What do you think?
Rate this book
The Coldest City #1
Atomic Blonde: The Coldest City
SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE!
November 1989.
MI6 spy Lorraine Broughton was sent to Berlin to investigate the death of another agent, and the disappearance of a list revealing every spy working there. She found a powder keg of mistrust, assassinations and bad defections that ended with the murder of MI6's top officer, as the Berlin Wall was torn down.
Now Lorraine has returned from the Cold War's coldest city, to tell her story. And nothing is what it seems.
November 1989.
MI6 spy Lorraine Broughton was sent to Berlin to investigate the death of another agent, and the disappearance of a list revealing every spy working there. She found a powder keg of mistrust, assassinations and bad defections that ended with the murder of MI6's top officer, as the Berlin Wall was torn down.
Now Lorraine has returned from the Cold War's coldest city, to tell her story. And nothing is what it seems.
171 pages, Paperback
First published May 16, 2012
130 people are currently reading
3207 people want to read
About the author
Antony Johnston
337 books387 followers** Sign up for Antony's newsletter at http://ajwriter.substack.com **
Antony Johnston is one of the most versatile writers of the modern era.
The Charlize Theron movie Atomic Blonde was based on his graphic novel. His murder mystery series The Dog Sitter Detective won the Barker Book Award. His crime puzzle novel Can You Solve the Murder? reinvented choose-your-own-story books for a mainstream audience and was a Waterstones Paperback of the Year. The Brigitte Sharp spy thrillers are in development for TV. And his productivity guide The Organised Writer has helped authors all over the world take control of their workload.
Antony is a celebrated videogames writer, with genre-defining titles including Dead Space, Shadow of Mordor, and Resident Evil Village to his credit. His work on Silent Hill Ascension made him the only writer in the world to have contributed to all of gaming’s ‘big three’ horror franchises.
His immense body of work also includes Marvel superheroes such as Daredevil and Shang-Chi, the award-winning Alex Rider graphic novels, the post-apocalypse epic Wasteland, and more. He wrote and directed the film Crossover Point, made entirely in quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic.
An experienced podcaster and public speaker, he also frequently writes articles on the life of an author, and is a prolific musician.
Antony is a former vice chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, a member of International Thriller Writers and the Society of Authors, a Shore Scripts screenwriting judge, and sits on the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain’s videogames committee. He lives and works in England.
Antony Johnston is one of the most versatile writers of the modern era.
The Charlize Theron movie Atomic Blonde was based on his graphic novel. His murder mystery series The Dog Sitter Detective won the Barker Book Award. His crime puzzle novel Can You Solve the Murder? reinvented choose-your-own-story books for a mainstream audience and was a Waterstones Paperback of the Year. The Brigitte Sharp spy thrillers are in development for TV. And his productivity guide The Organised Writer has helped authors all over the world take control of their workload.
Antony is a celebrated videogames writer, with genre-defining titles including Dead Space, Shadow of Mordor, and Resident Evil Village to his credit. His work on Silent Hill Ascension made him the only writer in the world to have contributed to all of gaming’s ‘big three’ horror franchises.
His immense body of work also includes Marvel superheroes such as Daredevil and Shang-Chi, the award-winning Alex Rider graphic novels, the post-apocalypse epic Wasteland, and more. He wrote and directed the film Crossover Point, made entirely in quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic.
An experienced podcaster and public speaker, he also frequently writes articles on the life of an author, and is a prolific musician.
Antony is a former vice chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, a member of International Thriller Writers and the Society of Authors, a Shore Scripts screenwriting judge, and sits on the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain’s videogames committee. He lives and works in England.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 444 reviews
September 3, 2020
ATOMIC BLONDE!
Is what I thought when I downloaded it...
Ew.
Is what I thought after looking at the first few pages...
But that's sort of whatever because I could have dealt with some ugly black and white art if the story was good.
It was not.
This was just dull, dull, dull.
You wouldn't think a spy story set in 80's Berlin right before the wall came down would be that boring, but hot damn it really was. Someone is dead, so they send in this agent. She wanders around doing fuck all...but in the most uninteresting ways possible. I would imagine it's what real spies do, but it doesn't make for a good comic book story.
Couple that with badly drawn faces and no color and it was a recipe for disaster.
How did Johnston sell this title?
Hey, it's like James Bond but minus all the good bits!
Pfft.
I recommend you skip this and watch the movie.
Is what I thought when I downloaded it...
Ew.
Is what I thought after looking at the first few pages...
But that's sort of whatever because I could have dealt with some ugly black and white art if the story was good.
It was not.
This was just dull, dull, dull.
You wouldn't think a spy story set in 80's Berlin right before the wall came down would be that boring, but hot damn it really was. Someone is dead, so they send in this agent. She wanders around doing fuck all...but in the most uninteresting ways possible. I would imagine it's what real spies do, but it doesn't make for a good comic book story.
Couple that with badly drawn faces and no color and it was a recipe for disaster.
How did Johnston sell this title?
Hey, it's like James Bond but minus all the good bits!
Pfft.
I recommend you skip this and watch the movie.
August 20, 2017
The longest vodka ad in history.
August 26, 2018
The movie Atomic Blonde starring Charlize Theron is based on a graphic novel originally released with the title The Coldest City. The setting of the plot is Berlin on the eve of the fall of the Berlin Wall as some last minute espionage is taking place.
I think this story might appeal to fans of LeCarré's The Spy Who Came In from the Cold and Matthews' Red Sparrow. The dark, gritty, and not quite so glamorous side of espionage (glamorous, in my mind, being like James Bond) is featured here. Usually I enjoy those stories at least somewhat, but I was not super excited about how this one turned out.
First of all, I did not find the art appealing at all. In fact, it was even a little bit distracting in its impressionistic blandness. With graphic novels, the story needs to carry the art, the art carry the story, or both be equally awesome. In this case, since the art was blah, I looked to the story - and was met with more blah.
The most interesting part of the story is the fact that it is taking place as the Berlin Wall falls. Other than that, I kept waiting for the story to get really interesting and intriguing. Instead, people just kept driving around, meeting in dark locations, and shooting at each other without a really cohesive, high stakes plot. At one point, and I am paraphrasing here, one of the characters asks why they are even bothering to do anything they are doing.
So, I cannot say I recommend this one. If you are a hardcore espionage/cold war story fan, sure, go for it. If you just like to check out random graphic novels, keep moving - nothing to see here!
Note: I had been excited to see this movie, now not so much.
April 19, 2017
Lady John Wick lured me into reading this.
The upcoming movie, Atomic Blonde is based on this complex story created by Antony Johnston: A graphic novel where you find yourself in an intricate web of MI6, CIA, DGSE, and KGB. And right in the middle of that web is MI6's own Lorraine Broughton, our Atomic Blonde.
The only problem is..... she is neither Blonde nor atomic!
Our Lorraine is more like a smart brunette. A bold lady in the cold city of ancient male spies.
The cold city is Berlin and the year is 1989. To be exact, the date is 28 October 1989: a dozen days before the fall of infamous Berlin wall. The city is in turmoil and the place is dangerous, but Lorraine has a mission to complete.
For me, the story is a reminiscent of a classic John le Carré spy novel (The spy who came in from cold comes to my mind)
And
painfully lacks originality diminishes the effect of the story.
Plus the art isn't winning any points here.
It's a good espionage thriller. But it had potential to be better. The story contradicts its own rules and if you'll think hard enough, you'll find so many issues that question the plot.
As I am scared that our new atomic blonde might beat me up if I write something too harsh, I am gonna leave the matter here.
Just Look at her go!
The upcoming movie, Atomic Blonde is based on this complex story created by Antony Johnston: A graphic novel where you find yourself in an intricate web of MI6, CIA, DGSE, and KGB. And right in the middle of that web is MI6's own Lorraine Broughton, our Atomic Blonde.
The only problem is..... she is neither Blonde nor atomic!
Our Lorraine is more like a smart brunette. A bold lady in the cold city of ancient male spies.
The cold city is Berlin and the year is 1989. To be exact, the date is 28 October 1989: a dozen days before the fall of infamous Berlin wall. The city is in turmoil and the place is dangerous, but Lorraine has a mission to complete.
For me, the story is a reminiscent of a classic John le Carré spy novel (The spy who came in from cold comes to my mind)
And
painfully lacks originality diminishes the effect of the story.
Plus the art isn't winning any points here.
It's a good espionage thriller. But it had potential to be better. The story contradicts its own rules and if you'll think hard enough, you'll find so many issues that question the plot.
As I am scared that our new atomic blonde might beat me up if I write something too harsh, I am gonna leave the matter here.
Just Look at her go!
April 14, 2017
2.5 stars
Ok, so the only reason I read The Coldest City is the upcoming movie Atomic Blonde, based on the comic. You really need to check out the trailer. It's delicious!
And now, back to the comic...
I really liked the story and the way things turned out in the end, but the art style was not my cup of tea. At all!
I'm unsure whether to recommend this one or not. I'll definitely go see the movie and I'm not sorry to have read it. So, I guess it's entirely up to you.
Ok, so the only reason I read The Coldest City is the upcoming movie Atomic Blonde, based on the comic. You really need to check out the trailer. It's delicious!
And now, back to the comic...
November 1989. Communism is collapsing, and soon the Berlin Wall will come down with it. But before that happens there is one last bit of cloak & dagger to attend to. Two weeks ago, an undercover MI6 officer was killed in Berlin. He was carrying information from a source in the East -- a list that allegedly contains the name of every espionage agent working in Berlin, on all sides. No list was found on his body. Now Lorraine Broughton, an experienced spy with no pre-existing ties to Berlin, has been sent into this powderkeg of social unrest, counter-espionage, defections gone bad and secret assassinations to bring back the list and save the lives of the British agents whose identities reside on it.
I really liked the story and the way things turned out in the end, but the art style was not my cup of tea. At all!
I'm unsure whether to recommend this one or not. I'll definitely go see the movie and I'm not sorry to have read it. So, I guess it's entirely up to you.
May 5, 2022
When I first bought this, I was rather confused as to the "Atomic Blonde" moniker. Apparently, someone made a movie out of this. Ok then. The graphic novel was published in 2012. It is actually very good.
The Coldest City is Berlin. This is a spy thriller set during the fall of the Berlin Wall. A British Secret Service agent must try to unravel a mysterious plot that could result in the KGB getting access to a top-secret list of agents. There are also rumors of an assassination squad known as the "Ice Men".
