What do you think?
Rate this book
Dark Corridor #1-7
The Red Circle and Seven Deadly Daughters
All Peter Prego wanted to do was have a little night cap before bed, but this is postponed once a bloodied pit bull shows up at his door. Cruising around the city of Red Circle (a fictitious coastal metropolis resembling L. A., Atlanta, New York, and Miami), Pete tries to find the dog's owner and ends up in quite a jackpot. With help from his pals, an expert thief―Johnny Collins and Carter Ford―an ex-cop newly sprung from prison, he secures the dog in his home, after cleaning out the place of its valuables. Once they've gone, a woman dressed in black appears at that same residence to claim the pup... Who does this dog really belong to? Why was Carter in prison for ten years? And... who are the Seven Deadly Daughters? Answers to these questions and more can only be discovered by diving into volume one of Rich Tommaso's exciting ongoing crime series.
144 pages, Paperback
First published September 2, 2015
2 people are currently reading
269 people want to read
About the author
Rich Tommaso
75 books25 followersRich Tommaso is an American comic book artist.
He studied comics at the Joe Kubert Art School, but dropped out after the end of his first year.
He then spent many years making pizza while working on his art projects.
His first comic book was published in 1997 by Fantagraphics, and he subsequently produced numerous works published by Dark Horse.
He studied comics at the Joe Kubert Art School, but dropped out after the end of his first year.
He then spent many years making pizza while working on his art projects.
His first comic book was published in 1997 by Fantagraphics, and he subsequently produced numerous works published by Dark Horse.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
July 15, 2018
Excellent little under the radar independent comic.
This is about a group of vigilante women who were orphaned due to mob hits. They grow up, form a group or their own and get their revenge.
Awesome artwork and told in a similar way to Brubakers criminal.
Recommended.
This is about a group of vigilante women who were orphaned due to mob hits. They grow up, form a group or their own and get their revenge.
Awesome artwork and told in a similar way to Brubakers criminal.
Recommended.
July 15, 2016
This is a series that was ambitious at the outset. You could tell from the very first issue of, published by Image Comics last year, that Rich Tommaso had big plans for this project. However, and as he discloses during our Comics Alternative interview (http://comicsalternative.com/comics-a...), the sales for this series just wasn't there, and he had to end up truncating his larger narrative plans. I hope he returns to this storyworld in future comics.
July 12, 2016
Pete, a hit man for hire in Red Circle, had a bloody dog stop by. Trying to track down the owner lead him to a murder scene which he then proceeded to rob with the help of a few friends. Over time we learned that there were other killers in town, 7 females to be precise who had a grudge they were working off. Pete and friends just managed to get caught up in the drama. And in the end, Pete decided the best course would be to drive away. Alone. While the city burned!
September 3, 2020
If you’re a fan of crime movies, you might remember a film from the mid-1990s called “2 Days In The Valley.” Consisting of a series of interconnected vignettes about a motley assortment of criminals, hit men, con artists, and various other low-lifes, it was released two years after “Pulp Fiction” and failed to capture the same kind of critical adoration; its only claim to fame nowadays, honestly, is that it was the Hollywood debut of Charlize Theron. Is it a bad movie? Nope. There are some cool storylines, it’s sexy, and there’s some fun dialogue as well as some flashy gunplay. Well, I couldn’t help thinking about “2 Days In The Valley” while reading Rich Tommaso’s “Dark Corridor,” a collection of his short, sassy crime comics (published here as “Dark Corridor, Vol. 1: The Red Circle And Seven Deadly Daughters”). If David Lapham’s gritty “Stray Bullets” is the “Pulp Fiction”-like juggernaut, “Dark Corridor” is the “2 Days In The Valley”-esque overlooked younger sibling.
The action in “Dark Corridor” takes place in Red Circle, a “Sin City”-ish burg where mob families battle one another for control of the criminal underworld and murders are just about as routine as sunsets. The main plot line - if you can call it that - of “Dark Corridor” concerns the 7 Deadly Daughters, a collective of female assassins who are all on a similar mission: to exact revenge on the mobsters who were responsible for the deaths of their parents. Most of the pieces in this book are only a few pages long each, so like a speeding bullet, Tommaso’s crime epic is a very brisk affair. While it doesn’t have the gruesome poetry of “Stray Bullets” nor anywhere near that series’ level of complexity, it’s still got some oomph in it. Tommaso’s writing is unflinching and unexpected, full of double-crosses, secrets, and back-up plans; his art has a cartoony simplicity, despite the dark subject matter, a juxtaposition that reminded me a lot of Brian Michael Bendis’ and Michael Avon Oeming’s superhero procedural series, “Powers.” Also, there’s a little bit of a Gabrielle Bell-ish indie flair to his panels while the bright, unusual colors were reminiscent of the Ryan Gosling L.A. noir flick, “Drive.” What I’m trying to say is that the series pops but in a little subtler fashion, like gunshots from a silenced pistol.
I know I just threw out a lot of references but, if you appreciated any of them, “Dark Corridor” is probably something you’re going to want to check out. Bright, frenetic, and feverish, it’s just the kind of crime comic you’d expect from a publisher like Top Shelf or Fantagraphics but this is an Image joint, so it’s got the kind of slickness you’d expect from a mainstream comics company. Alongside a whiskey and a pack of smokes, it’s the perfect accompaniment to a hot and humid summer night.
The action in “Dark Corridor” takes place in Red Circle, a “Sin City”-ish burg where mob families battle one another for control of the criminal underworld and murders are just about as routine as sunsets. The main plot line - if you can call it that - of “Dark Corridor” concerns the 7 Deadly Daughters, a collective of female assassins who are all on a similar mission: to exact revenge on the mobsters who were responsible for the deaths of their parents. Most of the pieces in this book are only a few pages long each, so like a speeding bullet, Tommaso’s crime epic is a very brisk affair. While it doesn’t have the gruesome poetry of “Stray Bullets” nor anywhere near that series’ level of complexity, it’s still got some oomph in it. Tommaso’s writing is unflinching and unexpected, full of double-crosses, secrets, and back-up plans; his art has a cartoony simplicity, despite the dark subject matter, a juxtaposition that reminded me a lot of Brian Michael Bendis’ and Michael Avon Oeming’s superhero procedural series, “Powers.” Also, there’s a little bit of a Gabrielle Bell-ish indie flair to his panels while the bright, unusual colors were reminiscent of the Ryan Gosling L.A. noir flick, “Drive.” What I’m trying to say is that the series pops but in a little subtler fashion, like gunshots from a silenced pistol.
I know I just threw out a lot of references but, if you appreciated any of them, “Dark Corridor” is probably something you’re going to want to check out. Bright, frenetic, and feverish, it’s just the kind of crime comic you’d expect from a publisher like Top Shelf or Fantagraphics but this is an Image joint, so it’s got the kind of slickness you’d expect from a mainstream comics company. Alongside a whiskey and a pack of smokes, it’s the perfect accompaniment to a hot and humid summer night.
June 20, 2016
A series of short stories about lowlifes and other criminals
With cartoon-style illustrations, this series of inter-connected short stories take place in criminal circles from thieves, fences, hitmen to corrupt policemen. Each Mafia family is out to wipe out the others using various hitmen. Meanwhile the Deadly Daughters are also doing their bit to wipe out the Mob.
Quite entertaining but predictable. Recommended to those who like gangster stories with plenty of bodies.
With cartoon-style illustrations, this series of inter-connected short stories take place in criminal circles from thieves, fences, hitmen to corrupt policemen. Each Mafia family is out to wipe out the others using various hitmen. Meanwhile the Deadly Daughters are also doing their bit to wipe out the Mob.
Quite entertaining but predictable. Recommended to those who like gangster stories with plenty of bodies.
June 5, 2016
I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I didn't care for this during the first few issues, but I kept with it, and I found myself more interested in it as it went along and introduced the Deadly Daughters, which were my favorite part of the story. There were moments in which it was hard to figure out what exactly was going on, but overall, this is an interesting story.
I didn't care for this during the first few issues, but I kept with it, and I found myself more interested in it as it went along and introduced the Deadly Daughters, which were my favorite part of the story. There were moments in which it was hard to figure out what exactly was going on, but overall, this is an interesting story.
July 25, 2016
A bunch of interconnected crime stories set in the town of Red Circle. Super violent in a Tarantino-esque way. The art reminded me of a combination of Little Orphan Annie and Jamie Hernandez. At first I hated it but it kind of grew on me by the end.
Received an advance copy from Image and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Received an advance copy from Image and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 10, 2016
An unusual noir graphic novel. Two stories parallel each other, but finally intersect at the conclusion. The art has an indie feel that kind of reminds me of a modern Chester Gould. The story was intriguing, but needed a few more connections among the 7 Daughters.
