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Sin City #1
Sin City Volume 1: The Hard Goodbye
Note: Alternate cover for this ISBN can be found here.
Worth dying for. Worth Killing for. Worth going to hell for. Amen.
It's a lousy room in a lousy part of a lousy town. But Marv doesn't care. There's an angel in the room. She says her name is Goldie. A few hours later, Goldie's dead without a mark on her perfect body, and the cops are coming before anyone but Marv could know she's been killed. Somebody paid good money for this frame...
The first volume of the crime-comic megahit that introduced the now-infamous character Marv and spawned a blockbuster film returns in a newly redesigned edition, with a brand-new cover by Frank Miller—some of his first comics art in years! With a new look generating more excitement than ever before, this third edition is the perfect way to attract a whole new generation of readers to Frank Miller's masterpiece!
Frank Miller (1957–) is an American writer, artist & film director, notable for the singular works product of his unique and sometimes twisted mind. He is as famous as he his infamous for his film noir-style comic book stories. Besides being one of the most widely-recognized and popular creators in comics, he is also one of the most influential comics creators of his generation. His most notable works include 'Sin City' (1991), 'The Dark Knight Returns' (1986), 'Batman Year One' (1987) and '300' (1999).
Edition MSRP: $17⁰⁰ US (ISBN 1-59307-293-7)
Printed in Canada
Worth dying for. Worth Killing for. Worth going to hell for. Amen.
It's a lousy room in a lousy part of a lousy town. But Marv doesn't care. There's an angel in the room. She says her name is Goldie. A few hours later, Goldie's dead without a mark on her perfect body, and the cops are coming before anyone but Marv could know she's been killed. Somebody paid good money for this frame...
The first volume of the crime-comic megahit that introduced the now-infamous character Marv and spawned a blockbuster film returns in a newly redesigned edition, with a brand-new cover by Frank Miller—some of his first comics art in years! With a new look generating more excitement than ever before, this third edition is the perfect way to attract a whole new generation of readers to Frank Miller's masterpiece!
Frank Miller (1957–) is an American writer, artist & film director, notable for the singular works product of his unique and sometimes twisted mind. He is as famous as he his infamous for his film noir-style comic book stories. Besides being one of the most widely-recognized and popular creators in comics, he is also one of the most influential comics creators of his generation. His most notable works include 'Sin City' (1991), 'The Dark Knight Returns' (1986), 'Batman Year One' (1987) and '300' (1999).
Edition MSRP: $17⁰⁰ US (ISBN 1-59307-293-7)
Printed in Canada
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
352 people are currently reading
42571 people want to read
About the author
Frank Miller
1,355 books5,346 followersFrank Miller is an American writer, artist and film director best known for his film noir-style comic book stories. He is one of the most widely-recognized and popular creators in comics, and is one of the most influential comics creators of his generation. His most notable works include Sin City, The Dark Knight Returns, Batman Year One and 300.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,448 reviews
July 18, 2025
Goldie and the Beast.
Marv is a penniless hulking brute from a forgotten part of Sin City, but one lucky night he finds heaven in the arms of the most beautiful woman he has ever seen— Goldie— only to find her dead the morning next, and he being framed for her murder. Who wanted this angel dead? And why? One way or another, Marv is going to find out.
This was a very fine comic, and just by having experienced the first of seven issues I can see where its legendary fame comes from. The storytelling is simple yet also very dark and complex. The full story neatly divided into 13 short chapters of 8-12 pages each. The characters all but marginal, rogue and violent, yet everyone extremely compelling in their own twisted way. Marv, Goldie, Lucille, Wendy, Roark, all fantastic. The illustrations are beautifully artistic, exceptionally well designed, and drawing a lot of attention to themselves, my only gripe that I couldn't understand some of them. The black and white style is undeniably unique and with a superb neo-noir vibe.
I have very few comics in my shelves, most acquired randomly during my childhood; and even though I read this digitally, this is one of few exceptions that I wouldn't mind owing in physical format, to feel, glance and admire once in a while. All in all, this was a superb comic, an even though it wasn't exactly a favorite, still looking forward to reading and completing the rest of the series, very, very soon.
**** The movie (2005) is an admirable adaptation, capturing much of the comic's soul and style. Mickey Rourke playing a fantastic Marv. Kevin the creepiest thing on earth, as much as in the comic. Flawless scenography, casting and ambience, with several unforgettable moments not easy to forget. So dark, and violent! Yet masterful in its way. Extremely faithful to the book. Highly recommendable. (8/10)
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE : Watched the movie first.
[1991] [208p] [Comic] [Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------
★★★★☆ Sin City #1 - The Hard Goodbye.
★★★★☆ Sin City #2 - A Dame to Kill For. [3.5]
★★★☆☆ Sin City #3 - The Big Fat Kill. [3.5]
★★★☆☆ Sin City #4 - That Yellow Bastard.
★★★☆☆ Sin City #5 - Family Values. [2.5]
★★★☆☆ Sin City #6 - Booze, Broads, and Bullets.
★★★☆☆ Sin City #7 - Hell and Back. [3.5]
★★★☆☆ Sin City #1-7 Complete Set.
-----------------------------------------------
La Goldie y la Bestia.
Marv es un pobre bruto descomunal de una parte olvidada de la Ciudad del Pecado, pero una noche afortunada encuentra el cielo en los brazos de la mujer más hermosa que haya visto jamás— Goldie— sólo para encontrarla muerta a la mañana siguiente y él incriminado por su asesinato. ¿Quién querría ver a esta ángel muerta? ¿Y por qué? De una forma u otra, Marv lo va a averiguar.
Este fue un cómic muy muy bueno y con sólo haber experimentado el primero de siete volúmenes puedo ver de dónde proviene su legendaria fama. La narración es simple pero también muy oscura y compleja. La historia completa bellamente dividida en 13 cortos capítulos de 8 a 12 páginas cada uno. Los personajes son todos marginales, rebeldes y violentos, pero cada uno de ellos extremadamente atrapantes en su retorcida forma. Marv, Goldie, Lucille, Wendy, Roark, todos fantásticos. Las ilustraciones son hermosamente artísticas, excepcionalmente bien diseñados y llaman mucho la atención, mi única queja que no pude entender algunas de ellas. El estilo en blanco y negro es innegablemente único y con un magnífico toque neo-noir.
Tengo muy pocos cómics en mis estantes, la mayoría adquiridos al azar durante mi infancia; y aunque leo esto digitalmente, esta es una de pocas excepciones que no me importaría tener también en formato físico, para sentir, mirar y admirar de vez en cuando. A grandes cuentas, este fue un cómic excelente, y aunque no fuera exactamente uno de mis favoritos, igualmente espero leer y completar el resto de la serie, muy, muy pronto.
**** La película (2005) es una adaptación admirable, que captura en gran medida el alma y estilo del cómic. Mickey Rourke interpretando a un fantástico Marv. Kevin la cosa más espeluznante del mundo, tanto como en el cómic. Una escenografía, casting y ambientación impecables, con varios momentos inolvidables no fáciles de olvidar. Tan oscuro, ¡y violento! Sin embargo, magistral en su manera. Extremadamente fiel al libro. Muy recomendable. (8/10)
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL : Vi la película antes.
[1991] [208p] [Comic] [Recomendable]
-----------------------------------------------
Marv is a penniless hulking brute from a forgotten part of Sin City, but one lucky night he finds heaven in the arms of the most beautiful woman he has ever seen— Goldie— only to find her dead the morning next, and he being framed for her murder. Who wanted this angel dead? And why? One way or another, Marv is going to find out.
This was a very fine comic, and just by having experienced the first of seven issues I can see where its legendary fame comes from. The storytelling is simple yet also very dark and complex. The full story neatly divided into 13 short chapters of 8-12 pages each. The characters all but marginal, rogue and violent, yet everyone extremely compelling in their own twisted way. Marv, Goldie, Lucille, Wendy, Roark, all fantastic. The illustrations are beautifully artistic, exceptionally well designed, and drawing a lot of attention to themselves, my only gripe that I couldn't understand some of them. The black and white style is undeniably unique and with a superb neo-noir vibe.
I have very few comics in my shelves, most acquired randomly during my childhood; and even though I read this digitally, this is one of few exceptions that I wouldn't mind owing in physical format, to feel, glance and admire once in a while. All in all, this was a superb comic, an even though it wasn't exactly a favorite, still looking forward to reading and completing the rest of the series, very, very soon.
**** The movie (2005) is an admirable adaptation, capturing much of the comic's soul and style. Mickey Rourke playing a fantastic Marv. Kevin the creepiest thing on earth, as much as in the comic. Flawless scenography, casting and ambience, with several unforgettable moments not easy to forget. So dark, and violent! Yet masterful in its way. Extremely faithful to the book. Highly recommendable. (8/10)
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE : Watched the movie first.
[1991] [208p] [Comic] [Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------
★★★★☆ Sin City #1 - The Hard Goodbye.
★★★★☆ Sin City #2 - A Dame to Kill For. [3.5]
★★★☆☆ Sin City #3 - The Big Fat Kill. [3.5]
★★★☆☆ Sin City #4 - That Yellow Bastard.
★★★☆☆ Sin City #5 - Family Values. [2.5]
★★★☆☆ Sin City #6 - Booze, Broads, and Bullets.