What follows is an excellent spy thriller. It has a complex plot and a rather good ending. So this is one you buy for the story (if you like Cold War Spy thrillers). The art? It's ok. Nothing great and done in B&W, it serves the purpose of telling the story-but it is the story that shines. Highly recommended to fans of complex spy thrillers.
The Coldest City is Berlin. This is a spy thriller set during the fall of the Berlin Wall. A British Secret Service agent must try to unravel a mysterious plot that could result in the KGB getting access to a top-secret list of agents. There are also rumors of an assassination squad known as the "Ice Men".
What follows is an excellent spy thriller. It has a complex plot and a rather good ending. So this is one you buy for the story (if you like Cold War Spy thrillers). The art? It's ok. Nothing great and done in B&W, it serves the purpose of telling the story-but it is the story that shines. Highly recommended to fans of complex spy thrillers.
September 10, 2019
Alright, I don't know much about how spies operates in real life. But I think this story is much closer to it than any other comic or movie. It's really interesting and convoluted to a degree it should have be. Specific arc, and consistent causal chain. My only complain about it is, that I don't liked the ending. It wasn't bad, just not for me.
November 22, 2018
A solid Cold War espionage tale set in Berlin when the wall was falling. This is the book Atomic blonde is based on and our main character is neither atomic nor blonde. Obviously they are punching the story up because there's more action in the trailer than there is in this entire book. I found the art quite sparse and hard to "read" at times. I definitely wasn't a fan of it.
Britain's number 2 agent in Berlin has been murdered and MI6 sends Lorraine in to find a list that was on his person before the KGB can find it. She then uncovers a much different plot going on before we get the big twist at the end. All in all, it felt like a not as good version of Queen & Country.
Received an advance copy from Oni and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Britain's number 2 agent in Berlin has been murdered and MI6 sends Lorraine in to find a list that was on his person before the KGB can find it. She then uncovers a much different plot going on before we get the big twist at the end. All in all, it felt like a not as good version of Queen & Country.
Received an advance copy from Oni and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
December 19, 2018
Originally titled just The Coldest City, the newest / latest edition of this sparse, black and white graphic novel is a tie-in of sorts to the big-screen adaptation starring Oscar-winner Charlize Theron. A pistol-packing, shades toting, fishnet-wearing Ms. Theron is even pictured on the cover . . .
. . . except that cover has absolutely NOTHING to do with the actual text. (Ditto the new, alluring title. Don't we all just love 'bait and switch'? Well I don't.) Protagonist Lorraine Broughton - who is illustrated more so in a manner that suggests actresses Faye Dunaway or Meryl Streep when they portrayed demure characters - is a veteran espionage officer from MI-6 assigned to an investigation in Berlin. The setting is original, as it's just scant weeks before the Wall fell in autumn of '89 and the Cold War was still 'hot.' The story is more le Carre than big-screen Bond or Bourne, but it has a minor amount of low-key style. The ending won't be a surprise to those fairly well-read, though.
. . . except that cover has absolutely NOTHING to do with the actual text. (Ditto the new, alluring title. Don't we all just love 'bait and switch'? Well I don't.) Protagonist Lorraine Broughton - who is illustrated more so in a manner that suggests actresses Faye Dunaway or Meryl Streep when they portrayed demure characters - is a veteran espionage officer from MI-6 assigned to an investigation in Berlin. The setting is original, as it's just scant weeks before the Wall fell in autumn of '89 and the Cold War was still 'hot.' The story is more le Carre than big-screen Bond or Bourne, but it has a minor amount of low-key style. The ending won't be a surprise to those fairly well-read, though.
February 16, 2018
Muy pocas veces en mi vida puedo decir que un cómic de menos de 200 páginas se me haga largo, pero "The Coldest City" lo logra.
La historia es como muchas que hemos visto: un espía altamente entrenado tiene la peligrosa misión de evitar que información clasificada caiga en las manos equivocadas. Esta conocida premisa hace que este cómic sea altamente olvidable, dado que no hay casi nada que lo haga diferenciarse, excepto por un aspecto: el dibujo.
Lorraine Broughton es nuestra espía y, la verdad, lo que más claramente podía recordar de ella es que fue interpretada por Charlize Theron. Es el típico espía que no muestra sentimientos, por lo que es bastante difícil conectar con ella o esperar que cumpla su misión. Por otro lado, el dibujo es poco expresivo, por lo que deja a este personaje aún más en las sombras.
Personalmente creo que la mejor parte es el final porque en sí la historia es monótona.
La historia es como muchas que hemos visto: un espía altamente entrenado tiene la peligrosa misión de evitar que información clasificada caiga en las manos equivocadas. Esta conocida premisa hace que este cómic sea altamente olvidable, dado que no hay casi nada que lo haga diferenciarse, excepto por un aspecto: el dibujo.
Lorraine Broughton es nuestra espía y, la verdad, lo que más claramente podía recordar de ella es que fue interpretada por Charlize Theron. Es el típico espía que no muestra sentimientos, por lo que es bastante difícil conectar con ella o esperar que cumpla su misión. Por otro lado, el dibujo es poco expresivo, por lo que deja a este personaje aún más en las sombras.