July 18, 2016
I didn't like this at all! The story is all over the place and all the characters are psychotically unlikable. One star because I did read the whole thing. I'll try the author again though as I did like "Clover Honey"
June 14, 2021
The absolute strongest 7 out of 10 I have ever read lol.
There was so much about this I loved, the structure, the art style, the visual storytelling. I loved how Rich Tommaso weaved all of these characters together, fleshing them out with flashbacks while also forwarding a narrative. It felt very Love and Rockets or Stray Bullets in that aspect. It was a basic mob revenge story where orphaned daughters are taking revenge against the monsters and hit men who killed their parents. The constant flashbacks and switching points of view is what intrigued me the most when I was reading. I also really liked how balls to the wall and abrupt the ending was. I really liked that last page a ton.
My beef with the book though is in the brevity of certain segments. I think a few more pages could’ve fleshed some under developed parts out. I don’t know how this was serialized, I know it was in 7 issues, but I don’t know how it was broken up issue by issue. Some of the dialogue is a bit wonky too. At times it could be kind of lifeless, but I do think the art and the visual storytelling save it. The narration to at times is a bit much, but I’m always an anti narration guy unless it’s done super well.
I also ran into a few confusing page layouts. I’m reading through Building Stories by Chris Ware right now and he manages to do some wild layouts that are surprisingly not that difficult to read. I thought the simplicity of these layouts would give me an easy time, but there’s a good handful of pages that go across the spread instead of page by page. It had me skipping around the page not really understanding if I was supposed to read the page normally or read across the whole book. I would’ve preferred a more consistent layout of either fully across or singular pages.
I did love this book despite some glaring flaws. I thought the structure, connecting plot lines and art style were awesome. It’s definitely worth a read and it enticed me to pick up some more Rich Tommaso.
There was so much about this I loved, the structure, the art style, the visual storytelling. I loved how Rich Tommaso weaved all of these characters together, fleshing them out with flashbacks while also forwarding a narrative. It felt very Love and Rockets or Stray Bullets in that aspect. It was a basic mob revenge story where orphaned daughters are taking revenge against the monsters and hit men who killed their parents. The constant flashbacks and switching points of view is what intrigued me the most when I was reading. I also really liked how balls to the wall and abrupt the ending was. I really liked that last page a ton.
My beef with the book though is in the brevity of certain segments. I think a few more pages could’ve fleshed some under developed parts out. I don’t know how this was serialized, I know it was in 7 issues, but I don’t know how it was broken up issue by issue. Some of the dialogue is a bit wonky too. At times it could be kind of lifeless, but I do think the art and the visual storytelling save it. The narration to at times is a bit much, but I’m always an anti narration guy unless it’s done super well.
I also ran into a few confusing page layouts. I’m reading through Building Stories by Chris Ware right now and he manages to do some wild layouts that are surprisingly not that difficult to read. I thought the simplicity of these layouts would give me an easy time, but there’s a good handful of pages that go across the spread instead of page by page. It had me skipping around the page not really understanding if I was supposed to read the page normally or read across the whole book. I would’ve preferred a more consistent layout of either fully across or singular pages.
I did love this book despite some glaring flaws. I thought the structure, connecting plot lines and art style were awesome. It’s definitely worth a read and it enticed me to pick up some more Rich Tommaso.
March 12, 2017
'Dark Corridor' by Rich Tommaso is about a town where nothing good ever seems to happen. This series of linked stories definitely falls into the definition of Dark.
A man named Peter lives in a town called Red Circle and is surprised one night by a bloody dog at his door. He follows the dog back to its owners and finds a crime scene. He finds some friends that can help rob the place, but he also runs across a woman who is a member of the Seven Deadly Daughters. Their stories weave throughout the book. There are snipers, bad cops, gangsters and more.
I really liked the art style. It's unique alternative style for this sort of story. I wished the stories had meshed a little better. It felt like some of the stories weren't quite complete. Still, I enjoyed my journey to Red Circle.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Image Comics, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
A man named Peter lives in a town called Red Circle and is surprised one night by a bloody dog at his door. He follows the dog back to its owners and finds a crime scene. He finds some friends that can help rob the place, but he also runs across a woman who is a member of the Seven Deadly Daughters. Their stories weave throughout the book. There are snipers, bad cops, gangsters and more.
I really liked the art style. It's unique alternative style for this sort of story. I wished the stories had meshed a little better. It felt like some of the stories weren't quite complete. Still, I enjoyed my journey to Red Circle.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Image Comics, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
January 18, 2018
Entertaining enough story but it is a bit hard to follow some of the panel layouts and the art isn't anything special.
The book is about a group of female orphans that are hunting down the local mafia families. It's split between the current day story and backstories on the women. For whatever reason the women like to dress half-naked in sexy ensembles which feels like of sleazy on the part of the writer / artist Rich Tommaso.
The story is intricate but fairly generic. The gore is a bit over the top but doesn't really have an impact given the cartoony and heavily stylized art. This isn't a character heavy piece, you won't grow emotionally attached to anyone so when characters die it's just characters dying.
Worth reading if you like crime comics but don't expect a great book. Not really up to current Image standards either, this isn't half as good as Virgil by Steve Orlando and Chris Beckett, for one example of another short crime comic.
The book is about a group of female orphans that are hunting down the local mafia families. It's split between the current day story and backstories on the women. For whatever reason the women like to dress half-naked in sexy ensembles which feels like of sleazy on the part of the writer / artist Rich Tommaso.
The story is intricate but fairly generic. The gore is a bit over the top but doesn't really have an impact given the cartoony and heavily stylized art. This isn't a character heavy piece, you won't grow emotionally attached to anyone so when characters die it's just characters dying.
Worth reading if you like crime comics but don't expect a great book. Not really up to current Image standards either, this isn't half as good as Virgil by Steve Orlando and Chris Beckett, for one example of another short crime comic.
June 23, 2022
Dark Corridor reads like you're watching a Quentin Tarantino movie.
The characters are all flawed. Every "good guy" has a dark side, and every "bad guy" has redeeming qualities. In other words, the characters are realistic.
I devoured Dark Corridor in one sitting. Although I read a lot, it's uncommon for me to sit long enough to finish anything in a single stretch. I am easily distracted, but Rich Tommaso was able to hold my attention with this fantastic tale of revenge set in California's seedy underbelly.
Dark Corridor has ex-cons, hitmen, strippers, mafia bosses, and revenge-seeking female assassins. It was a joy to read.
The only critique I have is sometimes Tommaso's layouts are hard to follow. Several times I read the wrong panel before realizing which panel I should have read.
The characters are all flawed. Every "good guy" has a dark side, and every "bad guy" has redeeming qualities. In other words, the characters are realistic.
I devoured Dark Corridor in one sitting. Although I read a lot, it's uncommon for me to sit long enough to finish anything in a single stretch. I am easily distracted, but Rich Tommaso was able to hold my attention with this fantastic tale of revenge set in California's seedy underbelly.
Dark Corridor has ex-cons, hitmen, strippers, mafia bosses, and revenge-seeking female assassins. It was a joy to read.
The only critique I have is sometimes Tommaso's layouts are hard to follow. Several times I read the wrong panel before realizing which panel I should have read.
September 21, 2019
I typically enjoy the classic vengeance tales with mobsters, drugs, sex, and girl gangs. This one was very much so plot driven. While it had its fun moments, the flatness of the characters left me feeling bored often. It relied too heavily on cliches. Like the cliches were doing the bulk of the work in terms of character development, which was disappointing. Recommend for folks looking for something familiar, basic, racy, and fun.
February 7, 2020
The art in this is fantastic. A real unique take when everything else is hyper real. You can definitely tell the story was rushed through in order to make it even mildly cohesive. Had so much potential, but I guess Image was taking a big hit around this time.
August 30, 2020
The Red Circle was nicely illustrated ( albeit a little too R-Rated for my taste ), but predictable. If you like gritty, gory comics this ones right up your alley.
P.S. I won this book through a goodreads giveaway!
P.S. I won this book through a goodreads giveaway!
March 22, 2021
The thing that is compelling about Tommaso novel is that they aren't about characters or plot. They are about taking the intimate moments of our lives and exploring their impersonal nature. That juxtaposition creates an unsettling and relatable feeling that pulls the reader forward.
June 25, 2019
Very good!
September 21, 2021
I really enjoyed it, like a good Tarantino flick.
July 10, 2016
A neo-noir with a retro punch, Rich Tommaso’s “Dark Corridor” blends elements like Darwyn Cooke, Daniel Clowes, and “Sin City” and remixes them into this unique and remarkable book. Now, complete and collected, here’s this odd little gem of a comic, presented by a confident and assured cartoonist.
