collaboration in the comics medium. It is a pulp-driven extravaganza, striving for deeper meaning about the history of American violence. For the most part, 100 Bullets hits its mark, and like the crime saga greats of cinema, it is always entertaining.
-- William Jones

Download the entire series (100 issues)

http://rapidshare.com/files/317961990/100_bullets__1-10_.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/317968449/100_bullets__11-20_.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/317975168/100_bullets__21-30_.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/317911275/100_bullets__31-40_.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/317916840/100_bullets__41-50_.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/317922358/100_bullets__51-60_.rar
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http://rapidshare.com/files/317936470/100_bullets__71-80_.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/317944807/100_bullets__81-90_.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/317954542/100_bullets__91-100_.rar

Did I mention that I loved anything noir? And is there anything better, more delicious than a hard-boiled noir story set in a world full of posthumans, especially when it's written by one of the master of the noir genre: Ed Brubaker?

Sleeper and its prequel Point Blank are excellent graphic novels that, sadly, didn't get the recognition they deserve. There are rumors about a movie based on Sleeper, starring Tom Cruise and directed by none other than Sam Raimi. I am crossing my fingers and hope to see it some time this decade.

Wikipedia


Comic Review: ‘Sleeper’ Vol 1 and 2

Jack Bauerstein83 Posted by Jack Bauerstein83 | September 30th, 2009 at 7:26 pm

Sleeper
Vol. 1: Out in the Cold
Vol. 2: All False Moves
Written by Ed Brubaker
Art by Sean Phillips
DC Comics/WildStorm

Back in 2001, a funny thing happened. Noir style comics got popular. Sure, they have been around for a pretty long time but I think it hit its peak once noir-esque style writers like Brian Bendis, Greg Rucka, and Darwyn Cooke started to make some engrossing pieces of comic book fiction. And with the popularity came the glut of noir comics, filled with morally ambiguous heroes and deadly femme fatales. Some were good but a lot were not great. The worst part of it all was that with so many books out there, a great book was bound to be lost in the fold. Sleeper by Ed Brubaker (Daredevil, Criminal) and Sean Phillips (Criminal, Marvel Zombies) was one such title.

Though it garnered a lot of critical acclaim, sales for this title was okay at best but because of solid following plus strong trade sales, the entire series is finally collected in two volumes.

Okay, so let’s start with the basics. Sleeper centers on Special Agent Holden Carver. When a mission to grab a mysterious artifact goes south, Carver and his team of government agents are left for dead. Lucky (or unlucky?) for him, Carver is the lone survivor. The artifact bonds with him, saving his life, and leaving him with the power to store and distribute pain to other around him. With the world believing he is dead, Carver decides to help his government the only way he can: become a double agent.

Flash forward to four years later, as Carver has established himself as one of the top men in a super powered criminal organization. Carver’s very close to nabbing the organization’s boss, Tao, but a wrench is thrown into the mix when he discovers his handler on the outside (and the only person who knows who he actually is) is put in a coma by an unknown attacker. To make matters worse Tao suspects a rat in his fold and plans to do all he can to smoke him out.

Like everyone else, I was late getting into Sleeper. I remember picking up the first issue but for one reason or another, never picked up the subsequent issues. It was only until I picked it up at my local library that I got hooked on all its greatness.

For one thing, it is written by uber writer Ed Brubaker. Anyone who has read any of his works knows the man can spin a yarn and he doesn’t disappoint with this. The characters are developed, engaging, and most of all, you really root and feel for the characters, even though a majority of them are immoral homicidal criminals. The best character is the main character Carver, who is the quintessential noir hero. He is basically a guy that is trying to do what is right, despite the cards he was dealt with, and you root for him to come out of this mess alive, even though deep down you know there will be no happy ending.

Yes, dear reader, sorry to burst your bubble but there is no happy ending at the end. It is a noir story after all. No character comes out of this story unscathed as Carver’s criminal and government lives begin to intertwine, and I think it was a wise move on Brubaker’s part to fashion such a story. It is not a pretty story so it shouldn’t get a happy ending.

What is pretty though is the art by Sean Phillips. Many should be familiar with his work on Marvel Zombies but I really love his work on Sleeper. His dark tones and style fits the mood of the story perfectly. I can’t imagine anyone else would be able to fill his artist shoes.

Sleeper is a hit on all counts. The writing is solid and the art is perfect for the tone of the story. You will not be disappointed with this read. -- Source

Download Sleeper vol 1 and 2 and Point Blank.

http://www.multiupload.com/ACOP90UZ5T (part 1)
http://www.multiupload.com/BBFPA59USM (part 2)

Download both parts before extracting.

Written by Matz
Art by Luc Jacamon

Some of the best hard-boiled noir France has to offer.

A professional.

A man of few scruples, nerves of steel, and a steady trigger finger.

A man whose crimes might be catching up with him.

A man on the verge of cracking.

ASP presents THE KILLER, a hardboiled 10-issue noir series chronicling one man’s journey through some seriously bad mojo.

“4 (out of 5) stars. An intriguing look into the life of an assassin, The Killer delivers a sober tale of the risk and solitude faced by the protagonist.”
— Lance Eaton, Curled Up With a Good Book

“In the tradition of Jean-Pierre Melville, it captures a noir-infused Paris, with atmosphere to spare and enough sex, double crosses and hard-boiled attitude to leave you wanting more. Grade: A.”

—Mike Sebastian, Campus Circle

“Maddeningly enjoyable… Whether or not you traditionally enjoy graphic novels, the cinematic sensibility of The Killer makes the book as accessible as any film.”

—Erik Hinton, PopMatters

“A fresh breath in the noir genre with art that is terrific in its simplicity and writing that is engaging, intriguing, and gripping.”
—Newsarama’s Best Shots Team

“Matz and Jacamon have created a storytelling language that is immersive and riveting… A mesmerizing piece of work that thrills to the potential of the comic-book medium.”

—Jeff Jensen, Entertainment Weekly, The Best Comics of 2007

“The French have long been masters of moody noir films like Band of Outsiders or Le Samourai, so The Killer carries some heavy expectations. Fortunately, Jacamon's art is more than up to the task. His layouts are exciting, equally adept at choreographing brutal action, placing the camera for maximum suspense, and playing with panel borders to convey the protagonist's gradual mental breakdown.”

— Publishers Weekly (July 2007)

“A+… This is a modern work of art which has already immediately earned itself a place in the pantheon of respected industry works.”

—13 Minutes

“An A+ project. It’s the best thing on the stands right now. It’s just as smart as anything from Vertigo.”

— Dan Head’s “Stray Voltage,” Paperback Reader
http://www.paperbackreader.com/

“A provocative and intense read…. If you just like a good, well-told, nicely illustrated book you definitely need to pick this one up!”

— Brant Fowler, Silver Bullet Comics
http://www.silverbulletcomics.com/

“A dark, disturbing tale of rationalization, violence and death. If your comic book store doesn’t carry this import, tell them they are missing out.”

— Matthew McLean, The Comics Review
http://www.thecomicsreview.com/

"Looking into the head of a sociopath shouldn’t be this intriguing, and yet that’s exactly what Matz provides… Jacamon’s art is lovely, a lushly styled creation."

— Greg McElhatton, www.readaboutcomics.com

“[The Killer is a] tale of a contract-killer [that] forgoes the usual hyperbolic mix of adrenaline and testosterone for realism, patience, and introspection—and the results are terrific.”

—Blair Butler, “Fresh Ink” on Attack of the Show
http://www.g4tv.com/attackoftheshow/index.html

“Matz has woven an intriguing and frightening look inside the mind of a murderer here, and it is as chilling as it is entertaining. Luc Jacamon's art here is phenomenal, and really drives the book home… It takes a great artist to make the minute to minute activities of a man waiting seem interesting, but Jacamon does it perfectly, accenting each thought the killer has with his bored activities. Very impressive.”