★★★☆☆ Sin City #7 - Hell and Back. [3.5]
★★★☆☆ Sin City #1-7 Complete Set.
-----------------------------------------------
La Goldie y la Bestia.
Marv es un pobre bruto descomunal de una parte olvidada de la Ciudad del Pecado, pero una noche afortunada encuentra el cielo en los brazos de la mujer más hermosa que haya visto jamás— Goldie— sólo para encontrarla muerta a la mañana siguiente y él incriminado por su asesinato. ¿Quién querría ver a esta ángel muerta? ¿Y por qué? De una forma u otra, Marv lo va a averiguar.
Este fue un cómic muy muy bueno y con sólo haber experimentado el primero de siete volúmenes puedo ver de dónde proviene su legendaria fama. La narración es simple pero también muy oscura y compleja. La historia completa bellamente dividida en 13 cortos capítulos de 8 a 12 páginas cada uno. Los personajes son todos marginales, rebeldes y violentos, pero cada uno de ellos extremadamente atrapantes en su retorcida forma. Marv, Goldie, Lucille, Wendy, Roark, todos fantásticos. Las ilustraciones son hermosamente artísticas, excepcionalmente bien diseñados y llaman mucho la atención, mi única queja que no pude entender algunas de ellas. El estilo en blanco y negro es innegablemente único y con un magnífico toque neo-noir.
Tengo muy pocos cómics en mis estantes, la mayoría adquiridos al azar durante mi infancia; y aunque leo esto digitalmente, esta es una de pocas excepciones que no me importaría tener también en formato físico, para sentir, mirar y admirar de vez en cuando. A grandes cuentas, este fue un cómic excelente, y aunque no fuera exactamente uno de mis favoritos, igualmente espero leer y completar el resto de la serie, muy, muy pronto.
**** La película (2005) es una adaptación admirable, que captura en gran medida el alma y estilo del cómic. Mickey Rourke interpretando a un fantástico Marv. Kevin la cosa más espeluznante del mundo, tanto como en el cómic. Una escenografía, casting y ambientación impecables, con varios momentos inolvidables no fáciles de olvidar. Tan oscuro, ¡y violento! Sin embargo, magistral en su manera. Extremadamente fiel al libro. Muy recomendable. (8/10)
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL : Vi la película antes.
[1991] [208p] [Comic] [Recomendable]
-----------------------------------------------
December 20, 2022
Forget Gotham, that´s just kindergarten
Enter Sin city instead, that´s where true perversion is king
And to dive into all these sick, disgusting torture snuff horror holes filled with totally bonkers people is a hell of a ride. As always, just if you are into that and can, let´s say, have a delicious meal while reading the graphic novel, watching the movie, or playing similar games close to getting indicated. A kind of special reader mindset is needed to truly enjoy it. If this darkness isn´t in you, you´ll find disgust instead of joy.
Marv and Goldie sinning together for one unforgettable night
From there, the main protagonist struggles, kills, and tortures through a complete spoiled universe of corruption, destruction, and mental self annihilation. Much violence and sex are just thrown in between without any real plot potential, just for the fun of it. Just as other grim graphic novel pearls like Transmetropolitan and Preacher
Its main sense is pure terror and the audience extreme horror aficionados
As said in the opening line, one just has to be able to love, enjoy, and laugh at all the creative ideas of what terrible things humans can do to each other. What does it say about oneself, never mind, as long as nobody gets hurt, it´s perfectly ok. Although, well, it´s sometimes a bit embarrassing to laugh in the completely wrong moments and out oneself as a completely weird and creepy sadist. It´s not as if one enjoys the suffering in a fetishistic way or something, it´s just so entertaining. But as a cheap and predictable distraction from this irritating soul striptease, let´s go back to
Where many of the dark classic graphic novels took their motivation from
In many States in the Southern hemisphere, it´s the sad living standard. But in the West, it´s especially the US that has actively created real life Sin cities, dark Gothams, etc. en masse thanks to how they handle economics and politics. Look, no other Western country has all these murders, incarcerated people, redlined districts, and ghettos. And the only possible explanation is that there has to be something about the social structure of the Nordic model https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_... that helps many other Western countries to prevent parts of their land to become Mad Max style, post apocalyptic hell holes with more and more cool, funky cyberpunk elements.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
Enter Sin city instead, that´s where true perversion is king
And to dive into all these sick, disgusting torture snuff horror holes filled with totally bonkers people is a hell of a ride. As always, just if you are into that and can, let´s say, have a delicious meal while reading the graphic novel, watching the movie, or playing similar games close to getting indicated. A kind of special reader mindset is needed to truly enjoy it. If this darkness isn´t in you, you´ll find disgust instead of joy.
Marv and Goldie sinning together for one unforgettable night
From there, the main protagonist struggles, kills, and tortures through a complete spoiled universe of corruption, destruction, and mental self annihilation. Much violence and sex are just thrown in between without any real plot potential, just for the fun of it. Just as other grim graphic novel pearls like Transmetropolitan and Preacher
Its main sense is pure terror and the audience extreme horror aficionados
As said in the opening line, one just has to be able to love, enjoy, and laugh at all the creative ideas of what terrible things humans can do to each other. What does it say about oneself, never mind, as long as nobody gets hurt, it´s perfectly ok. Although, well, it´s sometimes a bit embarrassing to laugh in the completely wrong moments and out oneself as a completely weird and creepy sadist. It´s not as if one enjoys the suffering in a fetishistic way or something, it´s just so entertaining. But as a cheap and predictable distraction from this irritating soul striptease, let´s go back to
Where many of the dark classic graphic novels took their motivation from
In many States in the Southern hemisphere, it´s the sad living standard. But in the West, it´s especially the US that has actively created real life Sin cities, dark Gothams, etc. en masse thanks to how they handle economics and politics. Look, no other Western country has all these murders, incarcerated people, redlined districts, and ghettos. And the only possible explanation is that there has to be something about the social structure of the Nordic model https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_... that helps many other Western countries to prevent parts of their land to become Mad Max style, post apocalyptic hell holes with more and more cool, funky cyberpunk elements.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
December 4, 2022
Frank Miller written, drawn, inked etc.- tick
Neo-noir in black, white and shadows - tick
First person neo-Mickey Spillane-esque narrator - tick
Unreliable narrator with mental health issues - tick
Almost uniquely constructed reality, speculative fiction setting - tick
This. Book. Is. Smoking!
I can't imagine what is was like for a comic reader to pick this up and read for the first time back in 1991! It would have blown people's minds on so many levels. A absolute must-read as one of the most essential comic book series ever written. It's not perfect, but what it does well, it does really well. It's ultimately a lad's fantasy, which some may see as a negative. 9 out of 12.
2019 read; 2008 read
Neo-noir in black, white and shadows - tick
First person neo-Mickey Spillane-esque narrator - tick
Unreliable narrator with mental health issues - tick
Almost uniquely constructed reality, speculative fiction setting - tick
This. Book. Is. Smoking!
I can't imagine what is was like for a comic reader to pick this up and read for the first time back in 1991! It would have blown people's minds on so many levels. A absolute must-read as one of the most essential comic book series ever written. It's not perfect, but what it does well, it does really well. It's ultimately a lad's fantasy, which some may see as a negative. 9 out of 12.
2019 read; 2008 read
September 24, 2023
The first few issues I was thinking, oh. i am so sorry but i'm not going to be able to get into this one. the dialogue is terrible. like a parody of tough-guy speak. and wtf is up with all the high ratings because all i'm seeing are just a lot of goddamn nipples all over the place.
And then, is that fucking nerd with glasses a cannibal? wait. whaaaat?
Ooooooh. Ok. I get it.
Yeah, this is cool.
If you've read this before then you know this a sad, sick, rough story. And it lives in its own kind of awesome. It's a hardboiled noir with no happy ending and very little moral to the story, but if you dig that sort of thing, then you're going to love this one.
If you have triggers of any sort, this is not for you.
But the art is the star here.
Really striking. What is he even doing in some of these panels to get them to look this cool? The black and white color palate and the way he uses the lines...!
Highly Recommended.
And then, is that fucking nerd with glasses a cannibal? wait. whaaaat?
Ooooooh. Ok. I get it.
Yeah, this is cool.
If you've read this before then you know this a sad, sick, rough story. And it lives in its own kind of awesome. It's a hardboiled noir with no happy ending and very little moral to the story, but if you dig that sort of thing, then you're going to love this one.
If you have triggers of any sort, this is not for you.
But the art is the star here.
Really striking. What is he even doing in some of these panels to get them to look this cool? The black and white color palate and the way he uses the lines...!
Highly Recommended.
February 7, 2012
RESOLVED: The Sin City movie was superior to the graphic novel*.
*Note: This debate covers only the first 45 Minutes of the Sin City movie which encompassed the adaptation of this graphic novel.
BASIC ASSUMPTIONS NOT IN DISPUTE:
Assumption 1: Sin City: the Hard Goodbye was a ground-breaking graphic novel and worthy of its critical and commercial success.
Assumption 2: Sin City: the Hard Goodbye should be read by fans of the graphic novel format and those interested in a grittier, edgier read.
Assumption 3: Wedding Crashers and The Hangover are two of the funniest movies ever and you really should see them if you haven’t already.