“Dark Corridor” features a knotty storyline centered around a city run by gangsters called The Red Circle. Cartoonist Rich Tommaso juggles a wide cast of characters, who may not be entirely empathetic but are nevertheless interesting to follow and interesting to watch work. Over seven chapters and multiple perspectives, Tommaso builds up momentum and sustains tension with aplomb. The central mysteries and conflicts are involved and engaging.
There’s a lot to keep track of, but you never feel lost or in the dark or like you’re second-guessing a character’s motivation. He playfully takes elements of the crime drama and weaves them together to create this delightfully dirty, dangerous, and deadly setting.
In all honesty, “Dark Corridor” only looks weirder than it actually is. Tommaso’s style and aesthetic isn’t something you generally see out of a mainstream publisher like Image Comics. His character designs are stocky, he basically disregards physics, and doesn’t seem to care if a character goes off model if it fits the mood. But the actual story isn’t too far removed from a Donald Westlake caper or a Michael Mann film. Tommaso offers up the chases and shootouts and double-crossings you’d expect from a crime drama. He retains tight control over what we’re seeing and when we get to see it. For instance, he gets the idea to deliver the ‘7 Deadly Daughters’ stories in these double page spreads while keeping ‘The Red Circle’ stuff on a relatively consistent grid, keeping you aware of the tone and mood of the scene without having to constantly spell out what’s going on.Watching him bring all these different storylines together with tight control and an expertly guiding hand is just as enjoyable as seeing these characters deal with their consequences.
Read the rest of my review at Multiversity Comics!
“Dark Corridor” features a knotty storyline centered around a city run by gangsters called The Red Circle. Cartoonist Rich Tommaso juggles a wide cast of characters, who may not be entirely empathetic but are nevertheless interesting to follow and interesting to watch work. Over seven chapters and multiple perspectives, Tommaso builds up momentum and sustains tension with aplomb. The central mysteries and conflicts are involved and engaging.
There’s a lot to keep track of, but you never feel lost or in the dark or like you’re second-guessing a character’s motivation. He playfully takes elements of the crime drama and weaves them together to create this delightfully dirty, dangerous, and deadly setting.
In all honesty, “Dark Corridor” only looks weirder than it actually is. Tommaso’s style and aesthetic isn’t something you generally see out of a mainstream publisher like Image Comics. His character designs are stocky, he basically disregards physics, and doesn’t seem to care if a character goes off model if it fits the mood. But the actual story isn’t too far removed from a Donald Westlake caper or a Michael Mann film. Tommaso offers up the chases and shootouts and double-crossings you’d expect from a crime drama. He retains tight control over what we’re seeing and when we get to see it. For instance, he gets the idea to deliver the ‘7 Deadly Daughters’ stories in these double page spreads while keeping ‘The Red Circle’ stuff on a relatively consistent grid, keeping you aware of the tone and mood of the scene without having to constantly spell out what’s going on.Watching him bring all these different storylines together with tight control and an expertly guiding hand is just as enjoyable as seeing these characters deal with their consequences.
Read the rest of my review at Multiversity Comics!
Read
June 28, 2016Interlinked crime stories all taking place in one corrupt city, a la Criminal or even more so Sin City. But where both of those series matched their tales with similarly noirish art, Tommaso instead uses a naive, brightly coloured indie cartooning style. And I'm sure the tension between form and content must be part of the point, but for me it just felt like an awkward disconnect.
(Netgalley ARC)
(Netgalley ARC)
Read
March 28, 2016I wanted to like this more than I did. I think it's mostly because Rich seems like a really interesting guy if he's representing himself accurately in the backmatter (I read it in single issues). I don't love the art and I'm not completely following what's going on. There's definitely potential there, though.
June 1, 2016
(I read this in its initial serialized magazine form.) 4 1/2 stars. Grindhouse Dick Tracy, art comix sensibility. Two threads of interconnected vignettes converge to tell a quirky multi-generational crime story. Affecting, visceral, and charming work by Tommaso.
July 12, 2016
This read like a newspaper comic trip with more violent and sophomoric content. I didn't hate it, and there were somewhat funny moments. I didn't love it either.
I received an advanced copy of this from Netgalley.com and the publisher
I received an advanced copy of this from Netgalley.com and the publisher
April 18, 2021
Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
July 2, 2016
Pastiche without much of anything new.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews