What do you think?
Rate this book
Silverfish
David Lapham, writer and illustrator of the acclaimed crime comic-book series Stray Bullets, comes to Vertigo with SILVERFISH, an original, black and white hardcover graphic novel of stark crime noir and intense, gritty realism.
What starts as a childish bid for her father's affections turns into nail-biting suspense when a young girl called Mia searches her new stepmother's purse, only to find a secret stash of money, a bloody knife and a mysterious address book.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
196 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
October 31, 2025
The silverfish are coming...and a childhood prank is about to go very wrong. Original and engrossing. This is a very chilling story of obsession and violence; it made me wonder if those who are suffering from hallucinations and commit acts of violence might be going through a very similar circumstance outlined in this book.
October 24, 2018
This is like a made-for-tv mystery/crime drama, with extraneous hallucinatory fish tossed in.
November 26, 2018
If you’ve heard of, and most likely read, Stray Bullets, you’ve definitely heard of its author, David Lapham. Sloshing in the comics scene from the earliest days of the 90’s onward he’s been something of a (lesser-known) staple of the medium across numerous companies and productions. Given that the lo-fi Pulp Fiction Lite style developed in Stray Bullets most well defines his career, the rest of his canon closely orbits that (not-so-seminal) offering.
Tied into a shorter length of revolution, Dave’s 2007 work, Silverfish is its own self-contained unit. Grappling aesthetics of the 80’s with casual injections of film-noir style and thriller know-how, the result is semi-subtle pastiche in its own way. Which isn’t to say that its devoid of original content. On the contrary, SilverFish is well saturated with Lapham’s methodology. Dashing this way and that, the energy and the ensuing thrills retain an above average appeal 10 years down the road.
A story of the sins of the past unfurl across Coney Island +environs through the well-known trope concerning one’s past catching up to oneself. Caught in this interpersonal crossfire are a troupe of young teenagers. Not quite the Goonies but clearly derivative of Tom Cruise’s Risky Business (and possibly Feris Bueller’s Day Off), independence is well contrasted with the crushing responsibilities that comes with that. When sins are uncovered, multiple parties, of the guilty and not-so-guilty varieties all become caught in this maelstrom that unites the past with the present.
Yet even with all the positives, all the sins of Lapham are here too as well. More often than not the story bursts with its own convolution. At many points this confusion mixes with unclear plot development leading to head scratching enigmas that will never get solved. Alongside some weak character development and unimaginative filler, a good editor could have easily shaved off 1/3 of the content to give us a far more coherent, and presumably enjoyable, production.
In any case, I would recommend this (semi-) worthy read.
Tied into a shorter length of revolution, Dave’s 2007 work, Silverfish is its own self-contained unit. Grappling aesthetics of the 80’s with casual injections of film-noir style and thriller know-how, the result is semi-subtle pastiche in its own way. Which isn’t to say that its devoid of original content. On the contrary, SilverFish is well saturated with Lapham’s methodology. Dashing this way and that, the energy and the ensuing thrills retain an above average appeal 10 years down the road.
A story of the sins of the past unfurl across Coney Island +environs through the well-known trope concerning one’s past catching up to oneself. Caught in this interpersonal crossfire are a troupe of young teenagers. Not quite the Goonies but clearly derivative of Tom Cruise’s Risky Business (and possibly Feris Bueller’s Day Off), independence is well contrasted with the crushing responsibilities that comes with that. When sins are uncovered, multiple parties, of the guilty and not-so-guilty varieties all become caught in this maelstrom that unites the past with the present.
Yet even with all the positives, all the sins of Lapham are here too as well. More often than not the story bursts with its own convolution. At many points this confusion mixes with unclear plot development leading to head scratching enigmas that will never get solved. Alongside some weak character development and unimaginative filler, a good editor could have easily shaved off 1/3 of the content to give us a far more coherent, and presumably enjoyable, production.
In any case, I would recommend this (semi-) worthy read.
August 19, 2010
David Lapham is, I believe, the crown prince of graphic novel crime fiction. His series Stray Bullets (to which I desperately hope he will return before I shuffle off this mortal coil) and the stand-alone Murder Me Dead both present such a glorious anarchy of life that I'm pretty sold on anything he does in the genre.
Silverfish (named after the nefarious piscine overlords who reign over the principal villain's every thought) like many such stories develops itself of two premises: 1) that lies and half-truths will get you in the end; and 2) pulling shenanigans on someone just because you're pissed off is a good way to get people killed. If one can accept such motivational structures, then Silverfish is a wonderfully diabolical piece of work. And by the end, the villain looks like a crazed fish monster—so it's got that going for it.
I don't remember Chandler doing anything with crazed fish monsters.
Silverfish (named after the nefarious piscine overlords who reign over the principal villain's every thought) like many such stories develops itself of two premises: 1) that lies and half-truths will get you in the end; and 2) pulling shenanigans on someone just because you're pissed off is a good way to get people killed. If one can accept such motivational structures, then Silverfish is a wonderfully diabolical piece of work. And by the end, the villain looks like a crazed fish monster—so it's got that going for it.
I don't remember Chandler doing anything with crazed fish monsters.
August 12, 2017
A self-contained thriller in the same vein as the on-going, sprawling Stray Bullets. It's not great, but it is a fun story that hits the spot. Recommended for people like me that get turned off by long series but still want to read some of Lapham's crime stories.
Read
July 28, 2011A tense taught edge of your seat thriller complete with a creepy serial killer, strong and fascinating characters, and edge of your seat action. I usually don't go for crime stories, but this combination of sins past and a thrilling chase through a empty boardwalk at night had me hooked. The characters were each distinct and engaging and I like how even the minor characters played a strong role in this story. Overall a great thrill ride.
December 9, 2018
Decent quick-paced tale, with the right amount of suspense and twist. Art definitely fits the mood. But did Daniel really turn into a giant fish monster at the end?
March 5, 2015
In a sleepy seaside town, teenage Mia snoops through her stepmother's belongings and finds an address book with a page ripped out, stacks of cash, and a bloody knife. From this gruesome setup, David Lapham spins a twisted tale of murder, secrets, and... possession-by-fish?! I'm a huge fan of Lapham's gritty crime-noir series "Stray Bullets" and, happily, this graphic novel would be right at home alongside those comics.
Dark shadows, blood spatter, and frightened tears, all hallmarks of Lapham's signature crime stories, are here in abundance. "Silverfish," like his "Stray Bullets" comics, is so visceral that reading this graphic novel is like flipping through storyboards for an unproduced big-budget thriller movie. From his detailed and varied environments to his realistic-looking and -acting characters, Lapham nails all the right details to pull you deep into the plot. Even when the whole thing threatens to go off the rails in the climax, he somehow draws all the elements together into a satisfying (if a little bewildering) ending.
One of the hardest things to pull off in any kind of fiction - prose, comics, movies, etc. - is suspense; Lapham, however, is the master. His relentless pacing, crisp artwork, and believable characters keep everything hurtling forward towards his dizzying conclusions. For anyone who loves a thrilling tale of bullets, blood, and betrayal, you can't go wrong with "Silverfish."
Dark shadows, blood spatter, and frightened tears, all hallmarks of Lapham's signature crime stories, are here in abundance. "Silverfish," like his "Stray Bullets" comics, is so visceral that reading this graphic novel is like flipping through storyboards for an unproduced big-budget thriller movie. From his detailed and varied environments to his realistic-looking and -acting characters, Lapham nails all the right details to pull you deep into the plot. Even when the whole thing threatens to go off the rails in the climax, he somehow draws all the elements together into a satisfying (if a little bewildering) ending.
One of the hardest things to pull off in any kind of fiction - prose, comics, movies, etc. - is suspense; Lapham, however, is the master. His relentless pacing, crisp artwork, and believable characters keep everything hurtling forward towards his dizzying conclusions. For anyone who loves a thrilling tale of bullets, blood, and betrayal, you can't go wrong with "Silverfish."
April 30, 2008
I read this book in one sitting. It's a fun, fast-paced mystery thriller with fantastic artwork. Our young teenage heroine starts to dig into the past of her step-mother and finds an alternate past with a different name, stolen money, a bloody knife and a mysterious connection to a guy named Daniel. I had so much fun reading this! It's not deep or insightful or literary, but it is a blast, and it only took me about 45 minutes to read the whole thing, so it's not a huge life commitment. Do take some time to really LOOK at the artwork, though - it is stunning.
May 22, 2014
Silverfish was an odd comic written about a psycho serial killer who has an incurable lust for the fishes. Basically there is a women who was dating this psycho guy, he went nuts which lead her to run away from him and go into hiding. But later this woman's daughter prank calls the serial killer which leads him back to the women. It was interesting to read through this comic and see what would happen, especially the odd ending. The art in this comic was great and I would recommend this to anyone who likes crime and mystery comics.
August 15, 2007
It's hard for David Lapham to do anything wrong as long as he's writing and illustrating his own book. SILVERFISH is a bit of a triumph, a scary tale, gorgeously rendered, about a step-mother who's not what she seems, a psychotic killer getting to some unfinished business, and two sisters caught up in it all.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
May 16, 2012
I read this in an almost single sitting, and that's pretty impressive for me, even if it's a relatively slim volume. Lapham crafts a tale of all too human horror, of the demons that control us, from razor jaw fishes who tear into the brain for bouts of abnegating rage to greed and jealousy. Watch his femme protagonist struggle with the truth and come to terms with it, after a bloody outcome.
July 3, 2016
Pleasantly surprised. There's quite a bit of suspense and mystery here and a few "how are they going to survive this" moments. I would have liked a little more explanation behind the antagonist's actions: the secret behind the silverfish was vague (maybe purposefully) but I needed more closure on this.
June 1, 2009
This is the first David Lapham comic I have read and it was pretty badass. Loved the black and white artwork and the story was very entertaining. It reminded me of the story Lindsey wanted to write about my dad secretly being in the CIA.
Maybe now I'll look into Stray Bullets...
Maybe now I'll look into Stray Bullets...
April 30, 2015
I've only read few random issues of Lapham's "Stray Bullets" series, but enough to realize this guy knows his noir. This serial killer graphic novel certainly nails the darkness and dread, as well as illustrating the warped mind of its villain. A fast-moving suspenseful and well done crime comic.
August 24, 2007
David Lapham crafts a great, gritty black-and-white crime caper. He's best known for his sprawling crime series Stray Bullets, but I think the size restraints on this book make it even better. Lapham's still a great artist, and is especially good at writing not-especially-bright teens that are up to no good.
Silverfish starts with a gruesome murder, then follows Mia, a not-very-happy teenager whose Dad just married an ingratiating younger woman. She digs around her new mom's past, and finds out about that murder that happened on the opening pages.
Silverfish finishes quite strong, with the arrival of the crazed villain. Lapham's artwork, using fish to symbolize his insanity, is creepy but good.
no complaints.
Silverfish starts with a gruesome murder, then follows Mia, a not-very-happy teenager whose Dad just married an ingratiating younger woman. She digs around her new mom's past, and finds out about that murder that happened on the opening pages.
Silverfish finishes quite strong, with the arrival of the crazed villain. Lapham's artwork, using fish to symbolize his insanity, is creepy but good.
no complaints.
April 2, 2012
I really liked this book. It was ...weird. I had to re-read some of the middle-end to totally understand what happened, but I think most mysteries are like that. It got a little confusing but for the most part I followed along. I can't really say too much about the plot without giving the whole story away. So I'll just say that I recommend this to people who like mysteries. It was definitely a twist from your straight up mystery book because the characters were a little bit insane. Some of the graphics were kind of frightening (to the point where it was funny, but still). I really enjoyed this read.
July 16, 2012
Silverfish is a fantastic piece of noir, one of the best crime comics in recent years. This standalone volume tells a tale of a hidden, violent past, a crime uncovered, and a nigh-on-hopeless flight from a crazed psychopath who murders when commanded to by a fish in his ear.
The writing is brilliant, and the black and white pencils don't disappoint.
Just trust me on this. If you dig the occasional crime story, Silverfish is worth a go.
The writing is brilliant, and the black and white pencils don't disappoint.
Just trust me on this. If you dig the occasional crime story, Silverfish is worth a go.
June 5, 2019
Those who call this a "Noir" ignored the fact that it missed one ABSOLUTE NECESSITY of the genre- you'll have to read the book all-the-way through to realize because if I mentioned it some tension would be spoiled.
And a HUGE Boner:
A shotgun blast inside a small home bordered closely by other residences, followed by yelling on the street with said gun pointed at children- all in a quiet seaside neighborhood causes nobody to call the police? INEXCUSABLE flaw in storytelling.
And a HUGE Boner:
A shotgun blast inside a small home bordered closely by other residences, followed by yelling on the street with said gun pointed at children- all in a quiet seaside neighborhood causes nobody to call the police? INEXCUSABLE flaw in storytelling.
October 28, 2021
What did I just read? This Vertigo gem has been on my pick up list for years to complete my David Lapham collection. Combine that with Karen Bergers Vertigo taking up the bulk of my bookshelves space it was bound to happen. Surprisingly I managed to go in without too much idea what was going on or what was going to happen next. The story could have been tightened up a bit. Even with its short overall length it was a bit wobbly at times leading me to pause and wonder what was happening. But from the get-go the story grabbed hold and didn't let go. Some interesting surprises and the visuals led to a great read full of grit and suspense in full black and white glory!
November 27, 2019
Lapham writes a great crime thriller. Mia's step-mother Suzanne has a terrible secret, and while looking into it (more in the manner of a curious and mischievous teen than a detective), Mia shakes loose some horrible skeletons from Suzanne's closet.
Lapham ratchets up the tension by slowly revealing snippets of the history that led Suzanne to Mia's life, and his excellent characterization of Mia's little sister Stacey sells several scenes perfectly. Of course, thankfully, Lapham has one big twist for the ending, and it works perfectly. Surprised the heck out of me, but it really made the whole book much more satisfyingly unpredictable.
And Lapham is a terrific artist. Even with the caption telling us that the story is set in a seaside New Jersey town, this northeasterner would've had no trouble guessing where the story occurs.
+++++++++++++++
I've recently donated a ton of my older comics to the library and I've been rereading others to assess if they're for donation or keeping. This one's a keeper, a vivid tale of teenage frustration and prankdom gone horribly, tragically awry. Lapham is a master of noir and mood and characters making bad choices.
Lapham ratchets up the tension by slowly revealing snippets of the history that led Suzanne to Mia's life, and his excellent characterization of Mia's little sister Stacey sells several scenes perfectly. Of course, thankfully, Lapham has one big twist for the ending, and it works perfectly. Surprised the heck out of me, but it really made the whole book much more satisfyingly unpredictable.
And Lapham is a terrific artist. Even with the caption telling us that the story is set in a seaside New Jersey town, this northeasterner would've had no trouble guessing where the story occurs.
+++++++++++++++
I've recently donated a ton of my older comics to the library and I've been rereading others to assess if they're for donation or keeping. This one's a keeper, a vivid tale of teenage frustration and prankdom gone horribly, tragically awry. Lapham is a master of noir and mood and characters making bad choices.
May 13, 2010
I like Lapham's Paul-Pope-esque brush strokes and the way he draws hair, but this crime non-thriller reads more like a storyboard for a shitty movie than like finished comix. Try this: reimagine each panel as a shot in a movie. Does it lose anything in translation -- some mood-altering page design, a startling juxtaposition of panels, the magick of back-and-forth time travel? No? Then it has no compelling reason to exist as comix. Silverfish is cinematic comix, which is something I call bullshit on. Full of rote violence against women but lacking any moment of horror, Silverfish offers almost nothing to combat the tediousness of its clichés.
(I enjoy bullshit and cinematic comix from time to time, but I did not enjoy Silverfish.)
(I enjoy bullshit and cinematic comix from time to time, but I did not enjoy Silverfish.)
April 19, 2011
This book is every bad movie rolled into one. First of all, I don't even know how to explain what it's about, because it starts out like some kind of '80s teen movie, then it's like Nancy Drew, and then you add in some horrific scenes of violence and a weird sci-fi/monster flick twist, and polish it all off with deus ex machina. Actually, that's not a bad summary.
Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe this is a sequel or a spin-off of something that I missed. It's like watching "Torchwood" without knowing it's a "Dr. Who" spin-off. But, as far as I'm aware, this is stand-alone. This is "Rocky Horror." It just doesn't make sense.
So. If you're looking for something really bad to read quickly, look no further. At least books like this make readers appreciate the good ones more.
Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe this is a sequel or a spin-off of something that I missed. It's like watching "Torchwood" without knowing it's a "Dr. Who" spin-off. But, as far as I'm aware, this is stand-alone. This is "Rocky Horror." It just doesn't make sense.
So. If you're looking for something really bad to read quickly, look no further. At least books like this make readers appreciate the good ones more.
November 18, 2017
So far, I haven't read anything written by Lapham that I didn't like. This is no exception. Even the stuff he wrote for Marvel is pretty good. This is great in that it could easily be in the Stray Bullets, but was released as a Vertigo book. It may have been a little better if a few more pages were added to flesh out the characters. Case in point: the antagonist is crazy, but it doesn't seem like there any back story or reason why.
August 9, 2018
WHAT WAS UP WITH THE FUCKING FISH
March 19, 2020
2 stars, and all the stars are for the art, which is good in it's own dark/noir kind of way. I grew up reading manga, so I prefer something a bit lighter, but I can appreciate this. Some of the characters looked a little too similar at times though
The let down for me is the plot. Everything happens very quickly, there's not a ton of cohesion. There's no back story to anyone so we get these random moments where you have to just assume your own history and take things on faith. And don't even get me started on the fish. That was so random and irrelevant that I don't even know what to make of it. You can have some nutcase murderer without the fish, that was just unnecessary. I get that this is supposed to be a crime/thriller kind of gig, but usually with those there's a little mystery, and with this, there wasn't really a mystery at all. I'm pretty sure that you know who the bad guy is from the jump. And the ending made no sense. I mean, it was resolved pretty quickly, and it felt far too easy.
I picked this up at my local thrift store for like a dollar (and thankfully no more than that), because this whole thing just left me feeling like: WTF did I just read? Maybe I"m just not the right audience for this type of graphic novel, maybe this genre just isn't for me. I guess the drawings of the fish did look kinda cool though, they were satisfactorily creepy...
The let down for me is the plot. Everything happens very quickly, there's not a ton of cohesion. There's no back story to anyone so we get these random moments where you have to just assume your own history and take things on faith. And don't even get me started on the fish. That was so random and irrelevant that I don't even know what to make of it. You can have some nutcase murderer without the fish, that was just unnecessary. I get that this is supposed to be a crime/thriller kind of gig, but usually with those there's a little mystery, and with this, there wasn't really a mystery at all. I'm pretty sure that you know who the bad guy is from the jump. And the ending made no sense. I mean, it was resolved pretty quickly, and it felt far too easy.
I picked this up at my local thrift store for like a dollar (and thankfully no more than that), because this whole thing just left me feeling like: WTF did I just read? Maybe I"m just not the right audience for this type of graphic novel, maybe this genre just isn't for me. I guess the drawings of the fish did look kinda cool though, they were satisfactorily creepy...
October 8, 2021
(Zero spoiler review)
Disappointing is not a word I often associate with David Lapham. Scratch that, Dreadful is not a word I've ever associated with David Lapham, although Silverfish, surprise surprise, is absolutely dreadful. Apart from Lapham's distinct and stylised black and white art, which certainly would have worked with a tale such as this, everything else about this book is god awful, and something I wish to scour from my memory as soon as possible. I can barely bring myself to even write about how bad this is.
Dreadful, one dimensional stereotypes for characters. Inane and ridiculous dialogue. An overused trope for a story, with the only original aspect (I would have been fine with a well executed tropey story) being THE dumbest, most poorly executed thing I have had the severe displeasure of reading. Even having a rare hardcover copy of this isn't enough to make me not want to throw it into a fire and never think about it again. Stray Bullets was awesome. Most of his other independent work has been solid, to strong. But this... this is pretty damn appalling. Do not waste your time.... ever. 2/5 (which is entirely for the art).
OmniBen.
Disappointing is not a word I often associate with David Lapham. Scratch that, Dreadful is not a word I've ever associated with David Lapham, although Silverfish, surprise surprise, is absolutely dreadful. Apart from Lapham's distinct and stylised black and white art, which certainly would have worked with a tale such as this, everything else about this book is god awful, and something I wish to scour from my memory as soon as possible. I can barely bring myself to even write about how bad this is.
Dreadful, one dimensional stereotypes for characters. Inane and ridiculous dialogue. An overused trope for a story, with the only original aspect (I would have been fine with a well executed tropey story) being THE dumbest, most poorly executed thing I have had the severe displeasure of reading. Even having a rare hardcover copy of this isn't enough to make me not want to throw it into a fire and never think about it again. Stray Bullets was awesome. Most of his other independent work has been solid, to strong. But this... this is pretty damn appalling. Do not waste your time.... ever. 2/5 (which is entirely for the art).
OmniBen.
July 26, 2023
Однажды на Рождество Миа с сестрой остаются одни, зовут друзей-тинейджеров и находят в комнате у молодой мачехи чемодан с двойным дном, полный денег, и адресную книжку с абонентами, которым имя мачехи ни о чём не говорит. Слово за слово вскрывается история, которую лучше было бы оставить в морской пучине.
Графическая повесть, которую Дэвид Лафам написал для Vertigo в 2007 году. Она более простая и традиционная по структуре, чем Stray Bullets, и на выходе получается прям классика остросюжетного криминального жанра по типу Criminal. Здесь есть кое-какая красивая лафамовская безуминка и характерные герои, но в целом не скажу, что книга прямо-таки выдающаяся. Обычный крепкий триллер о "не буди лихо". Вот небольшое превью.
Графическая повесть, которую Дэвид Лафам написал для Vertigo в 2007 году. Она более простая и традиционная по структуре, чем Stray Bullets, и на выходе получается прям классика остросюжетного криминального жанра по типу Criminal. Здесь есть кое-какая красивая лафамовская безуминка и характерные герои, но в целом не скажу, что книга прямо-таки выдающаяся. Обычный крепкий триллер о "не буди лихо". Вот небольшое превью.
August 15, 2025
Dem Fish, dem Fish, dem Fish, dem Fish... Dem Fish, dem Fish is swimmin'.
Dem Fish, dem Fish is swimmin'. Dem Fish, dem fish is swimmin'.
The eardrum's connected to the ear bones. The ear bone's connected to the ear nerve.
The ear nerve's connected to the auditory canal. And on and on to the brain.
Dem Fish, dem fish is swimmin'. Dem Fish, dem Fish is swimmin.
Dem Fish, dem Fish is swimmin'.
This was a fun little find at a local independent traders market. Tucked away under a pile of other books, it jumped out to me with its bold cover and I had to take a closer look. A quick read of the blurb and it came home with me.
It has a noir vibe and certainly is filled with mystery. It follows Mia, who is no fan of her new stepmother. When she is left looking after her younger sister, while her parents are away, she decides to investigate and uncovers something that will send everything into chaos.
It is gritty and portrays psychopathy in a way I've never seen before. I was rather impressed, even if the ending left me a little cold. 4 stars.
Dem Fish, dem Fish is swimmin'. Dem Fish, dem fish is swimmin'.
The eardrum's connected to the ear bones. The ear bone's connected to the ear nerve.
The ear nerve's connected to the auditory canal. And on and on to the brain.
Dem Fish, dem fish is swimmin'. Dem Fish, dem Fish is swimmin.
Dem Fish, dem Fish is swimmin'.
This was a fun little find at a local independent traders market. Tucked away under a pile of other books, it jumped out to me with its bold cover and I had to take a closer look. A quick read of the blurb and it came home with me.
It has a noir vibe and certainly is filled with mystery. It follows Mia, who is no fan of her new stepmother. When she is left looking after her younger sister, while her parents are away, she decides to investigate and uncovers something that will send everything into chaos.
It is gritty and portrays psychopathy in a way I've never seen before. I was rather impressed, even if the ending left me a little cold. 4 stars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews