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Parker Graphic Novels #4
Richard Stark's Parker: Slayground
Parker, whose getaway car crashes after a heist, manages to elude capture with his loot by breaking into an amusement park that is closed for the winter. But his presence does not go unnoticed -- a pair of cops observed the job and its aftermath. But rather than pursue their suspect... they decide to go into business for themselves, with the help of some business associates. From then on it's a game of cat and mouse, one played out through closed rides of the abandoned carnival... a game that slowly starts to favor the mouse.
Winner of the 2014 Eisner Awards for Best Adaptation from Another Medium and Best Lettering, and includes the Eisner Award-winning short story The Seventh, previously only available in the Martini Edition!
Darwyn Cooke, Eisner-Award winning creator of DC: The New Frontier, continues adapting Richard Stark's genre-defining Parker novels with his signature pulp flair in this final installment. A hard-nosed thief, Parker is Richard Stark's most famous creation, and Stark, in turn, is the most famous pen name of Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Donald E. Westlake. If Cooke's previous Parker adaptations are any indicaton, we'd best to buckle up.
Winner of the 2014 Eisner Awards for Best Adaptation from Another Medium and Best Lettering, and includes the Eisner Award-winning short story The Seventh, previously only available in the Martini Edition!
Darwyn Cooke, Eisner-Award winning creator of DC: The New Frontier, continues adapting Richard Stark's genre-defining Parker novels with his signature pulp flair in this final installment. A hard-nosed thief, Parker is Richard Stark's most famous creation, and Stark, in turn, is the most famous pen name of Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Donald E. Westlake. If Cooke's previous Parker adaptations are any indicaton, we'd best to buckle up.
96 pages, Hardcover
First published December 17, 2013
30 people are currently reading
591 people want to read
About the author
Darwyn Cooke
245 books356 followersDarwyn Cooke was an Eisner Award winning comic book writer, artist, cartoonist and animator, best known for his work on the comic books Catwoman, DC: The New Frontier and Will Eisner's The Spirit.
In 1985, Cooke published his first comic book work as a professional artist in a short story in New Talent Showcase #19, but economic pressure made him leave the career and he worked in Canada as a magazine art director, graphic and product designer for the next 15 years.
In the early 1990s Cooke decided to return to comics, but found little interest for his work at the major publishers. Eventually he was hired by Warner Bros. Animation after replying to an ad placed by animator Bruce Timm.
He went on to work as a storyboard artist for Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series, and in 1999 he animated the main title design for Batman Beyond. He then worked as a director for Sony Animation's Men in Black: The Series for a year.
DC Comics then approached Cooke about a project which he had submitted to the publisher years earlier which eventually became Batman: Ego, a graphic novel published in 2000.
The critical success of that project led to Cooke taking on more freelance work, such as X-Force, Wolverine/Doop and Spider-Man's Tangled Web for Marvel Comics and Just Imagine... Stan Lee for DC.
In 2001, Cooke and writer Ed Brubaker teamed up to revamp the Catwoman character. They started with a 4 issue serial "Trail of the Catwoman" in Detective Comics #759-762 in which private detective Slam Bradley attempts to investigate the death of Selina Kyle (AKA Catwoman).
The story led into a new Catwoman title in late 2001 by Brubaker and Cooke, in which the character's costume, supporting cast and modus operandi were all redesigned and redeveloped. Cooke would stay on the series, which was met with critical and fan acclaim, up until issue #4. In 2002 he would write and draw a prequel, the Selina's Big Score graphic novel which detailed what had happened to the character directly before her new series.
Cover to DC: The New Frontier #6.
Cover to DC: The New Frontier #6.
Cooke's next project was the ambitious DC: The New Frontier (2004), a six issue miniseries which sought to tell an epic storyline bridging the gap between the end of the golden and the start of the silver age of comic books in the DC Universe. The story, which was set in the 1950s, featured dozens of super-hero characters and drew inspiration from the comic books and movies of the period as well as from Tom Wolfe's non-fiction account of the start of the US Space Program The Right Stuff. The major DC characters are introduced in "The New Frontier" in the same order that DC originally published them, even down to the correct month and year in the story's timeline. In 2005, Cooke won an Eisner Award for "Best Limited Series", and a Joe Shuster Award for "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Cartoonist" for his work on the series.
Most recently, Cooke contributed to DC's artist-centric anthology project Solo. His issue (#5, June, 2005) featured several different stories in different styles with a framing sequence featuring the Slam Bradley character. In 2006, Solo #5 won an Eisner Award for "Best Single Issue."
In July 2005, it was announced that in 2006 Cooke and writer Jeph Loeb would produce a Batman/Spirit crossover, to be followed shortly afterwards by an ongoing Spirit series written and drawn by Cooke. Batman/The Spirit was ultimately published in November 2006, followed in December by the first issue of Cooke's The Spirit. In June 2007, Cooke and J. Bone won a Joe Shuster Award for "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Artists" for their work on "Batman/The Spirit", and Cooke won "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Cartoonist" for his work on "The Spirit".
In July 2006, it was announced that Warner Bros. Animation and DC Comics would release a series of direct-to-DVD animated movies based on important DC com
In 1985, Cooke published his first comic book work as a professional artist in a short story in New Talent Showcase #19, but economic pressure made him leave the career and he worked in Canada as a magazine art director, graphic and product designer for the next 15 years.
In the early 1990s Cooke decided to return to comics, but found little interest for his work at the major publishers. Eventually he was hired by Warner Bros. Animation after replying to an ad placed by animator Bruce Timm.
He went on to work as a storyboard artist for Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series, and in 1999 he animated the main title design for Batman Beyond. He then worked as a director for Sony Animation's Men in Black: The Series for a year.
DC Comics then approached Cooke about a project which he had submitted to the publisher years earlier which eventually became Batman: Ego, a graphic novel published in 2000.
The critical success of that project led to Cooke taking on more freelance work, such as X-Force, Wolverine/Doop and Spider-Man's Tangled Web for Marvel Comics and Just Imagine... Stan Lee for DC.
In 2001, Cooke and writer Ed Brubaker teamed up to revamp the Catwoman character. They started with a 4 issue serial "Trail of the Catwoman" in Detective Comics #759-762 in which private detective Slam Bradley attempts to investigate the death of Selina Kyle (AKA Catwoman).
The story led into a new Catwoman title in late 2001 by Brubaker and Cooke, in which the character's costume, supporting cast and modus operandi were all redesigned and redeveloped. Cooke would stay on the series, which was met with critical and fan acclaim, up until issue #4. In 2002 he would write and draw a prequel, the Selina's Big Score graphic novel which detailed what had happened to the character directly before her new series.
Cover to DC: The New Frontier #6.
Cover to DC: The New Frontier #6.
Cooke's next project was the ambitious DC: The New Frontier (2004), a six issue miniseries which sought to tell an epic storyline bridging the gap between the end of the golden and the start of the silver age of comic books in the DC Universe. The story, which was set in the 1950s, featured dozens of super-hero characters and drew inspiration from the comic books and movies of the period as well as from Tom Wolfe's non-fiction account of the start of the US Space Program The Right Stuff. The major DC characters are introduced in "The New Frontier" in the same order that DC originally published them, even down to the correct month and year in the story's timeline. In 2005, Cooke won an Eisner Award for "Best Limited Series", and a Joe Shuster Award for "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Cartoonist" for his work on the series.
Most recently, Cooke contributed to DC's artist-centric anthology project Solo. His issue (#5, June, 2005) featured several different stories in different styles with a framing sequence featuring the Slam Bradley character. In 2006, Solo #5 won an Eisner Award for "Best Single Issue."
In July 2005, it was announced that in 2006 Cooke and writer Jeph Loeb would produce a Batman/Spirit crossover, to be followed shortly afterwards by an ongoing Spirit series written and drawn by Cooke. Batman/The Spirit was ultimately published in November 2006, followed in December by the first issue of Cooke's The Spirit. In June 2007, Cooke and J. Bone won a Joe Shuster Award for "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Artists" for their work on "Batman/The Spirit", and Cooke won "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Cartoonist" for his work on "The Spirit".
In July 2006, it was announced that Warner Bros. Animation and DC Comics would release a series of direct-to-DVD animated movies based on important DC com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
March 2, 2017
2016 killed so many talented people that it got hard to keep track after a while, and one of its overlooked victims was Darwyn Cooke who died of cancer last spring. Knowing that, I held off on reading this for some time because it’s going to be the last time I get to crack open one of Cooke’s fantastic adaptations of the Parker series and get to enjoy his illustrated interpretations of one of my favorite crime fiction characters.
At least it ends on a high note with Cooke’s version of Richard Stark’s (a/k/a Donald Westlake) Slayground. After the heist of an armored car goes sideways Parker has to hole up in an amusement park that is shut down for the winter, but some local mobsters and dirty cops know that he’s in there with a bag full of cash so they go in after him, but they make the critical error of giving Parker enough time to prepare.
Essentially this is Die Hard in an amusement park done years before Bruce Willis walked into Nakatomi Plaza, and it’s a hoot. As with the other Parker novels that Cooke did he sets them in their original time frames and the artwork gives the whole thing a retro charm. Cooke also uses the format to do clever things like provide a fold-out illustrated map of the park like the one Parker uses to make his plans. Once again the graphic novels of Stark’s novels seem like stylish storyboards for a movie that sadly never got made. (Hint hint, Hollywood.) There’s a bonus with Cooke also doing a short version of The Seventh.
As with all great things I’m sad to see it end but happy I got to experience them. Cooke’s vision of Parker make for excellent companion pieces for fans of the books.
At least it ends on a high note with Cooke’s version of Richard Stark’s (a/k/a Donald Westlake) Slayground. After the heist of an armored car goes sideways Parker has to hole up in an amusement park that is shut down for the winter, but some local mobsters and dirty cops know that he’s in there with a bag full of cash so they go in after him, but they make the critical error of giving Parker enough time to prepare.
Essentially this is Die Hard in an amusement park done years before Bruce Willis walked into Nakatomi Plaza, and it’s a hoot. As with the other Parker novels that Cooke did he sets them in their original time frames and the artwork gives the whole thing a retro charm. Cooke also uses the format to do clever things like provide a fold-out illustrated map of the park like the one Parker uses to make his plans. Once again the graphic novels of Stark’s novels seem like stylish storyboards for a movie that sadly never got made. (Hint hint, Hollywood.) There’s a bonus with Cooke also doing a short version of The Seventh.
As with all great things I’m sad to see it end but happy I got to experience them. Cooke’s vision of Parker make for excellent companion pieces for fans of the books.
February 6, 2021
A re-read, 3/28/18, after finally reading the novel on which it was based and loving it.
Original review, 8/20/16, edited a bit:
The fourth and I presume last of the adaptations made of Richard Stark/Donald Westlake's Parker crime novels (since Cooke died this year, RIP). Parker is one of the hardest of "hard-boiled" detectives, and somehow you gotta like that, if not quite like him. I liked this volume least of the four books Cooke adapted, in part because it is just too short, getting at the essence of the tale but missing some of the play in it. It takes place on a Fun Island, after all! Aren't playgrounds supposed to be fun?! Okay, there is one terrific fun thing in it; Cooke creates a fold-out park guide for Fun Island: The Happiest Place on Earth (heh, you didn't read the fine print!), complete with a map, which is wonderful.
The art from Cooke remains strong to the very end, retro sixties design, though, really stylized and hip. And while the rendition of Stark's story is a little more straightforward than Cooke's first three adaptations, but there is an attraction in that, too; it's lean and mean, stripped down to its bare essentials.
The idea in this story is that Parker and two other criminals seem to have pulled off a successful heist of an armored car. But the escaping car ends up in a wreck, and Parker heads out alone, hiding out in an amusement park that only has one entrance, with a satchel of cash. Parker sets up traps for all the crooked cops who are trying to catch him, as you might expect him to do, and this is fun, a Fun Island for crime fans. Primarily because the art is just so good, I raised by initial 3 star rating to 4, in spite of the leanness and predictability of the story as Cooke relates it.
Cooke also adds a short story version (it's really just a vignette) of Stark's seventh Parker story, "The Seventh" which is way too short, but still well done, and fun. But if you like crime graphic novels, you have to check out these four book adaptations, for which Cooke deservedly won Eisner awards. Comics like this, also excellent, includes work from Brubaker and Phillips (Criminal, The Fadeaway, Pulp), Kindt (Mind Mgmt, Dept. H) and Tardi (Like a Sniper Lining up His Shot, West Coast Blues).
Original review, 8/20/16, edited a bit:
The fourth and I presume last of the adaptations made of Richard Stark/Donald Westlake's Parker crime novels (since Cooke died this year, RIP). Parker is one of the hardest of "hard-boiled" detectives, and somehow you gotta like that, if not quite like him. I liked this volume least of the four books Cooke adapted, in part because it is just too short, getting at the essence of the tale but missing some of the play in it. It takes place on a Fun Island, after all! Aren't playgrounds supposed to be fun?! Okay, there is one terrific fun thing in it; Cooke creates a fold-out park guide for Fun Island: The Happiest Place on Earth (heh, you didn't read the fine print!), complete with a map, which is wonderful.
The art from Cooke remains strong to the very end, retro sixties design, though, really stylized and hip. And while the rendition of Stark's story is a little more straightforward than Cooke's first three adaptations, but there is an attraction in that, too; it's lean and mean, stripped down to its bare essentials.
The idea in this story is that Parker and two other criminals seem to have pulled off a successful heist of an armored car. But the escaping car ends up in a wreck, and Parker heads out alone, hiding out in an amusement park that only has one entrance, with a satchel of cash. Parker sets up traps for all the crooked cops who are trying to catch him, as you might expect him to do, and this is fun, a Fun Island for crime fans. Primarily because the art is just so good, I raised by initial 3 star rating to 4, in spite of the leanness and predictability of the story as Cooke relates it.
Cooke also adds a short story version (it's really just a vignette) of Stark's seventh Parker story, "The Seventh" which is way too short, but still well done, and fun. But if you like crime graphic novels, you have to check out these four book adaptations, for which Cooke deservedly won Eisner awards. Comics like this, also excellent, includes work from Brubaker and Phillips (Criminal, The Fadeaway, Pulp), Kindt (Mind Mgmt, Dept. H) and Tardi (Like a Sniper Lining up His Shot, West Coast Blues).
August 31, 2019
Darwyn Cooke's adaptations of the Parker novels are must reads for fans of comic book crime noir. His art has a 60's swagger to it that fits perfectly with the tone of the Parker novels. Parker is a cold, tough, hard as nails bastard. Here his car has overturned as they were escaping a robbery and Parker holes up in an amusement park in the dead of winter. He's seen by some local hoods who figure they can make a quick buck by killing him and taking his score. This boils down to a battle throughout the park as Parker has to off them one by one in order to get away.
Also included is a short adaptation of "The Seventh" about a robbery gone wrong.
Also included is a short adaptation of "The Seventh" about a robbery gone wrong.
November 16, 2013
Parker, Grofield and one other guy rob an armoured car in the middle of winter and drive off with the cash. However the new guy is a bit of a nervous driver and winds up crashing the car on the ice, killing himself and badly injuring Grofield. Parker, hearing police in the distance, grabs the loot and makes a run for it, hiding out in a nearby amusement park that’s closed for the season. And then realises that some crooked cops accepting a payoff from the mob have witnessed his escape into the park and, listening to dispatch, put two and two together and decide to go in there, kill Parker, and keep the cash for themselves. Parker must set as many deathtraps in the park as he can to escape with his life.
This is the fourth comic book adaptation Darwyn Cooke has done of Richard Stark/Donald Westlake’s Parker books and the first where I was a bit bored reading it. The other books - The Hunter, The Outfit, The Score - all had complex plots involving multiple stages and double-crosses, and so on, whereas Slayground has a very basic premise of a cat and mouse that never goes beyond that. Parker sets deathtraps, mobsters/crooked cops wander into the traps, we move on to the next one, repeat.
This is fine if you want to read a book like that and I feel like I should like this more seeing as this book really made me realise Parker is basically Frank Castle, and I love the Punisher - Slayground has the flavour of the best kind of Punisher stories where Frank’s up against the odds and has to MacGyver his way out. I think partly why I wasn’t as enamoured was because I read the original Slayground novel a few months ago so I knew what to expect going in. To be fair, this is both a very faithful adaptation of the source material and also works better as a comic than a novel - Stark’s laborious descriptions of Parker setting traps are replaced by Cooke’s silent panels as Parker swiftly sets a trap in a few panels, then moves on to the next, and so on; we get past the chaff and to the action a lot faster.
But the predictability of it as everything goes right and Parker defeats the bad guys and the repetitive nature of the story as one person stumbles into a trap after another made for a fairly shallow read. There’s no sense that Parker’s in any real danger that he can’t handle and Cooke’s faithfulness to the source material only shows up Stark’s minimal story.
Cooke’s ‘60s-styled art remains as superb as ever and he knows where to put the camera, so to speak, so we get some dynamic angles, great use of shadow and light, and a strong sense of motion when we need it.
Also included is a short story, The Seventh, which has Parker pursuing a thief who’s stolen money/double-crossed him as he chases him onto a construction site. Again, it’s very predictable storytelling and feels rote and one-dimensional.
I usually enjoy Cooke’s Parker adaptations and while I didn’t hate Slayground, I also didn’t love it and found myself pushing through it to get it over with rather than savouring the experience. Slayground is ok but Cooke’s other Parker books are much better.
