What do you think?
Rate this book
Black Dahlia
On January 15, 1947, a woman walking with her daughter in a Los Angeles neighborhood passed what looked to be a discarded mannequin. It turned out to be the body of Elizabeth Short: posed, drained of blood, meticulously scrubbed, and cut in two. From this point, Geary reconstitutes and reveals for us the life of this 22-year-old woman who had become known as "Black Dahlia" because of her striking appearance. How could her life have ended in such a ghastly fashion? Was it a jealous boyfriend, a rejected suitor, or one of LA's notorious mafia members, with whom she had been connected? The case gets more complex when, days later, a local newspaper receives a cut-out letter from an anonymous "Black Dahlia Avenger" admitting to the crime.
80 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2016
7 people are currently reading
1441 people want to read
About the author
Rick Geary
194 books202 followersRICK GEARY was born in 1946 in Kansas City, Missouri and grew up in Wichita,
Kansas. He graduated from the University of Kansas in Lawrence, where his first cartoons were published in the University Daily Kansan. He worked as staff artist for two weekly papers in Wichita before moving to San Diego in 1975.
He began work in comics in 1977 and was for thirteen years a contributor to the Funny Pages of National Lampoon. His comic stories have also been published in Heavy Metal, Dark Horse Comics and the DC Comics/Paradox Press Big Books. His early comic work has been collected in Housebound with Rick Geary from Fantagraphics Books.
During a four-year stay in New York, his illustrations appeared regularly in The New York Times Book Review. His illustration work has also been seen in MAD, Spy, Rolling Stone, The Los Angeles Times, The Old Farmer’s Almanac, and American Libraries.
He has written and illustrated three children’s books based on The Mask for Dark Horse and two Spider-Man children's books for Marvel. His children’s comic “Society of Horrors” ran in Disney Adventures magazine. He was the artist for the new series of GUMBY Comics, written by Bob Burden, for which they received the 2007 Eisner Comic Industry Award for Best Publication for a Younger Audience.
His graphic novels include three adaptations for the Classics Illustrated, and the nine-volume series A Treasury of Victorian Murder for NBM Publishing. The new series A Treasury of 20th Century Murder began in 2008 with “The Lindbergh Child.” His other historically-based graphic novels include Cravan, written with Mike Richardson, and J. Edgar Hoover: A Graphic Biography.
Rick has received the Inkpot Award from the San Diego Comic Convention (1980) and the Book and Magazine Illustration Award from the National Cartoonists Society (1994).
He and his wife Deborah can be found every year at their table at San Diego’s Comic Con International. In 2007, they moved to the town of Carrizozo, New Mexico.
(from http://www.rickgeary.com/bio.html)
Kansas. He graduated from the University of Kansas in Lawrence, where his first cartoons were published in the University Daily Kansan. He worked as staff artist for two weekly papers in Wichita before moving to San Diego in 1975.
He began work in comics in 1977 and was for thirteen years a contributor to the Funny Pages of National Lampoon. His comic stories have also been published in Heavy Metal, Dark Horse Comics and the DC Comics/Paradox Press Big Books. His early comic work has been collected in Housebound with Rick Geary from Fantagraphics Books.
During a four-year stay in New York, his illustrations appeared regularly in The New York Times Book Review. His illustration work has also been seen in MAD, Spy, Rolling Stone, The Los Angeles Times, The Old Farmer’s Almanac, and American Libraries.
He has written and illustrated three children’s books based on The Mask for Dark Horse and two Spider-Man children's books for Marvel. His children’s comic “Society of Horrors” ran in Disney Adventures magazine. He was the artist for the new series of GUMBY Comics, written by Bob Burden, for which they received the 2007 Eisner Comic Industry Award for Best Publication for a Younger Audience.
His graphic novels include three adaptations for the Classics Illustrated, and the nine-volume series A Treasury of Victorian Murder for NBM Publishing. The new series A Treasury of 20th Century Murder began in 2008 with “The Lindbergh Child.” His other historically-based graphic novels include Cravan, written with Mike Richardson, and J. Edgar Hoover: A Graphic Biography.
Rick has received the Inkpot Award from the San Diego Comic Convention (1980) and the Book and Magazine Illustration Award from the National Cartoonists Society (1994).
He and his wife Deborah can be found every year at their table at San Diego’s Comic Con International. In 2007, they moved to the town of Carrizozo, New Mexico.