—Dan Grendell, “Indie Jones” at Ain’t It Cool News, http://www.aintitcool.com/

“Jacamon’s gorgeous artwork… The Killer #1 is one of the best first issues I’ve read this year, a moody and intense character study that serves as gateway to a very intriguing new story.”

—Randy Lander, Comic Pants, http://www.comicpants.com/

“The Killer is, in fact, a lot like reading a movie. It plays like a French film, more elegant and heady than your typical American fare… The Killer is a small gem of a find… The Killer is 32 pages of ad-free, uninterrupted intrigue, and worth every penny of its $3.95 price of admission.”

—David Henry, Comixfan.com, http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/

“Really, truly excellent. It's a Comic You Should Be Reading if you like hard-hitting comics that don't dumb it down. Don't miss it.”

—Dan Head, Paper Back Reader, http://www.paperbackreader.com

http://rapidshare.com/files/307034197/The_Killer__complete_.rar

There is almost nothing I love more than hard-boiled characters, whether they are in a novel, a comic book or a movie. Back in Blackmail is hard-boiled excellence at its best. Read review below. Download link is at the bottom.

Review from curledup.com:

The year is 2024 and the place is Los Angeles, a seething cesspool of violence, drugs, and corruption. Right, not much has changed, except that mutations and aliens are in—and that’s not a reference to plastic surgery and people from other countries. After a case goes particular sour for private investigator Billy Blackburn, he finds himself stuck in the gutters with few people other than bill collectors knocking at his door. When the wealthy businessman Mr. Torchsong comes knocking and almost instantly hires Billy, he is grateful, to be sure,though not entirely without suspicion. But, for now, the money is flowing, and that is what an investigator thrives on.

Torchsong requests that Billy recover the original video of his daughter involved in lewd acts and excessive drug intact that someone is using to blackmail Torchsong. Realizing the depth and force that might be needed in this investigation, Billy quickly employs the help of his harder, stronger, more aggressive friend, Knuckles. But shortly into the case, it becomes apparent that there are several people with vested interest in this, and that solving this case is going to take a bit more than Torchsong originally implied. Several car chases, fist fights with an anthropomorphized steroid-injecting shark, and a sadistic clown later, and they quickly discover how perverse the world can be.

Hard-Bullied Comics is a gritty, smart, action-packed tale filled with its share of sarcasm, brutality, and noir that fans of creators such as Warren Ellis, Garth Ennis, and Grant Morrison will thoroughly relish. Earnhart brings a fresh vibe to the hard-boiled detective genre that will leave readers yearning for more.

Rudolf Montemayor’s art perfectly complements Earnhart’s narrative style. The stark black and white art works well with the story, creating a cold environment where blood and skin are colorless, as if in this dystopian future they matter little. Montemayor does some really interesting work throughout this collection, manipulating panels, character viewpoints, and visual displays such as television screens within the story itself. Though he generally sticks to a paneled format for most of the book, when he does break out of the borders, it leaves that much more of an impression on the reader.

The book includes a decent collection of extras. The first is a different artist’s adaptation of Issue #2. As a point of comparison, it proves intriguing to see how artists work with the same dialogue but illustrate it in different manners. This is followed by a brief tour of Los Angeles and the classic bars and lounges that have served as fodder for detective stories in Los Angeles for decades. The next is a bit more dubious. The creators decided to include a variety of alcoholic drinking recipes for readers to enjoy. It makes sense, on the one hand, since adults are the general demographic here, but on the other hand it seems rather irrelevant. However, the background information provided on the history of hardboiled detective stories in the pages thereafter is a great way to allow readers to further understand the mechanics of this story. A brief sketch gallery of future characters and a profile page of characters included in the first volume round out the bonus material in this striking new series.


Originally published on Curled Up With A Good Book at www.curledup.com. © Lance Eaton, 2007

Buy this comic at Hard-bullied comics

Download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/167417397/Back_in_Blackmail.rar (59mb)

Blacksad (vol 1-3)
Written by Juan Diaz Canales
Art by Guarnido

[There is supposedly 5 volumes, only 3 were scanlated from french editions. One of the greatest and most beautiful crime-noir comics ever published!! The artwork is simply gorgeous!! A must-read for everyone, even the casual comic reader. This comic reminds me of S. Andrew Swann's Forests of the night, in which the hero is a hard-boiled half-tiger, half-human detective.]

Here is what some of legends in the comic industry have to say about Blacksad:

"Brilliant art and an unusual display of anthropomorphic realism" - Will Eisner

"The art is totally fantastic. The story is like following the most gripping movie directed by the most inspired director. It's everything a sensational graphic novel should be-and more. I case i didnt make myself clear- I think Blacksad is as good as it gets"-Stan Lee

Meet John Blacksad, a cat in the shadows. Imagine New York as a city of criminal rats, jazz-playing gorillas and rhino thugs. Enter a mystery where the suspects have tails. Find out why comics' biggest names are wild about one of the freshest graphic novels in years. Enter the world of Blacksad. Natalia Wilford is a famous actress. To the world, she had everything anybody could wat: beauty, fame, glamour and lovers who would do anything for her. When she is found murdered in her home, it touches the man who had not seen her since their bitter breakup many years ago...private eye John Blacksad. He vows to find Natalia's murderer. When the police are told to call off their investigation of the crime, Blacksad charges forward alone, risking his license, his reputation and even his life!

From Publishers Weekly

The second volume of Canales and Guarnido's hybrid of hard-boiled detective and anthropomorphic-animal comics is a visual masterpiece. The entire work is constructed around a single joke, but a brilliant one. PI John Blacksad gets involved with an investigation having to do with a white power group, the Arctics, that's been murdering blacks; a kidnapping; and a dark secret of illegitimate birth. It's a standard-issue detective-novel plot, if nicely handled—but the twist is that all the characters are animal-headed humanoids, and the tension revolves around not the color of their skin, but the color of their fur. Blacksad is a black cat; a racist politician is a polar bear; there's a black power gang led by a black horse; etc. (The climactic plot twist involves a white character turning out to have a small patch of black fur.) Like any good gumshoe tale, the story's crammed with sex and violent gunplay, and Guarnido manages to set even his wackiest-looking characters within gritty, realistic backgrounds and lighting. His art is exquisitely sensitive to the nuances of facial expression and body language—not an easy feat with characters who are drawn as weasels, crows or mice. The story's point, though, is the vicious absurdity of racism, and Canales and Guarnido express it by making their tone absolutely straight.

From SplashPanel:

Blacksad is probably one of , if not the very best anthropomorphic graphic novels currently on the stands, if ever published. I know this might sound like hyperbole, but in this case it would be a fact. Not trying to pigeon hole it or anything I’ll even go a little further and say that it’s one of the best crime noir series I’ve read in a good long while. Make no mistake, just because animals are used here instead of humans does not mean you can give this to your little brother to read. This isn’t Donald Duck we’re talking about here.

The story is set in what seems to be a place very much like LA during the 1950s. So the buildings, cars and clothes all fit within that time period. The book starts off with a murder case (how else would a book set in the 1950s start?) and John Blacksad, a private eye has been called in by the Police because he knew the murdered woman in question. They give him the regular qliched line about him not getting involved and leave it to the professionals, which of course he doesn’t really bother listening to and he begins his search for the person who murdered his ex-movie actress girlfriend. That’s the setup, the middle part continues in a very familiar fashion (at least to those who have seen this sort of movie before), however it ends in a way you wouldn’t really expect.

The characters all have unique voices It’s clever, it’s funny and oddly, it’s very very human, which I guess is Canales’s greatest achievement in this book.

(read more at: http://splashpanel.com/archives/blacksad-somewhere-within-the-shadows-volume-1/)

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Download vol. 1-3:
http://rapidshare.com/files/167407775/Blacksad.rar (50mb)