STATEMENT OF PREMISE
While Sin City: the Hard Goodbye was a very well written and original graphic novel worthy of both its critical and commercial success, it was in the FILM VERSION of the story that the material found its truest and best expression. This conclusion is based on 5 indisputable facts that our colleagues on the other side of the debate, while they may try, will be unable to answer or challenge in any cogent or compelling way.
SUPPORTING FACTS
FACT 1: Mickey Rourke IS MARV!!!
In his portrayal of Marv, Mickey Rourke “out Marved” the graphic novel Marv and turned graphic novel Marv into his [this portion of the transcript has been edited for violation of debate rules and referred to a derogatory term for a woman]. Now, our worthy colleagues on the other side will be quick to point out that Mickey Rourke’s make-up had him looking a little like MARVenstein’s monster and that the few scenes in which Rourke was seen shirtless could be viewed as an unfortunate choice by the director. To this, we would respectively respond that the other side are a bunch of whinny haters who need to brush their teeth and chomp on a few tic-tacs before engaging in close quarters debate.
FACT 2:
FRODO BAGGINS cast as the psychotic, murdering cannibal killer with Ninja skills, wolverine-like claws, Robert DeNiro “taxi driver” glasses and wearing a Charlie Brown sweater and a “Potsie” hair cut…Nuff said, Nuff said and NUFF SAID!!!! For the record, we believe the debate should be declared over with us as the victors based on this fact alone. Frodo "friggin" Baggins eating people....game over!!! 
FACT 3: Sin City the graphic novel was done in subdued black and white with ‘impressionist” art in order to give it that “noir chic” feel that left some of the more violent parts of the book a little “underwhelming.” On the contrary, the movie was filmed in gritty black and white with moments of “extreme” color that made some of the more violent parts of the book “OH SO MUCH MORE BRUTAL.” By way of illustration, I refer the judges to the following: (a) MARV driving while cleaning the street with nameless bad guys face; (b) MARV preparing our demented little “hobbit” Frodo as a snack for Fido; and (c) MARV’s final little “chat” with Cardinal Roark. Disturbing, yes. Graphic, yes. Gratuitous, certainly. Memorable, DEFINITELY!!
FACT 4: A bald Rutger Hauer as Cardinal Roark. Let me repeat that, A BALD RUTGER HAUER as Cardinal Roark. That is just plain FUN!!
FACT 5: We will generally conclude by saying that the “rest” of the
Thus, for all of the above “indisputable” reasons, we submit that the graphic novel was very good and worthy of 3.5 stars but the MOVIE VERSION is a classic and worthy of a full 5 star rating!!!
Thank you for your time.
November 30, 2016
Ok I am tired of people liking this dumb review so I'm erasing it.
Jesus.
And while we're here, fuck Trump.
Jesus.
And while we're here, fuck Trump.
March 8, 2017
I am so glad that I am finally reading this. I saw the movie years ago and loved it! This first volume was fantastic and almost every frame of it is included in the movie as is! I love it when they don't mess with the story.
The black and white art is great. It had to be more difficult to do a simple face using only the negative space through the rain or in the shadows than a complex picture with all of the colors you want.
If I could give it more than 5 stars I would! It is creative, raw, dark, action-packed fun!
The black and white art is great. It had to be more difficult to do a simple face using only the negative space through the rain or in the shadows than a complex picture with all of the colors you want.
If I could give it more than 5 stars I would! It is creative, raw, dark, action-packed fun!
August 13, 2019
"Είναι οι παλιές μέρες. Οι κακές μέρες. Οι μέρες που τα πάντα ήταν όλα ή τίποτα. Επέστρεψαν"
Αυτός ο μπάσταρδος, ο Marv, με παρέσυρε σε ένα ασπρόμαυρο ταξίδι στην αμαρτωλή πόλη του και από τότε συναντιόμαστε συχνά.
Ξαναδιαβάζω το πρώτο τεύχος του "Sin City" αρκετά συχνά και πάντα μαγεύομαι από τα - ασπρόμαυρα εδώ - σχέδια του Frank Miller, την καλογραμμένη ιστορία και φυσικά το χαρακτήρα του Marv, του μεγαλύτερου αντιήρωα στην ιστορία των κόμικς.
Σίγουρα η Sin City έχει και τα ελαττώματά της, όπως για παράδειγμα ότι εκτός από τον Marv όλοι οι υπόλοιποι χαρακτήρες δεν έχουν αρκετό βάθος, παρ' όλα αυτά νομίζω ότι αξίζει να την επισκεφθείτε.
Υ.Γ. Πιστεύω ότι είναι από τις ελάχιστες περιπτώσεις που η ταινία ακολουθεί πιστά το βιβλίο και είναι αντάξια του. Θα πρότεινα να τη δείτε όποτε έχετε την ευκαιρία.
Αυτός ο μπάσταρδος, ο Marv, με παρέσυρε σε ένα ασπρόμαυρο ταξίδι στην αμαρτωλή πόλη του και από τότε συναντιόμαστε συχνά.
Ξαναδιαβάζω το πρώτο τεύχος του "Sin City" αρκετά συχνά και πάντα μαγεύομαι από τα - ασπρόμαυρα εδώ - σχέδια του Frank Miller, την καλογραμμένη ιστορία και φυσικά το χαρακτήρα του Marv, του μεγαλύτερου αντιήρωα στην ιστορία των κόμικς.
Σίγουρα η Sin City έχει και τα ελαττώματά της, όπως για παράδειγμα ότι εκτός από τον Marv όλοι οι υπόλοιποι χαρακτήρες δεν έχουν αρκετό βάθος, παρ' όλα αυτά νομίζω ότι αξίζει να την επισκεφθείτε.
Υ.Γ. Πιστεύω ότι είναι από τις ελάχιστες περιπτώσεις που η ταινία ακολουθεί πιστά το βιβλίο και είναι αντάξια του. Θα πρότεινα να τη δείτε όποτε έχετε την ευκαιρία.
November 6, 2018
I don't normally enjoy murder sprees that don't have a deeper reason but this was an exception. Honestly I love Marv. He is a badass but he's not a generic badass. He is vulnerable mentally but he's hard as hell to kill. The other characters were just kind of there. The villains were overly strange and had no depth. The art was really good but I have to admit there was a panel or two that looked like Rorschach tests to me. The story was good as well but it wasn't quite fleshed out enough. More back story on the villains would've helped. I'll still be reading Volume 2 though.
July 28, 2025
Let’s not deny it, Marv – the bumbling, violent, brutal hero of our story – possesses many qualities. He’s a romantic, he’s persistent, goal oriented, fashion conscious and he collects butterflies. Well, I don’t know about that last one, but I wouldn’t be surprised.
"That there is one damn fine coat you're wearin'."
The story starts with Marv in the arms of a lady of the night. Marv was unaware of Goldie’s profession, he was under the impression she loved him. After spending a wonderful night together, Marv wakes up to a dead Goldie. Murdered. (Not a spoiler).
Marv and Goldie, one of the all-time great love stories
Our hero then embarks on an odyssey to find Goldie’s killer and boy oh boy, that killer is in a lot of trouble. That killer is also no pushover.
“I'll stare the bastard in the face as he screams to God, and I'll laugh harder when he whimpers like a baby. And when his eyes go dead, the hell I send him to will seem like heaven after what I've done to him.”
The confrontation with the killer will go down in history as one of the best, most violent, confrontations one could witness on film, or on paper. By the way, the 2005 movie is magic. Mickey Rourke plays a convincing Marv.
The man himself – Marv
Sin City is a nasty little place, it makes Gotham City look like the Magic Roundabout. There’s wall to wall crime, corruption, darkness and what appears to be ever present passing showers.
Frank Miller the legendary comic book artist does a masterful job of creating a perfect Sin City here, and even if you’re not a comic book reader, I reckon there’s a good chance most of you will enjoy this.
And if you’re not on Marv’s side – it’s been nice knowing you.
As a self-confessed weakling, I would love to be Marv, just for one day.
4 Stars
"That there is one damn fine coat you're wearin'."
The story starts with Marv in the arms of a lady of the night. Marv was unaware of Goldie’s profession, he was under the impression she loved him. After spending a wonderful night together, Marv wakes up to a dead Goldie. Murdered. (Not a spoiler).
Marv and Goldie, one of the all-time great love stories
Our hero then embarks on an odyssey to find Goldie’s killer and boy oh boy, that killer is in a lot of trouble. That killer is also no pushover.
“I'll stare the bastard in the face as he screams to God, and I'll laugh harder when he whimpers like a baby. And when his eyes go dead, the hell I send him to will seem like heaven after what I've done to him.”
The confrontation with the killer will go down in history as one of the best, most violent, confrontations one could witness on film, or on paper. By the way, the 2005 movie is magic. Mickey Rourke plays a convincing Marv.
The man himself – Marv
Sin City is a nasty little place, it makes Gotham City look like the Magic Roundabout. There’s wall to wall crime, corruption, darkness and what appears to be ever present passing showers.
Frank Miller the legendary comic book artist does a masterful job of creating a perfect Sin City here, and even if you’re not a comic book reader, I reckon there’s a good chance most of you will enjoy this.
And if you’re not on Marv’s side – it’s been nice knowing you.
As a self-confessed weakling, I would love to be Marv, just for one day.
4 Stars
August 17, 2018
DNF.Again.
This is my second attempt to get into Sin city but I simply can't.Problem isn't the writing, I think that Miller is great writer(two of my favorite Batman comics are his work) and there is good story in here too.Problem are illustrations, I loathed them from the start and I couldn't enjoy the story properly.
I couldn't enjoy it but I don't think this is bad graphic novel, as I said above there is good story in there and if illustrations don't bother you than I would actually recommend you give it a try.
This is my second attempt to get into Sin city but I simply can't.Problem isn't the writing, I think that Miller is great writer(two of my favorite Batman comics are his work) and there is good story in here too.Problem are illustrations, I loathed them from the start and I couldn't enjoy the story properly.
I couldn't enjoy it but I don't think this is bad graphic novel, as I said above there is good story in there and if illustrations don't bother you than I would actually recommend you give it a try.
June 2, 2025
Masterpiece of neo-noir, Frank Miller was at his most brilliant and the Sin City series began with hitting hard! It's a little rough around the edges in the first few chapters, I suppose, but barely so. Miller was already master of the craft. And the writing, and the dialogue. What's so great about the original Hard Goodbye, as it sets up the world of Sin City, is how it gets better and better even on rereads. The powerful artwork, the liners... "That is one damn fine coat you're wearing."
August 16, 2015
Miller’s “The Hard Goodbye” is a noir masterpiece that would’ve given the great Jim Thompson a legendary hard-on. This was so obviously a labor of love for Frank. He was really at the peak of his career when he put pen to paper with this one. The descriptions and dialogue were hard-edged and to straight to the razor-sharp point, just like good noir should be. And because of it, this book might not be for the easily offended. Frank doesn’t pussy around with what he wants to say and words like “faggot” and “retarded” manage to find their way into the finished product. For me, words don’t offend, so I liked it when Frank cuts loose. I live and work in an environment where insensitivity reigns, the thin-skinned cringe, and these types of tactless remarks tend to bead off. Miller, much like myself, could give a rat’s ass about political correctness.
Frank’s portrayal of women could also be off putting for some. Strippers, hookers, and topless parole officers pretty much sum up the kinds of ladies that populate Basin City. A school boy’s fantasy that I’m ok with. The men of Sin City aren’t any better. They’re violent, corrupt, greedy, and always lead with their dick. Actually, that’s pretty much accurate everywhere. AND I LOVED EVERY GODDAMNED MINUTE OF IT.
Miller’s protagonist, Marv, is so fuckin’ great. Tough, simple-minded, loyal to a fault, and as dangerous as they come. What you see is what you get. I like that he’s got a sense of decency. A brutal killer that’ll shoot you in the nuts or carve you up with a hacksaw, but still loves his mom and doesn’t hit dames. Miller’s own description of Marv as Conan in a trench coat pretty much hits the bullseye.
The artwork is magnificent. It’s almost unbelievable what Frank was able to produce with just a pen and some black ink. And it just got better and better as it went. Some of the best black and white comic art ever produced. And Miller did it ALL. Artwork, inking, and lettering. Fuckin’ mind-blowing. I especially liked the rain effect. Sick.
So many fantastic moments, I was surprised it took Hollywood so long to put it on film. If you enjoy the book, check the movie out. Mickey Rourke kills as Marv. Frank peaked early with this book because most of what follows in the Sin City series falls a little short of the bench mark set by this one. I don’t think any of it was bad by any means, just that none of the later volumes were able to grab me by the short and curlies and command my full attention like meeting Marv for the first time. Loved him so much I named my dog after him. RECOMMENDED. Unless you’re a pansy. Right Marv?
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December 24, 2021
Good god, that art! Miller is a master of using negative space. These pages are just gorgeous and so original looking. Marv is a great character. A killer but a dope. Easily confused but fights like an oncoming freight train. The story is seriously effed up, as is Miller's outlook on women. But that art! I'm sure classes are taught today on that art.
March 17, 2025
"Hell’s waking up every goddamn day and not even knowing why you’re here.”
A neo-noir comic classic. Dark. Gritty. Visceral.
“She smells like angels ought to smell, the perfect woman... the Goddess."
A neo-noir comic classic. Dark. Gritty. Visceral.
“She smells like angels ought to smell, the perfect woman... the Goddess."
April 29, 2015
THINGS I LIKED:
The writing. It was excellent.
The drawings.
Marv's distinctive dialogue. I've read enough Miller to know that he doesn't make all his main characters the same. This is much to his credit. Examples:
By way of a for instance...
...I probably would have had to paste you one...
Just give with the scoop.
The fact that Marv is almost impossible to kill.
Marv sleeps during the day and hates the sun. Like a vampire.
Lucille is a lesbian. She is strong physically and mentally but is not a "bull-dyke" stereotype.
There were no sex scenes between Lucille and her girlfriend.
The women aren't super-skinny and I like the way Miller draws their hair.
How Miller gave us little glimpses into Marv's (slightly more vulnerable) past. I loved hearing about his time at Catholic school, his bad experiences at camp, and his "retard" friend Chuck. I loved seeing how Marv sees and interprets the world and why. Almost perfectly done (ruined by him striking Wendy, IMO).
The fact that Marv, big tough he-man, cries, vomits from nerves, and admits fear.
The scene where Nancy patches Marv up. He's carrying an unconscious Wendy. She trusts him and does what he says.
The scene where Wendy is driving Marv to the farm and she's taking orders from him and asking no questions. She just trusts him to know what he's doing and get the job done.
The scene where Marv is confusing Wendy with Goldie and climbs into bed with her. Wendy tells him off and orders him back to the sofa. He obeys and feels really bad. I wish she didn't hit him, though.
Marv doesn't kill the dog. It's a small thing, but small things matter.
Marv says "breasts" and not some stupid-ass word instead.
Marv likes nice coats and when he sees a "bad guy" (I use this term very loosely - everyone is a "bad guy" in this world) who's big enough he starts saying stuff like, "Nice coat you're wearing." etc. It's funny. Then he kills them and steals it.
THINGS I THAT DIDN'T BOTHER ME ONE WAY OR THE OTHER:
All the naked women. I know I should probably feel that this is bad or exploitative or something, but honestly it didn't bother me at all.
Marv's constant comments about what a waste it is that Lucille is lesbian. If I felt Miller was just being a jerk here, that would be one thing. But instead, this trait suits Marv to a T and I'm choosing to interpret this as just excellent characterization on Miller's part. Also, Lucille punches him in the face for one of these choice comments, so... I feel like she's got it covered.
Again, and I can't reiterate this enough, I think women in this book are having-sex or not-having-sex with Marv for all the wrong reasons. Except for the lesbian women and his mom, of course. They are not-having-sex with Marv for the right reasons. LOL
Marv is Catholic and wears a cross but breaks every commandment ever written.
Marv names his gun Gladys after a nun who taught him. He has conversations with (to?) it.
Marv has an unnamed, unspecified mental illness which he treats with illegal prescription drugs. He takes these drugs whenever he feels like it or whenever he "remembers to." And then he takes 1, 2, or a handful depending on what he feels like.
THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE:
The fact that, due to the font, every time I saw the word "Marv" it looked like "Mary."
The world.
The ending.
There isn't much Nancy wouldn't do for me. Not since a year back when a frat boy roughed her up and I straightened him out but good. Maybe I went a little too far, but I was plenty steamed, seeing her crying like that. It really gets my goat when guys rough up dames.
What's Marv doing on this page? Carrying Wendy's unconscious body. Why is she unconscious? Because he knocked her out by striking her face. Bit of a disconnect? After spending the whole book going on and on about how he doesn't believe in hitting women, how it almost seems like this is a point of pride with him, he goes and ruins the whole thing in the end with this. "But it was for her own good." That's bullcrap and you know it. He could've tried a hundred other things, but he didn't.
Every woman is either a whore or Marv's mother. That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but not much. Let's see... Non-whores... Marv's mom. Little old lady. Birthed Marv. Lucille, parole officer. A lesbian, so I guess she's off the table for Marv, sexually. Is gorgeous. Is naked/barely dressed in every scene. Her girlfriend, Claire, who only exists off-page. Nancy, a stripper, who is gorgeous and is naked/barely dressed in every scene. Kadie, transsexual who Marv respectfully addresses. Off-page. All other females = prostitutes.
I wasn't never even able to buy a woman, the way I look. This whole Marv-is-living-a-sex-free/sex-deprived-life-because-he's-ugly bullshit. I don't care whether the women would be having sex with him because they need some muscle around, think he's cute, are giving him a pity fuck, are saying thank-you or even because they just genuinely like the guy - there would be no shortage of women willing to go to bed with him. He'd only have to pay if he preferred it that way. Also, even if I did think he was ugly enough or evil enough for women to shun him - which I don't - there's NO WAY he wouldn't be able to buy some temporary female companionship. BULLSHIT. This was more unbelievable than any other aspect of the story.
Cops and priests are corrupt, evil scumbags.
...
In short, Miller has created a horrible world that I don't want to think about, see, or visit. A world where murder, rape, torture and prostitution are just facts of life.
Similar to Joe Abercrombie, Miller has - through amazing writing and illustrations - made me feel a kind of grudging respect for his work.
P.S. I hated the movie, SIN CITY. And I haven't seen the sequel, nor do I have any desire to.
The writing. It was excellent.
The drawings.
Marv's distinctive dialogue. I've read enough Miller to know that he doesn't make all his main characters the same. This is much to his credit. Examples:
By way of a for instance...
...I probably would have had to paste you one...
Just give with the scoop.
The fact that Marv is almost impossible to kill.
Marv sleeps during the day and hates the sun. Like a vampire.
Lucille is a lesbian. She is strong physically and mentally but is not a "bull-dyke" stereotype.
There were no sex scenes between Lucille and her girlfriend.
The women aren't super-skinny and I like the way Miller draws their hair.
How Miller gave us little glimpses into Marv's (slightly more vulnerable) past. I loved hearing about his time at Catholic school, his bad experiences at camp, and his "retard" friend Chuck. I loved seeing how Marv sees and interprets the world and why. Almost perfectly done (ruined by him striking Wendy, IMO).
The fact that Marv, big tough he-man, cries, vomits from nerves, and admits fear.
The scene where Nancy patches Marv up. He's carrying an unconscious Wendy. She trusts him and does what he says.
The scene where Wendy is driving Marv to the farm and she's taking orders from him and asking no questions. She just trusts him to know what he's doing and get the job done.
The scene where Marv is confusing Wendy with Goldie and climbs into bed with her. Wendy tells him off and orders him back to the sofa. He obeys and feels really bad. I wish she didn't hit him, though.
Marv doesn't kill the dog. It's a small thing, but small things matter.
Marv says "breasts" and not some stupid-ass word instead.
Marv likes nice coats and when he sees a "bad guy" (I use this term very loosely - everyone is a "bad guy" in this world) who's big enough he starts saying stuff like, "Nice coat you're wearing." etc. It's funny. Then he kills them and steals it.
THINGS I THAT DIDN'T BOTHER ME ONE WAY OR THE OTHER:
All the naked women. I know I should probably feel that this is bad or exploitative or something, but honestly it didn't bother me at all.
Marv's constant comments about what a waste it is that Lucille is lesbian. If I felt Miller was just being a jerk here, that would be one thing. But instead, this trait suits Marv to a T and I'm choosing to interpret this as just excellent characterization on Miller's part. Also, Lucille punches him in the face for one of these choice comments, so... I feel like she's got it covered.
Again, and I can't reiterate this enough, I think women in this book are having-sex or not-having-sex with Marv for all the wrong reasons. Except for the lesbian women and his mom, of course. They are not-having-sex with Marv for the right reasons. LOL
Marv is Catholic and wears a cross but breaks every commandment ever written.
Marv names his gun Gladys after a nun who taught him. He has conversations with (to?) it.
Marv has an unnamed, unspecified mental illness which he treats with illegal prescription drugs. He takes these drugs whenever he feels like it or whenever he "remembers to." And then he takes 1, 2, or a handful depending on what he feels like.
THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE:
The fact that, due to the font, every time I saw the word "Marv" it looked like "Mary."
The world.
The ending.
There isn't much Nancy wouldn't do for me. Not since a year back when a frat boy roughed her up and I straightened him out but good. Maybe I went a little too far, but I was plenty steamed, seeing her crying like that. It really gets my goat when guys rough up dames.
What's Marv doing on this page? Carrying Wendy's unconscious body. Why is she unconscious? Because he knocked her out by striking her face. Bit of a disconnect? After spending the whole book going on and on about how he doesn't believe in hitting women, how it almost seems like this is a point of pride with him, he goes and ruins the whole thing in the end with this. "But it was for her own good." That's bullcrap and you know it. He could've tried a hundred other things, but he didn't.
Every woman is either a whore or Marv's mother. That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but not much. Let's see... Non-whores... Marv's mom. Little old lady. Birthed Marv. Lucille, parole officer. A lesbian, so I guess she's off the table for Marv, sexually. Is gorgeous. Is naked/barely dressed in every scene. Her girlfriend, Claire, who only exists off-page. Nancy, a stripper, who is gorgeous and is naked/barely dressed in every scene. Kadie, transsexual who Marv respectfully addresses. Off-page. All other females = prostitutes.
I wasn't never even able to buy a woman, the way I look. This whole Marv-is-living-a-sex-free/sex-deprived-life-because-he's-ugly bullshit. I don't care whether the women would be having sex with him because they need some muscle around, think he's cute, are giving him a pity fuck, are saying thank-you or even because they just genuinely like the guy - there would be no shortage of women willing to go to bed with him. He'd only have to pay if he preferred it that way. Also, even if I did think he was ugly enough or evil enough for women to shun him - which I don't - there's NO WAY he wouldn't be able to buy some temporary female companionship. BULLSHIT. This was more unbelievable than any other aspect of the story.
Cops and priests are corrupt, evil scumbags.
...
In short, Miller has created a horrible world that I don't want to think about, see, or visit. A world where murder, rape, torture and prostitution are just facts of life.
Similar to Joe Abercrombie, Miller has - through amazing writing and illustrations - made me feel a kind of grudging respect for his work.
P.S. I hated the movie, SIN CITY. And I haven't seen the sequel, nor do I have any desire to.
June 23, 2015
There's no settling down. It's going to be blood for blood and by the gallons. It's the old days. The bad days. The all-or-nothing days. They're back. There's no choice left and I'm ready for war.
Marv is taking medications to keep his anger and his killing impulses under control, but his efforts to become a better person are sabotaged when he wakes up from a drunken stupor to find Goldie, his gorgeous one-night-stand, dead beside him. He is not anybody's idea of a knight in shiny armor - a hulking brute, ugly as sin and with a temper to match. But he has his own code of honor, and nobody is messing with his women. A bloody chase starts seconds after Marv wakes up, and continues relentlessly for the rest of this first Sin City episode.
I have grown weary of excessive violence in novels, comics and movies, especially the Quentin Tarantino brand of smug infatuation with killers, yet there is a gut wrenching rawness of despair and rage in the story offered by Frank Miller that puts it in a class of its own. Marv is not a suave psychopat with sarcastic wit, dancing along to the tune of cool retro tracks. He is a desperate man pushed over the edge by a world gone mad in its thirst for power. He is a creature of the night, a walking nightmare that laughs at goons threatening him with firearms while he tears their limbs off with his bare hands. Yes, the level of explicit violence and gore and cussing is over the top, but in the context of the story penned by Frank Miller, it doesn't feel out of place. His Basin City gathers in one fictional location all the criminal underlife of the American noir canon: serial killers, vilent thugs, drug lords, snitches, corrupt police officers, venal politicians, debauched clergymen, rundown neighborhoods where even the SWAT teams fear to enter, sleazy strip bars where the gangs meet to settle their affairs, derelict tenements where poverty rules supreme. Marv is one of the top predators of this dark world, his murderous obsession in chasing a mystery killer the product and the mirror of the larger sickness that envelops a town governed by Sin.
The air cools. The sounds change. The suits and the briefcases scurry to their fortresses and bolt their doors and balance their checkbooks and ignore the screams and try not to think about who really owns Sin City,
The blending of Miller's razor sharp writing, delivered in tense, minimalist sentences with the power of a machine gun burst, with the jagged-edge, monochromatic artwork results here in one of the most memorable and disturbing adult themed comic albums I have ever read. It pays homage to the classics of the 1940's and 1950's with the interplay between light and darkness in the construction of the panels, with the unusual camera angles and with the twisted threads of the plotline. It takes the game to a new, up-to-date level of cynicism and despair. The only minor complaint is surprisingly not with the explicit violence and language, but with the portrayal of women, strong in characterization but with a marked preference for nudity. I know most of these Miller girls are supposed to be hookers, but the author walks here a too fine line between eye-candy and gritty pulp fiction.
I have been so caught up in the atmospheric drama of Marv, the killer with a keen sense of street justice, and in the poster-like quality of the graphic art, that I have already finished the second Sin City album before I even tried to write down my impressions of the first. I am now trying to slow down, to take it easy and spread the next installments out, so I don't get mixed up in the storylines.
Final note: Initially I had reservations about the movie versions for these first two Sin City albums, but now I realize they are quite good and mostly faithful to the source material. Mickey Rourke is a great choice for Marv, and Nancy Callahan in the drawings looks like the twin of Jessica Alba in the movie. I would leave my opinions about Eva Green pending for the next review (I had enough excitement already for today).
recommended for readers not easily offended by explicit violence or nudity, fans of noir literature and of finely drawn artwork.
July 17, 2025
After reading Frank Miller's 'The Dark Knight' series, decided to go with Sin City as my next graphic stop and it's a totally different kind of story, with Marv who is a killer with a past that we don't get to know, he just introduces himself as a ruthless killer with an enmity filled past with the law, Marv had the looks that repelled all women even professional hookers, except for Goldie who took him on a one night encounter, and here is where our story starts, with Goldie getting murdered right in his arms, and Merv seeking to avenge the only woman who gave him a much needed second look....
The black and white art sets the noir mood for the dark, brutal story, it adds to the uniqueness of it, and I guess if it was in full colors, some gory and in your face details would have been omitted or would have degraded the story
After the end of Merv's story, I'm looking forward to Vol.2 to see where is it going next? Will it be a continuation or a separate story?
MiM
The black and white art sets the noir mood for the dark, brutal story, it adds to the uniqueness of it, and I guess if it was in full colors, some gory and in your face details would have been omitted or would have degraded the story
After the end of Merv's story, I'm looking forward to Vol.2 to see where is it going next? Will it be a continuation or a separate story?
MiM
December 22, 2019
Thematic BuddyRead with that gang we shouldn’t even be admitting to belonging to (but somehow proudly emblazon it wherever we go), the Shallow Comic Readers.
Criteria: An embarrassing amount of jugs on display
Yes, Miller had a real talent for drawing...
[Composition]
[it's almost balletic]
...even if he spent a remarkable amount of time focusing on the female nipple...
[I mean, seriously Frank. Porn wasn't *that* hard to acquire in the 80's...]
And no, I can't approve of the throwback-to-unapologetic-misogyny times.
For the most part this is less "great noir homage" (cf. Brubaker/Phillips) and more "cliche-ridden tripe" - he executes the basic maneuvers but lacks any finesse:
Given that Miller fridges a woman in Act One, bathes women in the Male Gaze and zealously populates the 'world' with distasteful caricatures of 'independent' women, it's hard to believe Miller sees women as a species as equal to men, or ever would put in the effort to portray them as such.
(Note: there's only one type of woman who's worth respect, the nurse:)
[spoiler: Miller's mother was a nurse]
I ask this question every once in a while, 'cause I'm genuinely curious: if a writer consistently and deeply takes on a slur/bigotry-ridden tone in their writing, is that just an ironic distance thing, or do they actually enjoy embodying and proliferating this kind of prejudice and hatred? Every writer has a blank canvas upon which to spatter their imagination - if they continue to choose a specific subject matter time after time, is that choice, compulsion or just random chance?
I ask the same thing of Garth Ennis, who 'liberally' garnishes his hilarious writing with homophobic slurs. It makes me pause when I keep coming across this kind of streak (and with Ennis, it's a lifelong thing). In his case, he's a good enough writer (see some of his less-exaggerated over the top works to get my meaning) that it makes me wonder whether he's being ironic/holding up a mirror to society, or if he's just a bigot and enjoys expressing it. Occam's Razor or artistic commentary?
Looking at the twisted wreck of a man that Miller became in later life (the later books like All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder, Vol. 1 & Holy Terror, his attitudes towards Occupy Wall Street), and comparing it to the dark/fascist hints in his earlier works, it's hard for me not believe that the later man was always in Miller and just was amplified after 9/11 - set free to fully embrace his angry/fearful/under-empathetic personality.
IIRC, in later Sin City books, the best a woman can be is the gang of murderous prostitutes.
Marv on the other hand is Miller's libertarian ideal: the ubermensch, fighting against the forces of order and oppression, overcoming them all with the super-strength and iron resolve of a Man who knows he's right when all others say he's wrong.
Marv looks like just a twisted, flat copy of Batman - the Batman Miller wanted to write, the Batman he's finally fully realized years later in Holy Terror:
[Put a pointy cowl on the guy and give him a giant penny]
Are there people in the world like Marv? Or Goldie? Or the dirty cops, or prostitutes, or Angry unsanctioned racist not-batman? Of course. Welcome to a planet of 7 billion. I guess that makes Miller an historian, a sociologist, a cartographer of the disgusting wasteland of humanity.
Very egalitarian and progressive of you Professor Miller.
Is Miller notable in comics history? Of course. He's taken steps that dragged comics out of the technicolor 70's and into the dark 80's. We gained an art form that took on adult levels of anger, violence and sad disappointment.
Does he deserve a place on the current shelf of "best comics creators"? That's for each of us to decide. Not hard to see where I stand on the matter, but I'd be an ass to assume mine is the only opinion that matters.
At least the climactic confrontations were fun.
Four stars for some generally great art, minus two stars for a sad little tale from a sad little shell of a man, aspiring to become the more powerful, brave, righteous, merciless man that he drew.
Criteria: An embarrassing amount of jugs on display
Yes, Miller had a real talent for drawing...
[Composition]
[it's almost balletic]
...even if he spent a remarkable amount of time focusing on the female nipple...
[I mean, seriously Frank. Porn wasn't *that* hard to acquire in the 80's...]
And no, I can't approve of the throwback-to-unapologetic-misogyny times.
For the most part this is less "great noir homage" (cf. Brubaker/Phillips) and more "cliche-ridden tripe" - he executes the basic maneuvers but lacks any finesse:
Given that Miller fridges a woman in Act One, bathes women in the Male Gaze and zealously populates the 'world' with distasteful caricatures of 'independent' women, it's hard to believe Miller sees women as a species as equal to men, or ever would put in the effort to portray them as such.
(Note: there's only one type of woman who's worth respect, the nurse:)
[spoiler: Miller's mother was a nurse]
I ask this question every once in a while, 'cause I'm genuinely curious: if a writer consistently and deeply takes on a slur/bigotry-ridden tone in their writing, is that just an ironic distance thing, or do they actually enjoy embodying and proliferating this kind of prejudice and hatred? Every writer has a blank canvas upon which to spatter their imagination - if they continue to choose a specific subject matter time after time, is that choice, compulsion or just random chance?
I ask the same thing of Garth Ennis, who 'liberally' garnishes his hilarious writing with homophobic slurs. It makes me pause when I keep coming across this kind of streak (and with Ennis, it's a lifelong thing). In his case, he's a good enough writer (see some of his less-exaggerated over the top works to get my meaning) that it makes me wonder whether he's being ironic/holding up a mirror to society, or if he's just a bigot and enjoys expressing it. Occam's Razor or artistic commentary?
Looking at the twisted wreck of a man that Miller became in later life (the later books like All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder, Vol. 1 & Holy Terror, his attitudes towards Occupy Wall Street), and comparing it to the dark/fascist hints in his earlier works, it's hard for me not believe that the later man was always in Miller and just was amplified after 9/11 - set free to fully embrace his angry/fearful/under-empathetic personality.
IIRC, in later Sin City books, the best a woman can be is the gang of murderous prostitutes.
Marv on the other hand is Miller's libertarian ideal: the ubermensch, fighting against the forces of order and oppression, overcoming them all with the super-strength and iron resolve of a Man who knows he's right when all others say he's wrong.
Marv looks like just a twisted, flat copy of Batman - the Batman Miller wanted to write, the Batman he's finally fully realized years later in Holy Terror:
[Put a pointy cowl on the guy and give him a giant penny]
Are there people in the world like Marv? Or Goldie? Or the dirty cops, or prostitutes, or Angry unsanctioned racist not-batman? Of course. Welcome to a planet of 7 billion. I guess that makes Miller an historian, a sociologist, a cartographer of the disgusting wasteland of humanity.
Very egalitarian and progressive of you Professor Miller.
Is Miller notable in comics history? Of course. He's taken steps that dragged comics out of the technicolor 70's and into the dark 80's. We gained an art form that took on adult levels of anger, violence and sad disappointment.
Does he deserve a place on the current shelf of "best comics creators"? That's for each of us to decide. Not hard to see where I stand on the matter, but I'd be an ass to assume mine is the only opinion that matters.
At least the climactic confrontations were fun.
Four stars for some generally great art, minus two stars for a sad little tale from a sad little shell of a man, aspiring to become the more powerful, brave, righteous, merciless man that he drew.
January 11, 2018
So I never had much interest in Sin City. I saw parts of the movie and the style never stuck with me. So with the graphic novel I never really wanted to dive in because Frank Miller, while I respect, usually isn't my style of comics. Yet, I'm kind of glad I picked this up, because it was pretty fun ride.
Marv is a old asshole ready to fuck some shit up after he wakes up to a dead girl on his best. After making love and waking up and seeing her dead he flips out. He goes on a hunt to find out who could do this? Especially behind his back since he is a trained killer. The story takes us to the worst parts of Sin City trying to track down who did what. The trip is...trippy (get it?) and brutal and downright fucked up.
Good: Enjoyed the monologue for the most part. Usually it can go to the side of boring but it worked well here. I also liked the brutality of this world. That everything is bitter and broken. The villain here is truly creepy and the way he does his "thing" is disturbing to say the least. The ending also was well done and had that "the only way it could end" yet still surprise you somehow.
Bad: The woman in this seem...useless. As if they were written as plot devices and that's about it. I especially didn't like the way Marv talked about them, almost like children or dumb. Was annoying. It could just be a product of it's time, or Marv's views, but still. I also thought the art wasn't that great. I know it's a style but sometimes I had to re-look a page 2-4 times to get what the fuck was happening.
Overall it's good. I didn't think I'd like it at all so it was a surprise for me. I'll def read the rest of the series but this was a solid fun start. A 3 out of 5!
Marv is a old asshole ready to fuck some shit up after he wakes up to a dead girl on his best. After making love and waking up and seeing her dead he flips out. He goes on a hunt to find out who could do this? Especially behind his back since he is a trained killer. The story takes us to the worst parts of Sin City trying to track down who did what. The trip is...trippy (get it?) and brutal and downright fucked up.
Good: Enjoyed the monologue for the most part. Usually it can go to the side of boring but it worked well here. I also liked the brutality of this world. That everything is bitter and broken. The villain here is truly creepy and the way he does his "thing" is disturbing to say the least. The ending also was well done and had that "the only way it could end" yet still surprise you somehow.
Bad: The woman in this seem...useless. As if they were written as plot devices and that's about it. I especially didn't like the way Marv talked about them, almost like children or dumb. Was annoying. It could just be a product of it's time, or Marv's views, but still. I also thought the art wasn't that great. I know it's a style but sometimes I had to re-look a page 2-4 times to get what the fuck was happening.
Overall it's good. I didn't think I'd like it at all so it was a surprise for me. I'll def read the rest of the series but this was a solid fun start. A 3 out of 5!
November 18, 2024
Frank Miller’s Sin City series is one of the most recognizable comic book series of all time. It not only inspired other crime fiction but its imagery is instantly memorable and indelible. It’s a classic series and this first graphic novel is one of its most popular installments. The story is of a brute named Marv who has one lovely night with a prostitute named Goldie (
“She smells like angels ought to smell…”
) and, after waking up next to her dead, murdered body, sets out to avenge her when no one else will.
It’s a mean, sad piece of noir that feels like it would have been created by David Goodis if he knew how to draw. And then there’s the art. What can I say that hasn’t been said already? It puts the “hard” in hard-boiled and looks like it was drawn on chipped steel instead of paper.
It’s a mean, sad piece of noir that feels like it would have been created by David Goodis if he knew how to draw. And then there’s the art. What can I say that hasn’t been said already? It puts the “hard” in hard-boiled and looks like it was drawn on chipped steel instead of paper.
"And when his eyes go dead, the hell I send him to will seem like Heaven after what I’ve done to him.”
March 13, 2016
Sin City (The Hard Goodbye): A hard-boiled noir tale of revenge
Originally posted at Fantasy Literature
Frank Miller’s SIN CITY hit the comic scene back in the early 1990s like multiple shots to the head and body. Readers were blown away with this hard-boiled story and its stark, iconic black-and-white artwork. In fact, Miller does all the writing, artwork and lettering for SIN CITY, which is pretty damn impressive. The stories tapped into that rich vein of crime noir pioneered by writers like Dashiell Hamett, Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain, Cornell Woolrich, Jim Thompson, etc, filled with down-on-their luck gumshoes, seductive dames with dark secrets, vicious hoodlums, corrupt politicians and cops, and powerful criminal masterminds lurking in the shadows. The archetypes are so ingrained in our consciousness that we don’t even think about them when we watch a dark crime drama or detective procedural. The lone private eye sitting in his empty office, with street light shining through the blinds as he smokes a lazy cigarette, until a gorgeous femme fatale shows up, on the run from dangerous enemies and concealing secrets that will make our hero regret ever taking the case.
So what was so special about SIN CITY ? Well, clearly the amazing artwork had something to do with it. And the unabashedly over-the-top characters. Not to mention the hard-boiled narration and dialogue – so many classic lines. And the brutal violence of the action sequences. Especially since the movie version came out in 2005, with three parts directed by Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez, and Quentin Tarantino, there were many complaints that the story glorifies violence and objectifies women. Well, it’s pretty hard to deny those accusations. So if you prefer a more nuanced, high-browed crime story, you’d best look elsewhere! But that’s not to say the story is not intelligently written – it just exults in its own excesses, so you either go along for the ride and enjoy it, or not. I can enjoy a wide range of genre fiction, so I don’t really care as long as the story, characters, and world-building grab me.
There are seven collected volumes of the SIN CITY comic, and the original 2005 film focuses on the first, third and fourth volumes, with the 2014 sequel A Dame to Kill For based on volume two. The first volume is called The Hard Goodbye , and it's the story of a hulking lug named Marv, a likeable but down-and-out guy with massive muscles, a hideously deformed face, a penchant for violence, and his own code of justice. One night a beautiful woman named Goldie approaches him in a sleazy saloon. As Marv later narrates, “I’m staring at a goddess. She’s telling me she wants me. She sounds like she means it. I’m not going to waste one more second wondering how it is I’ve gotten so lucky. She smells like angels ought to smell.” The next morning, Marv wakes up with Goldie dead beside him, not a mark on her body. Before Marv has time to think, he hears the sirens of cop cars approaching, and realizes he’s been set up. He quickly decides on a course of action: "No reason at all to play it quiet. No reason to play it any way but my way. Whoever killed you is going to pay, Goldie…” The rest of the story speaks for itself.
Marv is played extremely well by Mickey Rourke in the film. It’s a brilliant performance, with the help of some facial prosthetics. He IS Marv, and his gravelly voice, distorted face, and powerful frame are perfect. In many ways, the movie version is a perfect rendition of Frank Miller’s vision, which is hardly a surprise since he co-directed it. It must have been quite an experience to be actively involved in directing his own creation. The result is visually one of the most striking and original renditions of a comic ever to hit the big screen, and a hell of a lot of fun to watch. I’m planning to watch it again now that I’ve read the comic. I would recommend reading the comic first and then seeing the film, but you can enjoy both independently. What are you waiting for?
Originally posted at Fantasy Literature
Frank Miller’s SIN CITY hit the comic scene back in the early 1990s like multiple shots to the head and body. Readers were blown away with this hard-boiled story and its stark, iconic black-and-white artwork. In fact, Miller does all the writing, artwork and lettering for SIN CITY, which is pretty damn impressive. The stories tapped into that rich vein of crime noir pioneered by writers like Dashiell Hamett, Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain, Cornell Woolrich, Jim Thompson, etc, filled with down-on-their luck gumshoes, seductive dames with dark secrets, vicious hoodlums, corrupt politicians and cops, and powerful criminal masterminds lurking in the shadows. The archetypes are so ingrained in our consciousness that we don’t even think about them when we watch a dark crime drama or detective procedural. The lone private eye sitting in his empty office, with street light shining through the blinds as he smokes a lazy cigarette, until a gorgeous femme fatale shows up, on the run from dangerous enemies and concealing secrets that will make our hero regret ever taking the case.
So what was so special about SIN CITY ? Well, clearly the amazing artwork had something to do with it. And the unabashedly over-the-top characters. Not to mention the hard-boiled narration and dialogue – so many classic lines. And the brutal violence of the action sequences. Especially since the movie version came out in 2005, with three parts directed by Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez, and Quentin Tarantino, there were many complaints that the story glorifies violence and objectifies women. Well, it’s pretty hard to deny those accusations. So if you prefer a more nuanced, high-browed crime story, you’d best look elsewhere! But that’s not to say the story is not intelligently written – it just exults in its own excesses, so you either go along for the ride and enjoy it, or not. I can enjoy a wide range of genre fiction, so I don’t really care as long as the story, characters, and world-building grab me.
There are seven collected volumes of the SIN CITY comic, and the original 2005 film focuses on the first, third and fourth volumes, with the 2014 sequel A Dame to Kill For based on volume two. The first volume is called The Hard Goodbye , and it's the story of a hulking lug named Marv, a likeable but down-and-out guy with massive muscles, a hideously deformed face, a penchant for violence, and his own code of justice. One night a beautiful woman named Goldie approaches him in a sleazy saloon. As Marv later narrates, “I’m staring at a goddess. She’s telling me she wants me. She sounds like she means it. I’m not going to waste one more second wondering how it is I’ve gotten so lucky. She smells like angels ought to smell.” The next morning, Marv wakes up with Goldie dead beside him, not a mark on her body. Before Marv has time to think, he hears the sirens of cop cars approaching, and realizes he’s been set up. He quickly decides on a course of action: "No reason at all to play it quiet. No reason to play it any way but my way. Whoever killed you is going to pay, Goldie…” The rest of the story speaks for itself.
Marv is played extremely well by Mickey Rourke in the film. It’s a brilliant performance, with the help of some facial prosthetics. He IS Marv, and his gravelly voice, distorted face, and powerful frame are perfect. In many ways, the movie version is a perfect rendition of Frank Miller’s vision, which is hardly a surprise since he co-directed it. It must have been quite an experience to be actively involved in directing his own creation. The result is visually one of the most striking and original renditions of a comic ever to hit the big screen, and a hell of a lot of fun to watch. I’m planning to watch it again now that I’ve read the comic. I would recommend reading the comic first and then seeing the film, but you can enjoy both independently. What are you waiting for?
July 21, 2020
"Walk Down The Right Back Alley In Sin City And You Can Find Anything "
One of the most known Comic\Movie , not only coz of it dark action story but also coz of it's drawings \ it drawings was unique and different from any other comics and it made it one of it kind.
Volume 1 was all about Marv Story :
Begins when Marv wake up and found Goldie the only girl who was nice to him and treated him good no matter his awful looking is dead and someone set him up and made him the criminal of killing Goldie and 6 more girls .
Story shows corruption and the sins around the sin city from all kind of people with Frank Miller great mix of Story , twist, Violent, side stories and Cannibal .
Frank Miller is a great novelist and comic writer , we saw his work with Batman Stories and 300 \ his partnership with Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino as guest director Produced a movie equal to the comic with no differences at all and with great one of a kind style movie .
January 31, 2018
The Sin City franchise is typified by stark black and white ink, far more verbiage than in many other graphic novels, and it feasts on the back alleys, strip clubs, and forsaken wastelands of a dark city where daylight never shines. It contains numerous noir themes such as waking up to a corpse in bed with you, being framed for a murder you didn't commit, and stalking serial killers. If noir-infused graphic novels are all about feel, look, attitude, it's here.
May 11, 2015
This is technically a 3.5. The story merits a 4. The art only 3.
I know Miller's style is supposed to convey a frenetic edginess, and yeah, the boobs are all nice and round and gravity-defying...
But, I grew up on Vampirella, Eerie and Creepy. To me, the artwork just looks sloppy.
I know Miller's style is supposed to convey a frenetic edginess, and yeah, the boobs are all nice and round and gravity-defying...
But, I grew up on Vampirella, Eerie and Creepy. To me, the artwork just looks sloppy.
September 13, 2020
This was just blatant bullshit. Sorry, there's not a single appealing thing about it. The story, maybe, if it wasn't for the terrible illustrations - which I couldn't decipher 98% of the time -, the unlikable characters and the unbelievable sexism and objectification of women. Why is this even considered a classic?
November 5, 2016
About ten pages into this, I commented to Erica that "I forgot Frank Miller used to know how to draw." That's my first and most lasting impression of this trade, the fact that before he lost his anatomy books and gave way to caricatures-as-commentary, Miller was a damned good writer and artist of comic books that were dark without being oppressive.
Sin City is a really bad place, filled with really bad characters that do really bad things. And yet, none of it--save perhaps the jarring disfigurement that occurs here and there--feels like it doesn't belong. These are people living in a hell hole and they act accordingly to survive, doing what they must to get through the day. Savage beatings, corrupt cops, and prostitution are just part of the daily grind in this town, and anyone who acted differently would be completely out of place.
A collection of short pieces that form a whole from Dark Horse Presents, this story was supposed to be 48 pages, according to Miller but went much longer as Marv and what he was doing took off from the pages. He has one brief night of happiness, that leads to an unending string of murder, beatings, and mystery, rolled into a black and white world where everything and nothing lies in the shadows.
And before I say anything else, those shadows are #$%^$# gorgeous. This may be the best use of black and while I've ever seen in a comic. There's no hint of gray anywhere here--it's either black, white, or non-existent. I had to stop and just stare at the amazing drawings Miller did at times, and that's rare for me in a comic book--I tend to go "nice art" but rarely if ever do I linger at the drawing style the way I did frequently in this book.
Marv, the main character, looks a bit like Miller's Batman in places but I can forgive it. This does, however make me wish that Miller would do a serious Batman story in this style. I think it would work amazingly well.
The writing of the story fits the tone, though I do need to give it my patently "gratuitous harm to women" speech for the fact that the females in the story tend to just be body parts, often nude body parts. In the context of the story, however, I can understand some of it, though I still wish comic writers would stop the annoying (lack of proper) use of women. However, that's probably a false hope. There are some particularly good scenes in here, such as when an S&M practitioner is saddened by Marv's ability to get free of her ropes. Miller gives a few nice humour touches to keep the story from going so dark as to be unbearable.
Assuming you don't have a problem with extreme violence in your panels, I can recommend this without a single hesitation. It's great stuff, I hope the rest is even close to being this good.
Sin City is a really bad place, filled with really bad characters that do really bad things. And yet, none of it--save perhaps the jarring disfigurement that occurs here and there--feels like it doesn't belong. These are people living in a hell hole and they act accordingly to survive, doing what they must to get through the day. Savage beatings, corrupt cops, and prostitution are just part of the daily grind in this town, and anyone who acted differently would be completely out of place.
A collection of short pieces that form a whole from Dark Horse Presents, this story was supposed to be 48 pages, according to Miller but went much longer as Marv and what he was doing took off from the pages. He has one brief night of happiness, that leads to an unending string of murder, beatings, and mystery, rolled into a black and white world where everything and nothing lies in the shadows.
And before I say anything else, those shadows are #$%^$# gorgeous. This may be the best use of black and while I've ever seen in a comic. There's no hint of gray anywhere here--it's either black, white, or non-existent. I had to stop and just stare at the amazing drawings Miller did at times, and that's rare for me in a comic book--I tend to go "nice art" but rarely if ever do I linger at the drawing style the way I did frequently in this book.
Marv, the main character, looks a bit like Miller's Batman in places but I can forgive it. This does, however make me wish that Miller would do a serious Batman story in this style. I think it would work amazingly well.
The writing of the story fits the tone, though I do need to give it my patently "gratuitous harm to women" speech for the fact that the females in the story tend to just be body parts, often nude body parts. In the context of the story, however, I can understand some of it, though I still wish comic writers would stop the annoying (lack of proper) use of women. However, that's probably a false hope. There are some particularly good scenes in here, such as when an S&M practitioner is saddened by Marv's ability to get free of her ropes. Miller gives a few nice humour touches to keep the story from going so dark as to be unbearable.
Assuming you don't have a problem with extreme violence in your panels, I can recommend this without a single hesitation. It's great stuff, I hope the rest is even close to being this good.
July 22, 2023
2.5 stars
The first volume of this comic book franchise follows Marv, who is looking to get vengeance on the person that killed his prostitute, Goldie, taking matters into his own hands doing so. I did not connect with this piece and did not find any reason to feel reason for Marv's motives. Marv had iffy morals and his reason for doing what he was doing came off as being more frivolous than anything. The characters around him were filled with air, while the illustration was not spectacular in any which way. This was not the kind of start you would want people to have when it comes to reading an entire series.
The first volume of this comic book franchise follows Marv, who is looking to get vengeance on the person that killed his prostitute, Goldie, taking matters into his own hands doing so. I did not connect with this piece and did not find any reason to feel reason for Marv's motives. Marv had iffy morals and his reason for doing what he was doing came off as being more frivolous than anything. The characters around him were filled with air, while the illustration was not spectacular in any which way. This was not the kind of start you would want people to have when it comes to reading an entire series.
June 28, 2020
Taking place in the corrupted world of Sin City, The Hard Goodbye is a gritty, violent comic book filled with flawed but bold characters, and accompanied by some phenomenal black and white artwork, that gives the book a noir feel.
December 11, 2015
I read this first a couple years ago, and reread it because of the second Sin City movie, to see if my initial ideas about it held true. When I first read it, I think I knew some people hated Miller, though knew his Sin City/Batman/ Daredevil work made him one of the very top most influential writers in comic history.
Based on the range of his work, there is a lot of bitterness and anger in it. Rage. Maybe this is true. It seems to be. Also, many people seem him as sexist, racist, and there may be some evidence for that. In this work, however, he is at this best (or as good as the darkest Batman work he has done, which is damned good); he takes noir crime fiction and both strips it down visually to its bare bones, black and white images, silhouettes of a genre, and also ramps up aspects of it such as the testosterone, the Hulk rage, the steroid beefy muscular guys beyond real and the curvy busty women beyond real.
Visually it's attractive and interesting. The story and dialogue he does really well, especially in this first one. And Marv, the ex-pug goodhearted and easily manipulated loser, needing medication (for his rage? or his hallucinations?) isn't real, he's a caricature as all the other men and women you meet in this fictional Vegas, but he's so interesting and as you turn the pages, you care about these people even IF they are manifestations of hyper-masculinist, over-sexuaized ideas, with huge doses of rage. That's what is kind of remarkable here, that you care about Marv and most of the people you meet!
What I don't particularly like is some aspects of the torture porn dimension of the revenge. And some aspects of the caricatures, though in this world, sexism and racism seem to be requirements of the world. There's a three women ninja fighting group that comes to Marv's defense, that's an interesting move on the part of goodness and feminism that Miller includes. You will like these ass-kicking women a lot.
Overall, I think it's pretty impressive. I am less interested as the stories move along, for some reason, in this first volume, but (having now read all of them), this creation of this world is one of the great accomplishments of comics.
Based on the range of his work, there is a lot of bitterness and anger in it. Rage. Maybe this is true. It seems to be. Also, many people seem him as sexist, racist, and there may be some evidence for that. In this work, however, he is at this best (or as good as the darkest Batman work he has done, which is damned good); he takes noir crime fiction and both strips it down visually to its bare bones, black and white images, silhouettes of a genre, and also ramps up aspects of it such as the testosterone, the Hulk rage, the steroid beefy muscular guys beyond real and the curvy busty women beyond real.
Visually it's attractive and interesting. The story and dialogue he does really well, especially in this first one. And Marv, the ex-pug goodhearted and easily manipulated loser, needing medication (for his rage? or his hallucinations?) isn't real, he's a caricature as all the other men and women you meet in this fictional Vegas, but he's so interesting and as you turn the pages, you care about these people even IF they are manifestations of hyper-masculinist, over-sexuaized ideas, with huge doses of rage. That's what is kind of remarkable here, that you care about Marv and most of the people you meet!
What I don't particularly like is some aspects of the torture porn dimension of the revenge. And some aspects of the caricatures, though in this world, sexism and racism seem to be requirements of the world. There's a three women ninja fighting group that comes to Marv's defense, that's an interesting move on the part of goodness and feminism that Miller includes. You will like these ass-kicking women a lot.
Overall, I think it's pretty impressive. I am less interested as the stories move along, for some reason, in this first volume, but (having now read all of them), this creation of this world is one of the great accomplishments of comics.
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