This is the fourth comic book adaptation Darwyn Cooke has done of Richard Stark/Donald Westlake’s Parker books and the first where I was a bit bored reading it. The other books - The Hunter, The Outfit, The Score - all had complex plots involving multiple stages and double-crosses, and so on, whereas Slayground has a very basic premise of a cat and mouse that never goes beyond that. Parker sets deathtraps, mobsters/crooked cops wander into the traps, we move on to the next one, repeat.
This is fine if you want to read a book like that and I feel like I should like this more seeing as this book really made me realise Parker is basically Frank Castle, and I love the Punisher - Slayground has the flavour of the best kind of Punisher stories where Frank’s up against the odds and has to MacGyver his way out. I think partly why I wasn’t as enamoured was because I read the original Slayground novel a few months ago so I knew what to expect going in. To be fair, this is both a very faithful adaptation of the source material and also works better as a comic than a novel - Stark’s laborious descriptions of Parker setting traps are replaced by Cooke’s silent panels as Parker swiftly sets a trap in a few panels, then moves on to the next, and so on; we get past the chaff and to the action a lot faster.
But the predictability of it as everything goes right and Parker defeats the bad guys and the repetitive nature of the story as one person stumbles into a trap after another made for a fairly shallow read. There’s no sense that Parker’s in any real danger that he can’t handle and Cooke’s faithfulness to the source material only shows up Stark’s minimal story.
Cooke’s ‘60s-styled art remains as superb as ever and he knows where to put the camera, so to speak, so we get some dynamic angles, great use of shadow and light, and a strong sense of motion when we need it.
Also included is a short story, The Seventh, which has Parker pursuing a thief who’s stolen money/double-crossed him as he chases him onto a construction site. Again, it’s very predictable storytelling and feels rote and one-dimensional.
I usually enjoy Cooke’s Parker adaptations and while I didn’t hate Slayground, I also didn’t love it and found myself pushing through it to get it over with rather than savouring the experience. Slayground is ok but Cooke’s other Parker books are much better.
June 13, 2024
Such a great entry, though I don't think any of them could beat volume 3. Despite hinting at a fifth volume, we'll never get one. However, the ending of this one just works as an end to the series for some reason.
It's a shame we never got another volume of these, but an even bigger shame Darwyn Cooke left us so soon. What he left behind is incredible and there truly is something out there for everyone. The man had a lot of range.
Highly recommended.
It's a shame we never got another volume of these, but an even bigger shame Darwyn Cooke left us so soon. What he left behind is incredible and there truly is something out there for everyone. The man had a lot of range.
Highly recommended.
March 24, 2014
Turning classic novels into graphic novels can be hit or miss. Darwyn Cooke's graphic novels based on the Parker novels of Richard Stark (aka Donald Westlake) seem to capture the tone and style perfectly. The series takes place in the same timeframe as the novels, and Cooke's style is an eyeful of style details from the late 1960s.
In Slayground, Parker is involved in a botched robbery. He escapes over the fence and into an off-season amusement park, abandoned for the winter. He soon discovers it's a dead end, and that the only way out is being guarded by people who want the money he has stolen. But Parker is deadly and not the kind of person you want to try to trap. It's one of the shorter novels, so there is a short backup story as well, The Seventh.
Darwyn Cooke's adaptation, as stated, is perfect. His choice of art is evocative and stark. It's quite good, and I'd love to read more of these.
I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
In Slayground, Parker is involved in a botched robbery. He escapes over the fence and into an off-season amusement park, abandoned for the winter. He soon discovers it's a dead end, and that the only way out is being guarded by people who want the money he has stolen. But Parker is deadly and not the kind of person you want to try to trap. It's one of the shorter novels, so there is a short backup story as well, The Seventh.
Darwyn Cooke's adaptation, as stated, is perfect. His choice of art is evocative and stark. It's quite good, and I'd love to read more of these.
I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by Diamond Book Distributors and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
September 2, 2016
First thought I had when I received this book from Amazon was: "Huh? Why is this book so thin?" The reason for this is that this fourth Parker book [as adapted by Darwyn Cooke] - compared to the first three - really has less story to it, and there's only so much of stretching it out that could be done. Thankfully, Cooke doesn't stretch it out, and the result is a low page count (96 pages! - What the...? That even includes the 12-page adaptation of The Seventh)
For this reason this adaptation can't stand up to its predecessors in the 'size' department.
So - yeah, a bit disappointing considering the length and the expectations/anticipation re: Cooke's last Parker adaptation, but an otherwise entertaining read. I've read the original novel of Richard Stark's 'The Seventh', and it seems to me - at least to increase the total page count of the book - a more elaborate adaptation of this story could have been included (this short adaptation was first produced for - and included in - Richard Stark’s Parker: The Martini Edition).
Darwyn Cooke's art is great as always, but there's just not enough this time around (hence the 3-star rating). Oh wait - one more thing: at least the book has a lower price point than the first three books, so that's good; but the book is still too short!
For this reason this adaptation can't stand up to its predecessors in the 'size' department.
So - yeah, a bit disappointing considering the length and the expectations/anticipation re: Cooke's last Parker adaptation, but an otherwise entertaining read. I've read the original novel of Richard Stark's 'The Seventh', and it seems to me - at least to increase the total page count of the book - a more elaborate adaptation of this story could have been included (this short adaptation was first produced for - and included in - Richard Stark’s Parker: The Martini Edition).
Darwyn Cooke's art is great as always, but there's just not enough this time around (hence the 3-star rating). Oh wait - one more thing: at least the book has a lower price point than the first three books, so that's good; but the book is still too short!
November 7, 2013
Darwyn Cooke’s Eisner Award winning series continues with the fourth installment, Slayground. Following a botched robbery, Parker escapes to an amusement park closed for the winter. Boxed in by gangsters and crooked cops, will Parker be able to devise a successful escape route or has his number finally come up?
I received an advanced copy from IDW Publishing and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Cooke’s adaptation of Richard Stark’s iconic character Parker has been nothing short of tremendous. I was actually a little shocked to see it completed so soon, considering that back in August, when I had the good fortune of meeting Mr. Cooke, he had indicated he was still working on it and he had in fact left it at home on his kitchen table to attend the Dartmouth Comic Arts Festival.
It goes without saying that the artwork continues to impress. In keeping with the atmosphere of a cold winter’s night, Cooke selected various shades of blue and black as the predominant colors, giving us a perfect backdrop to the conditions endured by Parker as he plans his escape. Cooke’s signature style is tailor made for a period such as the 1960s so there’s no doubt that given this is his fourth installment, he’s here for the long run.
There’s not much else to say about this other than if you’re not already reading the series, you’re missing out. Slayground may be his strongest effort yet so get caught up before Christmas Eve and grab this when it hits store shelves.
I received an advanced copy from IDW Publishing and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Cooke’s adaptation of Richard Stark’s iconic character Parker has been nothing short of tremendous. I was actually a little shocked to see it completed so soon, considering that back in August, when I had the good fortune of meeting Mr. Cooke, he had indicated he was still working on it and he had in fact left it at home on his kitchen table to attend the Dartmouth Comic Arts Festival.
It goes without saying that the artwork continues to impress. In keeping with the atmosphere of a cold winter’s night, Cooke selected various shades of blue and black as the predominant colors, giving us a perfect backdrop to the conditions endured by Parker as he plans his escape. Cooke’s signature style is tailor made for a period such as the 1960s so there’s no doubt that given this is his fourth installment, he’s here for the long run.
There’s not much else to say about this other than if you’re not already reading the series, you’re missing out. Slayground may be his strongest effort yet so get caught up before Christmas Eve and grab this when it hits store shelves.
November 9, 2013
Good, but not really up to the same standard as Cooke's previous Stark adaptations. Maybe it's more a function of the story he's working with this time, though I thought the original book had more meat to it than this. But I could be wrong about that; it's been awhile since I read it. Basically, Parker has to hide out in an amusement park that's been closed up for the winter, after his involvement in an armored car robbery goes sour. The only problem is that some crooked cops and local mafia types have witnessed him breaking into the park and they know he's got the loot from the robbery on him. The art is the usual spare, streamlined 60s influenced style Cooke has brought to his other adaptations. But this one just doesn't have quite the same punch. Still recommended, but not as strongly.
July 25, 2017
Possibly my favourite of the Darwyn Cooke Parker GNs. Parker gets trapped in a fairground after a heist goes bad and has to survive as a third party is after him and his heist money. It's a little home alone but in a fairground in parts and it's pretty great. It's also light on dialogue and told very visually. Fun read.
July 28, 2020
4.5 Stars
This was my personal favorite of the Parker graphic novels. I liked the art style a little better with the green tint, and the amusement park setting was really cool. Also, Parker was dealing with guys even worse than he is, so I was able to revel in his wickedness rather than be appalled by it. This had a feel of the Warriors crossed with First Blood.
Basically Parker gets trapped in an amusement park with the take from an armored car robbery. Rather than arrest him, some crooked cops get together with local mob guys and decide to kill Parker and take the money for themselves, claiming he was killed during apprehension. But these guys don't know Parker...
Really sad to see this series end, and even sadder at the passing of Darwyn Cooke. He and his work will be missed.
This was my personal favorite of the Parker graphic novels. I liked the art style a little better with the green tint, and the amusement park setting was really cool. Also, Parker was dealing with guys even worse than he is, so I was able to revel in his wickedness rather than be appalled by it. This had a feel of the Warriors crossed with First Blood.
Basically Parker gets trapped in an amusement park with the take from an armored car robbery. Rather than arrest him, some crooked cops get together with local mob guys and decide to kill Parker and take the money for themselves, claiming he was killed during apprehension. But these guys don't know Parker...
Really sad to see this series end, and even sadder at the passing of Darwyn Cooke. He and his work will be missed.
January 7, 2018
To think we will have no more cartoon or comic art from the late Darwyn Cooke is hard. He brought such flair to comics storytelling, even commanding my interest in this author whose work I knew nothing about. These adaptations just rock. In this one, a backup story is just as good.
Highest recommendation.
Highest recommendation.
December 2, 2019
Okay so; I’ve never read a Richard Stark novel. For someone who claims to be a fan of detective novels, especially the noirish ones with a lot of brutality and a sliding scale of morality, I recognize this is a failing.
Stark is the pseudonym of Donald Westlake, an author I HAVE read. He wrote two fantastic books about the publishing industry - The Ax and The Hook - neither of which are available on audio, which in itself is a crime. Westlake is known more for somewhat lighthearted mystery and crime fare; his famous quote is that when it was sunny out, he wrote as Westlake. He wrote as Stark when it rained.
Darwyn Cooke is the person responsible for the DC Comics New Frontier graphic novel, one of my favorite DC title ever. He’s a whiz at mid century grit and wonder, and the cover of his adaptation of Parker’s Slayground hooked me at once. It’s like a Googie explosion. The art inside just keeps getting cooler, marrying the murder noir and the atomic age sensibility so well that I was legitimately giddy reading it.
The book focuses on a heist gone bad and Parker - our brutal thief - hiding out in a Disneyland-like park until he can get away. That’s it. That’s the whole story. But what a story! It’s clever and smart and every murder is a short story of guile and efficiency. Plus there’s a fold-out park map! This book has everything.
The only drawbacks here are my own: 1. This is the fourth book in the series, and so I don’t know much about this Parker fellow, and 2. I really don’t have the prose basis of the book to inform the whole exciting story. I need to read the novel. Heck, I need to read all the Parker novels. It’s been a long time coming.
Stark is the pseudonym of Donald Westlake, an author I HAVE read. He wrote two fantastic books about the publishing industry - The Ax and The Hook - neither of which are available on audio, which in itself is a crime. Westlake is known more for somewhat lighthearted mystery and crime fare; his famous quote is that when it was sunny out, he wrote as Westlake. He wrote as Stark when it rained.
Darwyn Cooke is the person responsible for the DC Comics New Frontier graphic novel, one of my favorite DC title ever. He’s a whiz at mid century grit and wonder, and the cover of his adaptation of Parker’s Slayground hooked me at once. It’s like a Googie explosion. The art inside just keeps getting cooler, marrying the murder noir and the atomic age sensibility so well that I was legitimately giddy reading it.
The book focuses on a heist gone bad and Parker - our brutal thief - hiding out in a Disneyland-like park until he can get away. That’s it. That’s the whole story. But what a story! It’s clever and smart and every murder is a short story of guile and efficiency. Plus there’s a fold-out park map! This book has everything.
The only drawbacks here are my own: 1. This is the fourth book in the series, and so I don’t know much about this Parker fellow, and 2. I really don’t have the prose basis of the book to inform the whole exciting story. I need to read the novel. Heck, I need to read all the Parker novels. It’s been a long time coming.
April 23, 2023
Classic "cornered and against all odds" trope. Parker is definetely a T-1000 and there’s no real stakes here. He will win. Coldly and Methodically.
So the plot clearly isn’t the reason of the 4* rating. Nah. The reason is that on the bare premises of this plot Darwyn Cooke gives everybody and their friends a lesson in storytelling like you wouldn’t believe.
Darwyn Cooke was a true master of the comic book medium who alas left us way too soon.
So the plot clearly isn’t the reason of the 4* rating. Nah. The reason is that on the bare premises of this plot Darwyn Cooke gives everybody and their friends a lesson in storytelling like you wouldn’t believe.
Darwyn Cooke was a true master of the comic book medium who alas left us way too soon.
June 30, 2019
The Happiest Place on Earth
The 4th and final volume of Darwyn Cooke’s adaptation of Richard Stark’s (Donald Westlake’s) novels before his unfortunate death in 2016. RIP. Now in terms of how this series has gone I have overall positive things to say about it. But this is definitely the weakest of the volumes. Even though it was much easier to get through than The Outfit was, I still know that there wasn’t much to this book. 85% of it is Parker running around, sneaking around, jumping around, and having hallucinatory dreams. I dunno man 96 pages of that isn’t the most interesting thing in the world. And it isn’t a good sign that I wasn’t rooting for the main character by the end of the book. Why would I? He once again, did a terrible thing for a completely selfish reason, probably hurt a lot of people and gets away with it. Why should I care what happens to him? I may sound a little harsh but really when you have a character like Parker who admittedly doesn’t have as much substance as you’d want a lead to have, I didn’t find myself giving a crap what happened to him in this book. The best thing I can say about this book is that I felt a sense of disappointment that the series was over in the book’s intro. Otherwise this book is the definition of “Aight”.
What more is there to say about Darwyn Cooke’s iconic art style? I stopped so many times mid speech bubble just to gawk at the incredible penciling and inking I had in my hands. I know I sound cliched as hell saying this, but I don’t think anyone else’s style could encapsulate the Golden age 1950s/1960s feel as much as his. Even scenery in this book is gorgeously drawn. And one of my favourite aspects of the book is that not every drawing of a person is hyper detailed and perfect. Sometimes a lack of detail or polished forms really gives the book a more interesting aesthetic. At least to me. The blue shading and filling also works very well.
In the end of the end, I do recommend you read this series. But when I’m saying this I really am just meaning Volume 1 and 3. Volume 2 is weird cuz I’m pretty much the only person who doesn’t like it too much but I think we would all agree this final volume is a let down. Parker as a lead I feel like I don’t truly understand. Cuz while I do think he is a good character, he isn’t the 3 dimensional to me. He is a merciless tough guy with huge hands and is a genius when it comes to planning crime jobs. That’s a brief description but very accurate. Look, hate me if you want to but I have and will keep saying it. Parker was not fully fleshed out like he should have been in the first few volumes. But besides all that, the art on display for these books is of course masterful and loved by many. So even though I really only enjoyed half this series, I think reading all of it just experience Volumes 1 and 3 is worth it.
Letter Grade: (C)
Richard Starks Parker Series Letter Grade: (B)
The 4th and final volume of Darwyn Cooke’s adaptation of Richard Stark’s (Donald Westlake’s) novels before his unfortunate death in 2016. RIP. Now in terms of how this series has gone I have overall positive things to say about it. But this is definitely the weakest of the volumes. Even though it was much easier to get through than The Outfit was, I still know that there wasn’t much to this book. 85% of it is Parker running around, sneaking around, jumping around, and having hallucinatory dreams. I dunno man 96 pages of that isn’t the most interesting thing in the world. And it isn’t a good sign that I wasn’t rooting for the main character by the end of the book. Why would I? He once again, did a terrible thing for a completely selfish reason, probably hurt a lot of people and gets away with it. Why should I care what happens to him? I may sound a little harsh but really when you have a character like Parker who admittedly doesn’t have as much substance as you’d want a lead to have, I didn’t find myself giving a crap what happened to him in this book. The best thing I can say about this book is that I felt a sense of disappointment that the series was over in the book’s intro. Otherwise this book is the definition of “Aight”.
What more is there to say about Darwyn Cooke’s iconic art style? I stopped so many times mid speech bubble just to gawk at the incredible penciling and inking I had in my hands. I know I sound cliched as hell saying this, but I don’t think anyone else’s style could encapsulate the Golden age 1950s/1960s feel as much as his. Even scenery in this book is gorgeously drawn. And one of my favourite aspects of the book is that not every drawing of a person is hyper detailed and perfect. Sometimes a lack of detail or polished forms really gives the book a more interesting aesthetic. At least to me. The blue shading and filling also works very well.
In the end of the end, I do recommend you read this series. But when I’m saying this I really am just meaning Volume 1 and 3. Volume 2 is weird cuz I’m pretty much the only person who doesn’t like it too much but I think we would all agree this final volume is a let down. Parker as a lead I feel like I don’t truly understand. Cuz while I do think he is a good character, he isn’t the 3 dimensional to me. He is a merciless tough guy with huge hands and is a genius when it comes to planning crime jobs. That’s a brief description but very accurate. Look, hate me if you want to but I have and will keep saying it. Parker was not fully fleshed out like he should have been in the first few volumes. But besides all that, the art on display for these books is of course masterful and loved by many. So even though I really only enjoyed half this series, I think reading all of it just experience Volumes 1 and 3 is worth it.
Letter Grade: (C)
Richard Starks Parker Series Letter Grade: (B)
November 20, 2013
This particular Parker story is an interesting one because it takes place entirely after a heist. However, there are still plenty of opportunities to witness Parker's guile as he eludes capture by hiding out in a small amusement park that is closed for the season.
This key divergence from the "typical" Parker heist formula, as well as the unique and captivating setting, make it a very attractive graphic novel, and explain why a dozen other potential Parker novels were skipped sequentially when choosing to adapt this one.
This is the second of the Parker graphic novel adaptations I have read, with the first being Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter. I am happy to report that there is no drop off in quality with either the art or storytelling from that first volume to this one. The art is still severe and hard boiled, and the storyline is still bare, more charcoal sketch than oil painting.
The only difference with this volume (and this is admittedly specific to me) is that, unlike with The Hunter, I hadn't read the source material for this one before reading the graphic novel. This, in many ways, made this one more interesting, as I had no preconceived ideas concerning the story ahead of time.
Full disclosure: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
This key divergence from the "typical" Parker heist formula, as well as the unique and captivating setting, make it a very attractive graphic novel, and explain why a dozen other potential Parker novels were skipped sequentially when choosing to adapt this one.
This is the second of the Parker graphic novel adaptations I have read, with the first being Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter. I am happy to report that there is no drop off in quality with either the art or storytelling from that first volume to this one. The art is still severe and hard boiled, and the storyline is still bare, more charcoal sketch than oil painting.
The only difference with this volume (and this is admittedly specific to me) is that, unlike with The Hunter, I hadn't read the source material for this one before reading the graphic novel. This, in many ways, made this one more interesting, as I had no preconceived ideas concerning the story ahead of time.
Full disclosure: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
January 5, 2014
In this fourth adaptation of Donald Westlake's PARKER by Darwyn Cooke we are treated to material from the novel bearing the same name. Parker and his sometime associate Grofield pull an armored car robbery that goes sideways in inclement weather, forcing Parker to take refuge in an abandoned amusement park in the dead of winter. However, when he is spotted going in, unsavory elements conspire to relieve him of his ill-gotten gains, turning the park into . . . a "slayground." Cooke's rendering of the novel is spot-on and completely faithful to the feel and ambiance of the source material. However, due to the descriptive nature of the novel vs the quantity of scenes this graphic novel is much shorter than the other three. Cooke proves that a picture is worth a thousand words with this vivid rendering of a really incredible pulp Americana character.
February 6, 2018
Who does not like a Parker tale in a different medium as I have read before and the economic style of drawing does fit the style Richard Stark used to write his novels but while I have fond memories of the Slayground book I found this comic somewhat not covering the suspense of the original version by its original writer.
I like comics but in this instance I found myself a bit shortchanged as I really enjoy the Parker novels and think that perhaps the comics were not meant for me.
Slayground is the major comic in this book and we get a very curtailed The Seventh also written by Stark, it is a bloody waste of ink as it totally decapitated the original novel.
You want to enjoy Starks Parker stories read the original novels. They are well worth your time.
I like comics but in this instance I found myself a bit shortchanged as I really enjoy the Parker novels and think that perhaps the comics were not meant for me.
Slayground is the major comic in this book and we get a very curtailed The Seventh also written by Stark, it is a bloody waste of ink as it totally decapitated the original novel.
You want to enjoy Starks Parker stories read the original novels. They are well worth your time.
February 2, 2023
Darwyn Cooke's art is amazing again, just perfect for the story and the genre. Sadly, this is the last of the Stark book series he did. Cooke died in 2016, just when he was at his best just at the point of releasing a new Mike Hammer-like series which was sadly never finished.
This book finds Parker in a botched armored car robbery, pinned down in an amusement park shut down for the winter. Its not Stark's best work, but it keeps attention as Parker is a more-lethal version of Home Alone rigging up the entire place to take out the men after him. There are corrupt cops, mobsters, thugs, mugs, pugs, and Methodists! Well, maybe not that last group.
This book finds Parker in a botched armored car robbery, pinned down in an amusement park shut down for the winter. Its not Stark's best work, but it keeps attention as Parker is a more-lethal version of Home Alone rigging up the entire place to take out the men after him. There are corrupt cops, mobsters, thugs, mugs, pugs, and Methodists! Well, maybe not that last group.
May 15, 2016
RIP Darwyn Cooke.
November 10, 2017
It's like if James Bond and Danny Ocean had a baby together. I gotta get the actual book series started.
February 5, 2021
Momentos de ação totalmente Eisnerianos. Mas sou um pouco parcial quanto a tiroteio e ação em parques de diversões.
May 6, 2022
Though The Score is my favorite of this series, this one is a great tale. I recommend it!
December 19, 2025
If Parker starred in Home Alone.
July 17, 2021
Es mas corto que los anteriores y por eso puede parecer que baja la calidad pero nada mas lejos.
No tiene ya la capacidad de sorprender que hay en la primera historia de 2 tomos, pero el ritmo no baja en ningun momento, demostrando la astucia y profesionalidad de Parker. Un buen punto final, aunque me gustaria que se tomase en algun futuro para continuarlo, ya sin Darwyn Cooke claro. Gran obra que nos ha dejado
No tiene ya la capacidad de sorprender que hay en la primera historia de 2 tomos, pero el ritmo no baja en ningun momento, demostrando la astucia y profesionalidad de Parker. Un buen punto final, aunque me gustaria que se tomase en algun futuro para continuarlo, ya sin Darwyn Cooke claro. Gran obra que nos ha dejado
December 25, 2015
When Darwyn Cooke began adapting Richard Stark's hard boiled crime novels in comics form, I was blown away. 'The Hunter' was familiar territory for me, but seeing him bring Parker to life in his brilliantly economical retro-60's style, I fell in love with how perfect the book was -- it's 6" x 9" hardcover format, the design and materials of the book itself, the style and layout for the dustjacket... everything worked. But above all, Cooke had a firm grasp on the character of Parker. This fourth volume, 'Slayground', is a shorter but no less impressive venture into Parker's pitiless world of heists gone wrong, bent cops, and mobsters who think they've found an easy score. Cooke's two-tone brushwork is as tight and stylish as it's ever been with his portrayal of an iced-over amusement park as it becomes the setting for a reversing of roles when the hunters try to make Parker their prey. When they discover their mistake, it's far too late; the easy score becomes a bloody vendetta as a mafia boss is willing to raise a small army against Parker in his crazed thirst for vengeance. Also included is a great Parker short story, 'The Seventh'. For once, a job goes exactly as planned, as Parker's seven-man team take down a $115 000.00 score. But as they lie low and wait for the heat to die down, a crime of passion threatens to ruin everything. Even the shortest Parker stories are visual poetry in Cooke's hands. With a long list of Parker titles to choose from, Cooke can return to the character as long as he wants to. Now that he's produced over 550 pages of the very finest comics noir, I hope he sticks with it a long time. According to tne final page, 'Parker will return in 2015.' So far, the Canadian artist has honored his promises regarding Parker, despite being one of the most in-demand writer-artists in mainstream comics. IDW will also be reissuing the entire run of original Parker novels by Richard Stark, in a 'premium hardcover format with illustrated color plates', apparently by Darwyn Cooke.
January 15, 2014
Another one of my favourite Richard Stark novels, "Slayground" is also noted to be one of graphic novel creator Darwyn Cooke's all time fave books. Certainly breaking from the usual Parker novel format, the story starts with the job over and calamity striking. Forced to hide in an amusement and await the arrival of the mob, Parker sets about booby-trapping the grounds with what little he can find. So tense and gritty.
Some of which doesn't come through in the graphic novel translation sadly. I'm the biggest fan of Darwyn Cooke and his work. Same goes for Richard Stark (Donald Westlake) and his writing. Still, where "The Score" managed to capture the immense and crazy scope of that heist, done by trimming down the story and driving it towards the kablam-tastic ending with marvellous break neck speed, "Slayground felt too parsed down. Maybe I need to re-read the original novel...and this hardcover GN is still a splendid read. Just not quite the grandslam the others in the series have been.
This said, "The Score" is definitely worth adding to your library. The beautiful dust jacket, the rich quality paper, the smoothness of Darwyn's art counter-matched to the hulking grimness of Parker's body, all of this makes "The Score" a hard-hitting, gripping read. A must!
Some of which doesn't come through in the graphic novel translation sadly. I'm the biggest fan of Darwyn Cooke and his work. Same goes for Richard Stark (Donald Westlake) and his writing. Still, where "The Score" managed to capture the immense and crazy scope of that heist, done by trimming down the story and driving it towards the kablam-tastic ending with marvellous break neck speed, "Slayground felt too parsed down. Maybe I need to re-read the original novel...and this hardcover GN is still a splendid read. Just not quite the grandslam the others in the series have been.
This said, "The Score" is definitely worth adding to your library. The beautiful dust jacket, the rich quality paper, the smoothness of Darwyn's art counter-matched to the hulking grimness of Parker's body, all of this makes "The Score" a hard-hitting, gripping read. A must!
December 28, 2015
This is a very economical adaptation of Richard Stark's Slayground--especially since the final dozen or so of its 96 pages are in fact a separate Parker adaptation: the novel The Seventh, compressed into about a seventh of this overall book (which must be deliberate, mustn't it?). The Parker books are as a rule pretty lean anyway, but Cooke really boils them down to their essences. Well, perhaps he boils The Seventh down a tad too much, as about 80% of the original book gets precised in two pages, with only the climax given any breathing room. But Cooke does have a great eye for visual design and does an excellent job of getting the essentials across in pure visuals, even at times devoting a (proportionally) huge amount of space to very short units--e.g. the beautifully-rendered two-page car crash near the beginning of Slayground, which really does not need two pages to fulfill its narrative function but still makes for a lovely pair of pages. I especially liked the foldout that gave the layout of the amusement park, in the format of the map a visitor to the park would get. The original novels are superior, but Cooke does better at adaptation than most. Recommended for noir fans.
November 24, 2013
# I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review#
This was my first foray into Darwyn Cooke's work. The Richard Stark's Parker Collection seems to be well known in the comic world. However, I must confess I was unaware of both the author and his work.
This volume is a sequel from the collection. Unfortunately, it couldn't quite captivate me. The main story at the beginning is interesting. The issue of the assault and how Parker was the only one to escape the accident with the money, hiding in the amusement park was intriguing. But all the subsequent action was predictable. I never feared for Parker's life. In addition, the characters had no depth.
The short story attached at the end follows a very similar pattern.
Thus, although the art is very good and developed, the story makes it the reading unattractive.
This was my first foray into Darwyn Cooke's work. The Richard Stark's Parker Collection seems to be well known in the comic world. However, I must confess I was unaware of both the author and his work.
This volume is a sequel from the collection. Unfortunately, it couldn't quite captivate me. The main story at the beginning is interesting. The issue of the assault and how Parker was the only one to escape the accident with the money, hiding in the amusement park was intriguing. But all the subsequent action was predictable. I never feared for Parker's life. In addition, the characters had no depth.
The short story attached at the end follows a very similar pattern.
Thus, although the art is very good and developed, the story makes it the reading unattractive.
June 22, 2022
(9/10): RIP Darwyn Cooke, it never fails to be a joy to read his work and it feels cold that this is his last. Especially since this is the only book in his Parker adaptations that ends in a cliffhanger. I still really enjoyed reading the whole hardboiled vintage crime aspect of these books, and this one is not an exception at all. How Parker rigs the whole amusement park into his own controlled warzone was really cool to see, along with how that same park provided many obstacles for him as well. Overall, I had a fun time as always reading another Darwyn Cooke book and I will continue to miss my favorite artist in the comics industry.
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