Blue Estate: The Graphic Novel

by Viktor Kalvachev, Kosta Yanev, Andrew Osborne

FINALLY AVAILABLE IN ONE DELUXE EDITION! Catch the entire Eisner-nominated saga, now in a bonus-packed edition. A powerhouse team of Hollywood and comic book veterans (along with special guest artists) presents a fast, funny, 100% cool new series for readers of all stripes. On the mean streets of Los Angeles, an alcoholic hit man and a desperate starlet dodge Russian mobsters, Italian gangsters, ninjas, hippies and the L.A.P.D. in a scheme to steal millions from a psychotic action movie hero.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Graphic Novels Comics

288 pages, Hardcover

First published September 17, 2014

Reviews

[Lono · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could try and say that it was my interest in crime stories, rumors that it was an instant classic, or the fact that "The Hoff" has a guest appearance that made me pick up Blue Estate. But that’s complete horseshit. I picked this up because of Viktor Kalvachev’s sexy ass covers. Plain and simple, my man can draw the shit out of a hot chick.



What I was stoked to discover was a ridiculously insane story in the same vein as Snatch or Way of the Gun. Like those films, Kalvachev introduces outrageous characters with no obvious connections and brings them all together like one big deranged puzzle by the end of the book. The way Viktor uses caricatures of celebrities was fucking great. LOVE his characters. Even though some of them aren’t around very long. Cliché? Sometimes, but I’m not givin' a shit. Italian gangsters in track suits that can’t get enough Hasselhoff, tatted-up strippers looking to get wasted, an inept private eye embarrassing the hell out of his dad, a bus full of college football players looking for get back, a shady accountant turned movie producer, a down on his luck real estate broker, two hippies with a pot plant named “Ethel”, an alcoholic hit-man, and a horse with an unusual name are just some of the peculiar folks your gonna meet reading Blue Estate. It definitely shouldn’t be taken too seriously.



The art is handled by a crew of 4 different illustrators and while their styles were somewhat different, it all flowed well together for me. Toby Cypress, Nathan Fox, Robert Valley, and Viktor himself all contributed to the artwork collected. Their unique styles helped to provide the book with a distinct feel for me that set it apart from other creator owned crime stuff out there.



It’s violent, offensive, foul-mouthed, and plays on all types of distasteful stereotypes. If any of that shit is not your bag or you’re easily insulted by boilerplate racial or sexual characterizations, best to give this one a pass. But, if you’re not easily offended and like off the chain crime tales with a little bit of a comedic edge thrown in, your are going to want to give Blue Estate a look see.



Ok. I couldn't resist that last one for a couple of obvious reasons.



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[Sooraya Evans · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing new.
The inconsistent artwork is somewhat confusing.

[Nich · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a fun modern noir style story set in Hollywood. Russian and Italian mob, Movie starts and, an unlikely private eye.

[Zardoz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh, Not a very good graphic novel. Very simple stupid plot. Apparently it’s based off a video game😩

[Andy Hickman · Rating 4 out of 5]

BLUE ESTATE – THE GRAPHIC NOVEL
Slow burning, enjoyable entertainment

BLUE ESTATE. Vol.1
Very peculiar, original concepts, this volume grew on me by the end.

“BLUE ESTATE” – the name of the prized racehorse, not revealed until issue 8.
Like most comics the cover design is made prior to publishing and by a different artist. Unfortunately the sleezy covers don’t match the storyline.
..

BLUE ESTATE #1
“.. ‘cuz in my world, you can barely tell the cops from the criminals, and the people .. shit, they’re pretty much on their own.”
Interesting start, see how it unfolds
..

BLUE ESTATE #2
Starlet Rachel Maddox, A.A. Sponsor 'Johnny', Bruce Maddox, Tony Luciano .. peculiar characters!
..

BLUE ESTATE #3
“.. uh, and just so you know boss, we’re outta plastic bags and quicklime .. but I could run down to Home depot if you want..”
The humour is starting to come through
..


BLUE ESTATE #4
On the film set, “Think Bette Davis and Paul Henreid in ‘NOW, VOYAGER’.”
..

BLUE ESTATE. Vol.2
Wacky, twisting plot, hilarious - I’m hooked, great action.

“BLUE ESTATE” – the name of the prized racehorse, not revealed until issue 8.
Like most comics the cover design is made prior to publishing and by a different artist. Unfortunately the sleezy covers don’t match the storyline.

BLUE ESTATE #5
THE MONEY SHOT
“Hey, man .. take it easy on the gnomes!” – Buddy (hippy)
“I fucking hate these things! I’ve ALWAYS hated them!” – Billy (landlord)
“Hey don’t hate you, man..” – Gus (hippy)
..

BLUE ESTATE #6
POINT OF NO RETURN
“.. I figured you’d want these photos as soon as possible..” – Roy Jnr.
Intense! Getting better!
..

BLUE ESTATE #7
TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT
“This is the LAPD. We’ve received reports of gunshots fired at this address and need you to open your security gate!”
..

BLUE ESTATE #8
STATE OF SHOCK
Hilarious!
“Your son is something of a cowboy, Don Luciano .. and, to be honest, I have never been a fan of spaghetti westerns.”
..

BLUE ESTATE. Vol.3
Funny and thrilling final section of the series.

“It's high noon at OK Corral.”

"I think this horse is just REALLY stoned."
..

BLUE ESTATE #9
“In the words of .. Tony Soprano, ‘The Art of War’ is a pretty good book.”
Flying through this series - entertaining!
..

BLUE ESTATE #10
“Good horsey .. don’t be nervous .. winning is an illusion … just do your thing and stay groovy.”
Silly caricatures, very good inclusion.

BLUE ESTATE#11
SHOWDOWN
It’s a race for revenge!

THWIP! KLINK! CH-CHK!
CRRAA AAACCKKK!!
PUT PUTPUT BLAM BLAM
RATATATA! POW! TATATA!
..

BLUE ESTATE#12
SERENITY
What a FRENETIC CONCLUSION!! Excellent issue, excellent series.

“Any landing you can walk away from is a good one..”

..

[Elfo-oscuro · Rating 3 out of 5]

La historia no esta nada mal, alguno confuso en cuanto a cantidad de personajes y sus "48 hs antes", que sean hechos por 5 dibujantes tampoco ayuda con sus cambios pero es disfrutable, mucho en algunas partes

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came to this because I had played through the game Blue Estate and was intrigued by its over-the-top violence and weird sense of humor. Both are definitely on display in the graphic novel as well, a fairly weighty 12-issue collection. The story is large in scope, with a half-dozen or more different plotlines all weaving into and out of each other to build up to a massive showdown in and around a termite-infested house. And yes, that's actually an important part of the story. The multitude of characters (and the constantly changing art styles that reflect each) sometimes make it a challenge to keep track of who is betraying whom, and which of the numerous contracts is being carried out. From the bickering movie star couple who are both trying to get the other killed, to the Hasselhof-inspired hitmen, to the private detective whose father is on the force, all the characters are their own brand of crazy, and it all does manage to work together. This is a follow-up to the game, which means not everyone survives. But it's a crazy romp, near epic in its size, and quite the ride.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ridiculous, violent, stunning and pretty fun. I was fascinated by the details of the creation of the story, and the art direction, in the bonus section at the end. Sculptures created to use as character reference! A flow chart for the colors and styles of each segment, planned ahead of time!

[Seizure Romero · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is what I would expect if Elmore Leonard had written comic books. The internal art is not my favorite style, but the covers are lush and beautiful.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Such an explosion of plot, just ridiculous. Nice art.

[Juan Mora · Rating 4 out of 5]

first of all it's a fun stort. the artwork changes from time to time, sometimes a hit other a miss. would read more xD

[Simon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really nice art. But not my thing, it's a gangster yarn, and gangster yarns just don't do it for me.

[Relstuart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gangster tale with a lot of characters and an intricate plot where you can't tell who is working with whom and which character will betray which other character next.

I wish the interior art was on the same level as the covers but it's not in the same league at all.