Personalmente creo que la mejor parte es el final porque en sí la historia es monótona.
March 14, 2021
As graphic novels come and go, few tend to leave a mark for me. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons I try to switch genre as much as possible in case of comics, this time I chose action/ thriller, and noticed it’s not my cup of tea anymore, as it used to be. Good old days…
A political spy thriller on the background of The Cold War sounds pretty cool, however not so much when the plot involves a list containing the name of every spies of Berlin on the loose, it made me lose the interest, I am quite sad to admit. How many movies have you watched that involve the similar plot?
The best aspect of the story is, undoubtedly the masculine perspective attached to Lorraine Broughton, so uncommon to what we would’ve imagined in a tale of 1989. A kick-ass character, as the phrase goes, to describe it best. I would’ve preferred a bit more devotion to the action part, though. For, obviously I read it after watching the adaptation in which the most entertaining part is the brilliant action sequences choreographed, moreover in a single take. And if I’m being completely honest here Charlize Theron’s Lorraine is much, much better than Sam Hart’s illustrations, which for some reason seemed a bit ineffectual. Delphine Lasalle’s character is significantly less developed for any of us to relate with her. Even a bit. And the twist regarding
Percival seemed convincing, comparatively. And his is the most dedicated character sketch in the entire 150+ pages, and that’s saying something. The images however manage to capture a congealing, snowy, and rather eerie image of Berlin, an indispensable part of the tale. All in all, worth a read, but only if you prefer to read a story before watching it.
A political spy thriller on the background of The Cold War sounds pretty cool, however not so much when the plot involves a list containing the name of every spies of Berlin on the loose, it made me lose the interest, I am quite sad to admit. How many movies have you watched that involve the similar plot?
The best aspect of the story is, undoubtedly the masculine perspective attached to Lorraine Broughton, so uncommon to what we would’ve imagined in a tale of 1989. A kick-ass character, as the phrase goes, to describe it best. I would’ve preferred a bit more devotion to the action part, though. For, obviously I read it after watching the adaptation in which the most entertaining part is the brilliant action sequences choreographed, moreover in a single take. And if I’m being completely honest here Charlize Theron’s Lorraine is much, much better than Sam Hart’s illustrations, which for some reason seemed a bit ineffectual. Delphine Lasalle’s character is significantly less developed for any of us to relate with her. Even a bit. And the twist regarding
Percival seemed convincing, comparatively. And his is the most dedicated character sketch in the entire 150+ pages, and that’s saying something. The images however manage to capture a congealing, snowy, and rather eerie image of Berlin, an indispensable part of the tale. All in all, worth a read, but only if you prefer to read a story before watching it.
October 26, 2017
Description: November 1989. Communism is collapsing, and soon the Berlin Wall will come down with it. But before that happens there is one last bit of cloak & dagger to attend to. Two weeks ago, an undercover MI6 officer was killed in Berlin. He was carrying information from a source in the East -- a list that allegedly contains the name of every espionage agent working in Berlin, on all sides. No list was found on his body. Now Lorraine Broughton, an experienced spy with no pre-existing ties to Berlin, has been sent into this powderkeg of social unrest, counter-espionage, defections gone bad and secret assassinations to bring back the list and save the lives of the British agents whose identities reside on it.
Film title: Atomic Blonde
The full soundtrack is to die for - and many do die in this story
Film title: Atomic Blonde
The full soundtrack is to die for - and many do die in this story
June 16, 2012
There is an idea that spy stories are male stories. True, you have stories about spies that concern women, but those usually have a good dose of “romance” in them. Even excellent ones like Wish Me Luck have a good, strong dosing of romance. The women in such spy movie tend to be helpless, evil until they met the good guy and then they either repent or get dumb, or to be in charge like M in James Bond. There are exceptions, Wish Me Luck had tough women in it, but overall you have to wonder how the woman got into the spy business to begin with if she was going to break so quickly.
This is why it is nice to read this graphic novel. This is very much like Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy, but with more twists, excellent well done twists. If you are looking for a James Bond spy story, this isn’t for you. But if you are looking for a cerebral story set in the waning days of the Cold War, this is fits the prescription.
The central character is Lorraine, a woman sent to Berlin to discover what has happened to a missing list. You know those list that if it gets into the wrong hands, everyone dies. It’s true that this plot device is so overused it is almost funny. The great thing is that it works well in this graphic novel because Johnston brings freshness to it. Even in graphic novel format, the characters are well shaded and far from flat. Lorraine is an interesting, a tough as nails woman (she is not a girl), very much like the spies that tend to show up in the British drama. Supporting characters are also very believable. This is a nicely done and thrilling mystery in terms of plot.
At first, I wasn’t overly impressed with the artwork of Sam Hart. It is very abrupt, brutal; minimalistic which isn’t a type of style that I normally like. At first, I got frustrated at the panels where the faces are blank ovals (such panels are not the majority, but there are enough to notice), then I realized that the style, especially the blank faces really suits a spy story. It’s a question of being two-faced, which is a question Lorraine has to answer, but of which face one actually has, of whom one actually is. The artwork, therefore, re-enforces the theme of the graphic novel as well as being a representation of the action.
This is very cool.
I must say that this is not the type of work I would’ve normally read, but it was being offered via Netgalley as “read this now”, so I decided to give it a try. I’m glad I did. Even though the story is based in the real world, in some ways it reminded me of Watchmen in terms of theme. This is a graphic novel worth reading.
This is why it is nice to read this graphic novel. This is very much like Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy, but with more twists, excellent well done twists. If you are looking for a James Bond spy story, this isn’t for you. But if you are looking for a cerebral story set in the waning days of the Cold War, this is fits the prescription.
The central character is Lorraine, a woman sent to Berlin to discover what has happened to a missing list. You know those list that if it gets into the wrong hands, everyone dies. It’s true that this plot device is so overused it is almost funny. The great thing is that it works well in this graphic novel because Johnston brings freshness to it. Even in graphic novel format, the characters are well shaded and far from flat. Lorraine is an interesting, a tough as nails woman (she is not a girl), very much like the spies that tend to show up in the British drama. Supporting characters are also very believable. This is a nicely done and thrilling mystery in terms of plot.
At first, I wasn’t overly impressed with the artwork of Sam Hart. It is very abrupt, brutal; minimalistic which isn’t a type of style that I normally like. At first, I got frustrated at the panels where the faces are blank ovals (such panels are not the majority, but there are enough to notice), then I realized that the style, especially the blank faces really suits a spy story. It’s a question of being two-faced, which is a question Lorraine has to answer, but of which face one actually has, of whom one actually is. The artwork, therefore, re-enforces the theme of the graphic novel as well as being a representation of the action.
This is very cool.
I must say that this is not the type of work I would’ve normally read, but it was being offered via Netgalley as “read this now”, so I decided to give it a try. I’m glad I did. Even though the story is based in the real world, in some ways it reminded me of Watchmen in terms of theme. This is a graphic novel worth reading.
August 2, 2017
Unfortunately, Atomic Blonde left me with an atomic headache and utterly confused as scheiße!
FYI: I am not even going to deny the fact that I am probably in the high percentage of people that purchased this only because I wanted to read the novel before seeing the movie.
The art style was bland for such an action-packed story, and often times, the art appeared half-finished. And while I enjoyed the story being told through flashbacks, the main plot just wasn't enough to consistently hold my attention. Perhaps this is one of those novels that translates better on film?
Would I recommend this? Meh, if $20.00 is gum change for you then go for it, but if it's not, just be warned that you ain't getting bang for your buck with this read.
My immediate reaction post-read:
FYI: I am not even going to deny the fact that I am probably in the high percentage of people that purchased this only because I wanted to read the novel before seeing the movie.
The art style was bland for such an action-packed story, and often times, the art appeared half-finished. And while I enjoyed the story being told through flashbacks, the main plot just wasn't enough to consistently hold my attention. Perhaps this is one of those novels that translates better on film?
Would I recommend this? Meh, if $20.00 is gum change for you then go for it, but if it's not, just be warned that you ain't getting bang for your buck with this read.
October 30, 2013
This story starts off great, is suitably cryptic and suspicious of everyone and everything. The art is minimalist which adds to the mood of intrigue and mystery - not only in obscuring any background details to make this feel "normal" or real, but also in focusing our attention very specifically on the few moments, expressions, details that *do* show up in panel.
My problem with this book is twofold: One, some of the secondary characters are hard to recognize or keep straight, as there's not enough distinguishing them amongst each other. Clearer facial compositions, additional "costume" details, different fonts for their dialogue, or gods forbid judicious use of colour. In a story of intrigue, double-cross and veiled meanings, this is a near-fatal flaw (or maybe I'm just too damned lazy to go back and re-read to piece them all together).
Two, the ending blew it for me. Everything was pretty sparse throughout, teasing us with foreshadowing and conflicting knowledge of who an what. Then Johnston decides to (a) throw a whole dogpile of poorly-explained details together that explain his point of view on what "truly" happened.
Not a bad story, but hardly a great one. A decent potboiler, good enough to pass a quiet Sunday afternoon.
My problem with this book is twofold: One, some of the secondary characters are hard to recognize or keep straight, as there's not enough distinguishing them amongst each other. Clearer facial compositions, additional "costume" details, different fonts for their dialogue, or gods forbid judicious use of colour. In a story of intrigue, double-cross and veiled meanings, this is a near-fatal flaw (or maybe I'm just too damned lazy to go back and re-read to piece them all together).
Two, the ending blew it for me. Everything was pretty sparse throughout, teasing us with foreshadowing and conflicting knowledge of who an what. Then Johnston decides to (a) throw a whole dogpile of poorly-explained details together that explain his point of view on what "truly" happened.
Not a bad story, but hardly a great one. A decent potboiler, good enough to pass a quiet Sunday afternoon.
May 22, 2017
The Coldest City is a tense, spy thriller set in Cold War era Berlin right as the Berlin Wall comes down. an undercover MI6 agent carrying an incredibly important document is killed during a riot and since that document contains the name of every single spy in Berlin, MI6 is determined to get their hands on it. To that end, they send in veteran agent Lorraine Broughton to figure out who killed him and to get her hands on that list at all costs. Lorraine must navigate a world of double and triple agents, Western and Communist governments and many more dangers to get to her goal but she is not a woman used to failure.
The Coldest City is a bit difficult to rate. Particularly at the beginning, the pacing of the story is tense and it's impossible to know who's really out to help Lorraine and who just wants to gain her trust in order to remove her from the picture. The minimalist style of Sam Hart's illustration does a fantastic job of using light and shadow to create an aura of mystery, cold and intense danger that immediately drew me in. Unfortunately, that same style made the last half of the book confusing as hell. The story relies upon remembering which character is which, a task made much more difficult by the lack of detail in the artwork. It took reading the ending several times to get even a vague idea of what the hell happened. The story reminded me very much of one of my favorite movies , so much so that I think naming the movie counts as a spoiler since you'll be expecting that twist. The story is well written but I definitely got frustrated with the handling of the ending because the confusion of it made it hard to feel satisfied at the end. The fact that I read Velvet on the same evening probably didn't help since I enjoyed that story significantly more.
Overall, Coldest City is worth reading and the mood of it is skillfully done in both writing and illustrations but I wouldn't count it as a personal favorite.
The Coldest City is a bit difficult to rate. Particularly at the beginning, the pacing of the story is tense and it's impossible to know who's really out to help Lorraine and who just wants to gain her trust in order to remove her from the picture. The minimalist style of Sam Hart's illustration does a fantastic job of using light and shadow to create an aura of mystery, cold and intense danger that immediately drew me in. Unfortunately, that same style made the last half of the book confusing as hell. The story relies upon remembering which character is which, a task made much more difficult by the lack of detail in the artwork. It took reading the ending several times to get even a vague idea of what the hell happened. The story reminded me very much of one of my favorite movies , so much so that I think naming the movie counts as a spoiler since you'll be expecting that twist. The story is well written but I definitely got frustrated with the handling of the ending because the confusion of it made it hard to feel satisfied at the end. The fact that I read Velvet on the same evening probably didn't help since I enjoyed that story significantly more.
Overall, Coldest City is worth reading and the mood of it is skillfully done in both writing and illustrations but I wouldn't count it as a personal favorite.
December 1, 2018
I loved Atomic Blonde, so I rewinded to go back to the source material. If I hadn't been familiar with the film, I would have gotten lost in the spycraft, the double agents, and the locations solely in the graphic novel.
Of course, the source material had to be there for the screenplay to be written in the first place, and I prefer the changes in the film: casting Charlize Theron and James McAvoy, the fantastic soundtrack, the filming locations and general "feel" of Berlin at this time.
If you like spy thrillers, give this a glance... and then go watch Atomic Blonde (again).
Of course, the source material had to be there for the screenplay to be written in the first place, and I prefer the changes in the film: casting Charlize Theron and James McAvoy, the fantastic soundtrack, the filming locations and general "feel" of Berlin at this time.
If you like spy thrillers, give this a glance... and then go watch Atomic Blonde (again).
May 14, 2018
I am a big fan of graphic novels and as they are a rare commodity these days, I thought I was in for a treat when this book came along, but it was a tad disappointing as the story didn't deliver the tension that is required in any spy novel. Some of the portions just dragged on and weren't in proportion with the story though some parts were appealing. All in all it was a good novel but it could have been much better.
August 28, 2017
Actual Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
I read this graphic novel in one sitting. After watching Atomic Blonde on it's opening weekend, it had made me curious to pick up it's source material.
2 hours ago, I was at the library and I saw it so I snatched it up.
After taking it out and reading it almost straight away, here are my thoughts:
- The movie faithful to it's source material for the most part. Instead of feeling like I was gained additional information, I felt like I was revisiting the film in a way (which I don't mind because I loved the film!)
- I did like the art style, but the lack of colouring kind of made it confusing to figure out who was who in the story until their names were mentioned
- I really loved the storyline of this spy thriller, in both medias I've experienced it in
- But something that they could have worked on was fleshing out the story more in this graphic novel
And yes, the movie did add more content to the story like the fight scenes (which were a great transition to other plot points), Lorraine's love interest being a female instead of a male, and the ending. In a way, the movie is an extended version of the story.
That all being said, I appreciate both The Coldest City Graphic Novel and The Atomic Blonde movie for what they are. I love this story! It's the official story that has gotten me into spy thrillers. I couldn't thank it enough for that.
I read this graphic novel in one sitting. After watching Atomic Blonde on it's opening weekend, it had made me curious to pick up it's source material.
2 hours ago, I was at the library and I saw it so I snatched it up.
After taking it out and reading it almost straight away, here are my thoughts:
- The movie faithful to it's source material for the most part. Instead of feeling like I was gained additional information, I felt like I was revisiting the film in a way (which I don't mind because I loved the film!)
- I did like the art style, but the lack of colouring kind of made it confusing to figure out who was who in the story until their names were mentioned
- I really loved the storyline of this spy thriller, in both medias I've experienced it in
- But something that they could have worked on was fleshing out the story more in this graphic novel
And yes, the movie did add more content to the story like the fight scenes (which were a great transition to other plot points), Lorraine's love interest being a female instead of a male, and the ending. In a way, the movie is an extended version of the story.
That all being said, I appreciate both The Coldest City Graphic Novel and The Atomic Blonde movie for what they are. I love this story! It's the official story that has gotten me into spy thrillers. I couldn't thank it enough for that.
June 15, 2017
Loved the spare black and white illustrations but the story left me a little, well, cold. It's a spy story so obfuscation is part of the game but I didn't feel like I got to know the characters. That said I am all in on the film Atomic Blonde.
August 14, 2020
A confusingly obscure espionage tale with little to no action that follows an MI6 veteran operative Lorraine Broughton into a mission in the heart Berlin as its infamous Wall is ready to fall.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
January 23, 2018
Huh?It really helped that I am so fluent in French,German and 'murican,otherwise I would be even more confused.
November 12, 2022
Se lee bastante rápido, pues es un cómic corto con una historia de espionaje interesante.
No soy muy fan de la historias de espionaje, pero este puede ser un buen comienzo en este mundo
No soy muy fan de la historias de espionaje, pero este puede ser un buen comienzo en este mundo
August 21, 2017
Sprechen Sie Deutsch, Ja?
This is a subtle cold war story told in dark cold tones. Nuance plays an important role in the storytelling both visual and dialogue driven. They compliment each other in most cases.
While not an action packed graphic novel, it is a fast moving and rich story if a bit predictable. This is not a superhero story and certainly for other than a young adult audience. History of the cold war and familiarity with cold war literature, fiction and non, are both prerequisites to a fuller understanding of this story.
The connection to the film Atomic Blonde had brought many readers to this work. They are different in many ways. The main character is radically redrawn for the movie, the visuals are altered to a reverse polarity, and the story is rooted in a different premise with the ending twists also changed. This is intriguing as they, the film and the original story, compliment one another not unlike the storytelling technique previously mentioned.
Liest du Deutsch? That is a better question. The Coldest City is partially told via German dialogue. Not entirely 'good' German in places, but mostly effective German. Some of it borders on modern colloquial urban German, some is idiomatic, and places there's a bit of DiploDeutsch that squeaks into the story.
[DiploDeutsch by the way is phrase book driven mash ups that passed for fluency among a generation of non-native speakers taught by their government employers in adulthood. I'm more than a bit critical having learned various forms of German as a youth including formal instruction by Northern and Southern (read Austrian) teachers simultaneously. ]
Read this graphic novel for what it is and not for the movie tie-in.
This is a subtle cold war story told in dark cold tones. Nuance plays an important role in the storytelling both visual and dialogue driven. They compliment each other in most cases.
While not an action packed graphic novel, it is a fast moving and rich story if a bit predictable. This is not a superhero story and certainly for other than a young adult audience. History of the cold war and familiarity with cold war literature, fiction and non, are both prerequisites to a fuller understanding of this story.
The connection to the film Atomic Blonde had brought many readers to this work. They are different in many ways. The main character is radically redrawn for the movie, the visuals are altered to a reverse polarity, and the story is rooted in a different premise with the ending twists also changed. This is intriguing as they, the film and the original story, compliment one another not unlike the storytelling technique previously mentioned.
Liest du Deutsch? That is a better question. The Coldest City is partially told via German dialogue. Not entirely 'good' German in places, but mostly effective German. Some of it borders on modern colloquial urban German, some is idiomatic, and places there's a bit of DiploDeutsch that squeaks into the story.
[DiploDeutsch by the way is phrase book driven mash ups that passed for fluency among a generation of non-native speakers taught by their government employers in adulthood. I'm more than a bit critical having learned various forms of German as a youth including formal instruction by Northern and Southern (read Austrian) teachers simultaneously. ]
Read this graphic novel for what it is and not for the movie tie-in.
August 9, 2017
I rarely read graphic novels, and - as with most people who have read it in the past month - I only did so with this one since it was the basis of the new film, Atomic Blonde (which I have yet to see - I wanted to read it first). Although a very quick read (it can be consumed in under an hour), the story is so convoluted - and to be honest - NOT that interesting, that my enthusiasm for the film has somewhat waned. Apart from being VERY difficult to follow, a good 20% of the dialogue is in German, which I don't understand, making it even more obtuse.
November 28, 2018
It’s mid to late October 1989, and with only a month to go before the Berlin Wall goes down, a kabuki theatre of the cloak and dagger variety is still highly active on both poles of Cold-War Era Germany. Criss-crossing both sides of one of the most dangerous borders in human history is our main character: spy, something of a femme fatale, and most importantly, an employee of her Majesty’s Secret Service (MI6). Tasked to track down a lost parcel containing particularly damning evidence, the murky underworld of the latest of 1980’s mistily jaunts it’s not-so-merry way this way and that across a panorama of the seen and unseen.
Illustrated with a decidedly minimalist style that is almost harsh in its lo-fi application, details never reach a point of saturation and neither do lines coalesce unto anything eye-catching. Without irises popped and no oracular candy to be savored, grimy angulations never amount to anything memorable nor fantastic. While certainly inching away from anything on the bleak and nihilist side of things, the drawings within remain unbodied and thin in their lack of atmosphere. Denuded of visible energy, each and every action seems to be perforated with shivs of a stiletto.
And its this very lack of shivery that is Coldest City’s greatest weakness. Part flashback, part-present-time interrogation, our story moves at the speed of a snail and never develops into any significant drama or thrills until at least half-way through it. Disappointingly enough, this turgid intro never evolves a meaningful atmosphere let alone ripens strong characters that are memorable nor emotionally investible. Nope, less Kabuki acting and more automaton-like action unfurls across a narrative draped in an uncompromisingly harsh hue of jet black.
All in all, as I read more and more, I never understood what the buzz was ever about. From boring action to the ever present German (while adding a nice period piece feel to it, is kinda lame to be left untranslated for the less linguistically knowledgeable amongst us) the Coldest City certainly gave me a cold shoulder that only got frostier that more I read into it. By the time got to the last page, I felt like my mind had been tossed into a freezer and my sensory apparatus chilled off.
None of the Buenos here.
Illustrated with a decidedly minimalist style that is almost harsh in its lo-fi application, details never reach a point of saturation and neither do lines coalesce unto anything eye-catching. Without irises popped and no oracular candy to be savored, grimy angulations never amount to anything memorable nor fantastic. While certainly inching away from anything on the bleak and nihilist side of things, the drawings within remain unbodied and thin in their lack of atmosphere. Denuded of visible energy, each and every action seems to be perforated with shivs of a stiletto.
And its this very lack of shivery that is Coldest City’s greatest weakness. Part flashback, part-present-time interrogation, our story moves at the speed of a snail and never develops into any significant drama or thrills until at least half-way through it. Disappointingly enough, this turgid intro never evolves a meaningful atmosphere let alone ripens strong characters that are memorable nor emotionally investible. Nope, less Kabuki acting and more automaton-like action unfurls across a narrative draped in an uncompromisingly harsh hue of jet black.
All in all, as I read more and more, I never understood what the buzz was ever about. From boring action to the ever present German (while adding a nice period piece feel to it, is kinda lame to be left untranslated for the less linguistically knowledgeable amongst us) the Coldest City certainly gave me a cold shoulder that only got frostier that more I read into it. By the time got to the last page, I felt like my mind had been tossed into a freezer and my sensory apparatus chilled off.
None of the Buenos here.
July 19, 2017
Like (I assume) many people, I saw the trailer for Atomic Blonde and wanted to read the book first. While I can see how the story has the bones for what could be a good movie, I wasn't blown away by the book (though I have the next volume and will still give it a shot at some point).
My main issue was with the art style, which was high-contrast and sketchy. The art style should serve the story, and while it may have added to the feel of the era, it actually detracted from the story by making it nearly impossible for me to figure out what was going on. There are a lot of characters, all of which look pretty much exactly the same, so at several points there were "reveals" that were just confusing. Who is that guy? Am I supposed to know who that is?
The other downside was an end reveal that was telegraphed from the first page. It was obvious, and even worse it was overkill after the previous twists and turns. Finally, it was unearned -- the writing just wasn't strong enough to make me care about it.
I'm hoping the next book is better but I'm saving most of my hopes for the movie, because Charlize Theron murdering people is my jam.
My main issue was with the art style, which was high-contrast and sketchy. The art style should serve the story, and while it may have added to the feel of the era, it actually detracted from the story by making it nearly impossible for me to figure out what was going on. There are a lot of characters, all of which look pretty much exactly the same, so at several points there were "reveals" that were just confusing. Who is that guy? Am I supposed to know who that is?
The other downside was an end reveal that was telegraphed from the first page. It was obvious, and even worse it was overkill after the previous twists and turns. Finally, it was unearned -- the writing just wasn't strong enough to make me care about it.
I'm hoping the next book is better but I'm saving most of my hopes for the movie, because Charlize Theron murdering people is my jam.
March 13, 2018
The first thing that jumps out me with this espionage story is
how mature, unexpected, and complex it is. Interesting and
easy to read, The Coldest City is what very specific spy fans will enjoy.
With an almost lack of action Anthony Johnson keeps you interested with
pure dialogue for 96% of the book approximately. My complaints with the
book lies in the art and that nothing really blew me away. Sam Hart while
does a good job capturing the feel of a spy thriller, almost seems lazy
at some points by not always making characters look the same,
distinguishing faces and drawing a lack of back grounds for most panels.
The story is admittedly slow paced and builds to an almost unsatisfying
conclusion. Letter Grade: (C)
how mature, unexpected, and complex it is. Interesting and
easy to read, The Coldest City is what very specific spy fans will enjoy.
With an almost lack of action Anthony Johnson keeps you interested with
pure dialogue for 96% of the book approximately. My complaints with the
book lies in the art and that nothing really blew me away. Sam Hart while
does a good job capturing the feel of a spy thriller, almost seems lazy
at some points by not always making characters look the same,
distinguishing faces and drawing a lack of back grounds for most panels.
The story is admittedly slow paced and builds to an almost unsatisfying
conclusion. Letter Grade: (C)
Read
February 22, 20171989, and the Wall is about to fall (though as one pessimistic veteran suggests, "Russia will always be Russia"). You might think that would take the pressure off Berlin's Cold War spy game, but a British agent has just been killed, and there's talk of a list identifying all the spies from all sides in the city. The sparse monochrome art helps to confirm this tense tale as more George Smiley than James Bond.
(Edelweiss ARC)
(Edelweiss ARC)
March 27, 2017
Fast-paced and easy to follow despite the twists and turns. The illustrations convey the secretive atmosphere in Berlin at the end of the Cold War. Looking forward to the film version (Atomic Blonde) of this spy thriller that will be released this summer.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 444 reviews