(from http://www.rickgeary.com/bio.html)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
November 9, 2020
Okay, I have a confession to make (and it’s not that I killed Elizabeth Short, an aspiring actress in LA, also known as the Black Dahlia). It’s that I have never read the novels on the same subject by James Ellroy or Joyce Carol Oates or seen the Brian DePalma movie. I bet there are others I also need to see and read, and will. . . But this book I read on the train, in one sitting, and really liked it. I know that makes me lame, to ONLY read the quick comics version, but okay, okay, I ‘ll read the Ellroy, and what else, and see the DePalma, I should have done it years ago!
I liked Geary’s precisely drawn and carefully researched and slightly formal treatment of the tale, which is part of his Treasury of Twentieth Century Murder series, all true crime, almost all of them you have probably heard of. Nothing remarkable about his approach, except it is pretty thorough, it seems to me, for a 79 page graphic treatment. It's less a comic than an illustrated story, it’s so chock full of narration, so it’s more reported than enacted (and with very little dialogue). Geary makes Elizabeth interesting, though; you’re curious about her and just exactly what happened to her and why.
She was killed in 1947 in LA. The reason the murder stands out is that it is particularly grisly, and features a guy who wrote notes (ala Jack the Ripper and other serial killers) to the cops to toy with them. It’s also unsolved, as were many of the murders of young women during this period. Hmm. But I liked it quite a bit.
I liked Geary’s precisely drawn and carefully researched and slightly formal treatment of the tale, which is part of his Treasury of Twentieth Century Murder series, all true crime, almost all of them you have probably heard of. Nothing remarkable about his approach, except it is pretty thorough, it seems to me, for a 79 page graphic treatment. It's less a comic than an illustrated story, it’s so chock full of narration, so it’s more reported than enacted (and with very little dialogue). Geary makes Elizabeth interesting, though; you’re curious about her and just exactly what happened to her and why.
She was killed in 1947 in LA. The reason the murder stands out is that it is particularly grisly, and features a guy who wrote notes (ala Jack the Ripper and other serial killers) to the cops to toy with them. It’s also unsolved, as were many of the murders of young women during this period. Hmm. But I liked it quite a bit.
December 5, 2016
On the morning of January 15th, 1947 in Los Angeles, a woman and her daughter walking past a vacant lot saw what looked to be a discarded mannequin but were actually the remains of 22 year old Elizabeth Short. She had been mutilated; her body cut in half and cleaned, before being dumped in the lot. Because of her striking appearance, the murder victim would become known as the Black Dahlia, one of LA’s most famous and unsolved killings - this is her story.
Black Dahlia is another brilliant addition to Rick Geary’s Treasury of XXth Century Murder series and an engrossing narrative. As with all of Geary’s books, this one is well-researched and informative (which is especially good to someone like me who only knows the surface features of the case).
Geary relates the troubled circumstances leading up to Short’s brutal murder with the sensibilities of a thriller writer. The many men she had dealings with including mobsters, her struggles with money, her failed showbiz career, her attempts at fleeing California - who, what and why, we’ll never know - as well as revealing the other, less famous similar murders of women from this time indicating a seemingly protected hellish subculture to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. The murderer/s of Elizabeth Short and these other victims were never caught.
Like a lot of true crime, Black Dahlia is morbidly fascinating but Rick Geary’s comics treatment of the case with his well-paced storytelling and detailed black and white art makes it a gripping read also. Those who are familiar with the murder probably won’t be as enthralled but readers who aren’t and enjoy true crime comics will love this one - I sure did! Creepy, unsettling fun - bravo, Rick Geary!
Black Dahlia is another brilliant addition to Rick Geary’s Treasury of XXth Century Murder series and an engrossing narrative. As with all of Geary’s books, this one is well-researched and informative (which is especially good to someone like me who only knows the surface features of the case).
Geary relates the troubled circumstances leading up to Short’s brutal murder with the sensibilities of a thriller writer. The many men she had dealings with including mobsters, her struggles with money, her failed showbiz career, her attempts at fleeing California - who, what and why, we’ll never know - as well as revealing the other, less famous similar murders of women from this time indicating a seemingly protected hellish subculture to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. The murderer/s of Elizabeth Short and these other victims were never caught.
Like a lot of true crime, Black Dahlia is morbidly fascinating but Rick Geary’s comics treatment of the case with his well-paced storytelling and detailed black and white art makes it a gripping read also. Those who are familiar with the murder probably won’t be as enthralled but readers who aren’t and enjoy true crime comics will love this one - I sure did! Creepy, unsettling fun - bravo, Rick Geary!
December 21, 2020
Rick Geary presents a very well researched look into the death of Elizabeth Short. Nicknamed The Black Dahlia by her acquaintances for her black outfits and hair, she was found brutally murdered and cut in half in a vacant lot in Los Angeles. Geary looks into her life up to her death and the many suspects interviewed afterwards. He also delves into the police corruption in L.A. in the 40's and 50's. If you've never delved into this famous murder, it's a doozy that has inspired many theories in movies and books.
February 7, 2017
This should be a YA book, maybe even middle-grade/juvenile, but the inclusion of graphic representations of naked, dismembered body parts probably shoves this straight into adult territory.
While the pictures are adult, the writing, itself, is not. I'm not saying it's childish, it's just something you'd find in a typical non-fiction introductory account of the Black Dahlia murder aimed at, say, 7th graders.
So this is a non-fiction graphic novel (yes, that is an oxymoron) about the life and murder of Elizabeth Short in 1947. The case was never solved and it's been a topic of curiosity and fascination in the decades since. If you know anything more than the general overview of the case, you won't learn much more in this short book (80 illustrated pages)
The art is fine. The crime scene and autopsy illustrations are taken directly from photos, which you can look up online for comparison. There's a strong pre-50's feel to the pictures, as there should be. But they're also...technical? That's not quite the right word. They're like illustrations you'd find in a manual that was trying to be more light-hearted and accessible to the average reader.
This is a solid introduction to one of America's high-profile cold cases. Again, it seems aimed at a younger crowd but will be shelved in adult areas because of the graphic illustrations.
Black Dahlia enthusiasts would probably only enjoy this as a collector's item.
While the pictures are adult, the writing, itself, is not. I'm not saying it's childish, it's just something you'd find in a typical non-fiction introductory account of the Black Dahlia murder aimed at, say, 7th graders.
So this is a non-fiction graphic novel (yes, that is an oxymoron) about the life and murder of Elizabeth Short in 1947. The case was never solved and it's been a topic of curiosity and fascination in the decades since. If you know anything more than the general overview of the case, you won't learn much more in this short book (80 illustrated pages)
The art is fine. The crime scene and autopsy illustrations are taken directly from photos, which you can look up online for comparison. There's a strong pre-50's feel to the pictures, as there should be. But they're also...technical? That's not quite the right word. They're like illustrations you'd find in a manual that was trying to be more light-hearted and accessible to the average reader.
This is a solid introduction to one of America's high-profile cold cases. Again, it seems aimed at a younger crowd but will be shelved in adult areas because of the graphic illustrations.
Black Dahlia enthusiasts would probably only enjoy this as a collector's item.
March 14, 2018
Rick Geary is an impressive researcher, he collects and assembles interesting narratives of facts. But his writing and word choice are often dry and expected. There is little humor or stylistic elegance to his writing. He is a very good resource for factual details, but I find myself drifting off when I read him.
April 29, 2017
Rick Geary does what he does, giving us a straightforward retelling of a crime committed long ago in his oddly detached and creepy style.
September 16, 2017
Rick Geary does it again. I love his series of graphic non-fiction, with its droll artwork, on true crime. This one is on the infamous Black Dahlia murder in 1947. I've read about this case in other books, and seen at least one documentary on it. Geary does a good job of summarizing the case. In fact, I learned a few things I didn't know before. I was surprised, however, that he didn't mention the recent theory that the father of author George Hodel, a retired policeman, did the killings. Hodel has written a couple of books about it. I don't think we'll ever know who murdered her, though, because so much evidence has been lost. I can't wait for him to come out with his next true crime book. Highly recommended!
September 2, 2019
I had heard the name 'Black Dahlia' before, but really had no idea what the full story was. Though I guess, as I learned from this book, nobody really does. Rick Geary's graphic novels of true crime stories have always been favorites of mine though. Drawn in black and white, it keeps things from ever getting too gruesome, but also gives a good summary of the crime and the backstory. This one is hard to really get into because there are so many unknowns. Geary tries to present the facts as best he can while avoiding getting sucks into the theories and conspiracy stories that are connected to this horrible murder. But after watching 'Mindhunter', I needed a true crime fix and this scratched that itch.
Read
April 2, 2021Once again, Rick Geary’s no-frills storytelling makes for a fascinating read. He never sensationalizes and researches the subjects thoroughly. Obviously this is a well-known murder, but I learned a good deal from Geary’s account, particularly about Elizabeth Short’s life. The bits about L.A. mobs and police corruption are also illuminating.
I’m reading Geary’s true crime books in whatever order they arrive from the library. I’ve enjoyed them all so far.
I’m reading Geary’s true crime books in whatever order they arrive from the library. I’ve enjoyed them all so far.
September 4, 2017
I love true crime and I think this quick read was informative and just stated the basics. it's definitely a good intro if you're looking to learn about the Black Dahlia. 4/5
February 16, 2021
The unsolved mystery of the death of Elizabeth Short, also known as the Black Dahlia, is one of the most famous cold cases of all time. Rick Geary's graphic novel treatment of the crime gives us a bit of background into the life of Ms. Short and the murky circumstances surrounding her death.
March 19, 2019
Geary's intense and enlightening take on one of the most famous unsolved homicides in the US. Elizabeth Short's story has become fodder for the ghoul gallery because of the gruesome condition in which her body was discovered. This book devotes its largest portion to showing us who Short actually was in life, as well as the times in which she lived. We also learn about the investigation and many false leads and missteps in trying to catch the murderer.
December 29, 2020
I have read a few books about the subject so this works well as a supplement but there's so much detail to this story that for this format it's hard to really cover the subject fully.
April 17, 2023
Published in 2016, this graphic novel was the last in writer/artist Rick Geary series, “Treasury of XXth Century Murder,” the follow-up to his original series “Treasury of Victorian Murder.” This particular volume of his series is one of my personal favorites, since it concerns a long-standing unsolved Los Angeles murder, and—as usual—Rick’s meticulous research, writing, and art tells the complete story in 80 black-and-white pages. This volume also won the National Cartoonists Society Best Graphic Novel Award for 2016.
On a personal note: I had the honor of interviewing Rick this past weekend at the Comic-Con Museum in San Diego about his career and work for San Diego Comic-Con; he created the Toucan logo and subsequent art for the Toucan Blog—which I created—on their website,. We did close to 50 different pieces together, which I commissioned directly from him and, at times, art-directed. I miss working with him, but I’ll always be grateful for all the wonderful art and stories he’s given the world.
On a personal note: I had the honor of interviewing Rick this past weekend at the Comic-Con Museum in San Diego about his career and work for San Diego Comic-Con; he created the Toucan logo and subsequent art for the Toucan Blog—which I created—on their website,. We did close to 50 different pieces together, which I commissioned directly from him and, at times, art-directed. I miss working with him, but I’ll always be grateful for all the wonderful art and stories he’s given the world.
May 6, 2018
I didn't enjoy this as much as Geary's fictional "Louise Brooks: Detective." Reads more like a Wikipedia entry or an episode of Cold Case Files narrated by Bill Kurtis. Still, Geary's trademark artwork is enjoyable with an eye for the details of a bygone era. Sad what happened to this girl.
October 26, 2017
I didn't know a lot about the black Dahlia murder but daaaaaaaaaang! This was definitely a cursory overview, and I look forward to delving deeper with a podcast and/or book or two.
December 8, 2018
Never stop making murder comics, sir.
December 16, 2018
True Crime can very easily meander if you aren't careful. This book does a good job of efficiently giving you all the information you could every want to know and trimming away the fat.
Read
March 25, 2017Graphic novel, very interesting, I enjoyed it!
October 10, 2019
Straight forward, well researched and drawn history of the Black Dahlia case.
December 8, 2025
Pretty good. Simple illustrations which I like. Book was well researched. Nothing out of the ordinary
April 17, 2017
Really enjoyed this - a smart, true crime graphic novel, which effectively established the context for the fascination with the 'Black Dahlia' murder.
March 5, 2017
I adore Rick Geary's books and this one did not disappoint! His artwork and style are amazing.
August 31, 2024
There's something so touching about this book that makes me return to it. Although it's considered "true crime" it spends less time on the investigation and theories surrounding the Black Dahlia killing and more on Elizabeth Short's life and who she was. There's compassion in how her story is presented, as well as placing her death in the context of several other women who were murdered and dumped in public areas of Los Angeles around the same time. What irks me is that it seems the LAPD was aware of who was killing these women- Short included- but were too corrupt to bring them in.
Overall I appreciated that there was less emphasis on the gory details and more on the human who suffered so horribly, as well as why she may have ended up in such a horrifying, inescapable situation. It's making me consider visiting her resting place the next time I'm on the west coast, just to sit with her for a while.
Overall I appreciated that there was less emphasis on the gory details and more on the human who suffered so horribly, as well as why she may have ended up in such a horrifying, inescapable situation. It's making me consider visiting her resting place the next time I'm on the west coast, just to sit with her for a while.
February 26, 2017
After nearly 20 books in his macabre true-crime series, Geary is still going strong. One of the best (and perhaps saddest) of his books to date.
July 21, 2018
A meticulous account of Elizabeth Smart and the mystery of her murder. Detailed without being overwhelming, and complemented with clear, crisp art and cleam layouts that propelled me seamlessly through the details.
June 9, 2019
Despite knowing a fair bit about the case beforehand, I was engrossed by Rick Geary's retelling, which is clear, concise and well-researched. The middle sections, focusing on her life and final days, are where the book shines. Geary really humanizes his subject and deftly digs into personal details and precise timelines without getting bogged down by minutiae.
His crisp lines are perfect for establishing a documentary feel. His architectural drawings are impressively detailed and successfully evoke the time and place--a mostly seedy post-war LA in the shadow of the glitz and glamour of Hollywood nightlife. His figure work is detailed, but his facial expressions have mostly a flat affect, which diminishes the emotional impact of the story. Also, someone pointed out to me that Geary rarely draws the same character in more than two consecutive panels. Therefore, there are no scenes, just snapshots. The end result is more documentary than dramatization. But, it's exquisitely rendered and concisely told.
The most heart-wrenching part is the double-page splash near the end where Geary shows and tells us in brief about several other young women from around the same time whose brutal murders went unsolved. It's a sobering reminder that, despite the enduring fascination with the Black Dahlia, in many ways, sadly, her case was hardly unique.
His crisp lines are perfect for establishing a documentary feel. His architectural drawings are impressively detailed and successfully evoke the time and place--a mostly seedy post-war LA in the shadow of the glitz and glamour of Hollywood nightlife. His figure work is detailed, but his facial expressions have mostly a flat affect, which diminishes the emotional impact of the story. Also, someone pointed out to me that Geary rarely draws the same character in more than two consecutive panels. Therefore, there are no scenes, just snapshots. The end result is more documentary than dramatization. But, it's exquisitely rendered and concisely told.
The most heart-wrenching part is the double-page splash near the end where Geary shows and tells us in brief about several other young women from around the same time whose brutal murders went unsolved. It's a sobering reminder that, despite the enduring fascination with the Black Dahlia, in many ways, sadly, her case was hardly unique.
August 15, 2022
On January 15, 1947 in Los Angeles, a woman was with her young daughter walking around the neighborhood when they come across a discarded mannequin. It turns out the mannequin was the discarded body of Elizabeth Short. Elizabeth's body was posed, drained of blood and cut in two. The author then delves into Elizabeth's life before her murder and the aftermath.
I thought the graphic novel was an interesting read. I was familiar with the Black Dahlia murder and the graphic novel didn't disclose any additional information that couldn't be found elsewhere. I feel if you like reading about true crime and you like graphic novels, you will enjoy this series.
I thought the graphic novel was an interesting read. I was familiar with the Black Dahlia murder and the graphic novel didn't disclose any additional information that couldn't be found elsewhere. I feel if you like reading about true crime and you like graphic novels, you will enjoy this series.
February 14, 2024
I kind of feel like a terrible person for saying this....but this was a little boring?
The Black Dahlia case is infamous for its brutality and complete mystery of the whole thing but I feel like I left this reading session with pretty much nothing to really learn here. This graphic novel talks mainly about Elizabeth Short's life (which is important, don't get me wrong!) and not much about the crime. And while I like learning more about who these victims were in their lifetime I am also here to learn about the case and it seemed like the murder took a backseat in this book. Again, I sound totally heartless here but I just wish her life and the case were more of a 50/50 in this adaptation.
May Elizabeth Short rest in peace.
The Black Dahlia case is infamous for its brutality and complete mystery of the whole thing but I feel like I left this reading session with pretty much nothing to really learn here. This graphic novel talks mainly about Elizabeth Short's life (which is important, don't get me wrong!) and not much about the crime. And while I like learning more about who these victims were in their lifetime I am also here to learn about the case and it seemed like the murder took a backseat in this book. Again, I sound totally heartless here but I just wish her life and the case were more of a 50/50 in this adaptation.
May Elizabeth Short rest in peace.
November 27, 2019
Wanted to read this because it's a novel I've heard about quite a bit, and yikes. I was more upset by the racism, sexism, and gross exploitation of young women than the murder itself. I got through it, but I can't say it was worth it. Aside from the gross tone it's just a mediocre cop novel. With it, it's a tough-guy heavy handed investigative novel following a dbag with an ego bigger than all of California. If you aren't a shitty person you don't need to even try to read this, there are better murder/detective novels to try.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews