What do you think?
Rate this book
Sin City #4
Sin City: That Yellow Bastard
With only one hour left before his shield is finally put to rest, Hartigan begins to dream of lazy days and relaxation, but when he is told by his supervisor that one final case is still pending, Hartigan knows that his last hour will not be an easy one.
117 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
57 people are currently reading
5874 people want to read
About the author
Frank Miller
1,356 books5,358 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 453 reviews
July 24, 2025
A Fair Trade.
John Hartigan is an honest old beaten down cop, just hours away from to retirement. Yet this fateful night he receives a distressing call from one of his superiors; a serial rapist has kidnapped an eleven year old girl, one Nancy Callahan. Nothing he can't gladly take care of, except... the freak is the son of a very prominent political figure.
An interesting prequel installment that can be read as a standalone, since the story takes place before #1. This was good, all in all, entertaining, extremely violent and supremely noir as always, yet, this was on the whole kind of a disappointment, it just lacks the thrilling non-stop action that characterizes most of the previous volumes. Barely anything happens sometimes, issues 2, 3 and 4 almost completely skippable. The incarceration time taking too long, with excessively verbose long winded speeches... like Roark, the Torturer, Lucille... It was just too damn overwhelmingly wordy sometimes, for a comic. Butsmall medium niggles aside, this was still good. Enjoyable. More than acceptable. Good. John Hartigan and Nancy Callahan two extremely compelling and well defined characters that fortunately saved the day for me, though the age gap was a little cringe. And that Yellow Bastard...
*** The movie (2005) is a fantastic adaptation, greatly superior to the comic imo. Bruce Willis just excels as Det. John Hartigan, and Jessica Alba pretty much nails it as Nancy Callahan. Nick Stahl as that Yellow Bastard not so far behind, and a very memorable Powers Boothe as Senator Roark. The scenography, special effects and ambience perfectly capturing the artistic dark vibe of the comic. Simply outstanding. My memory is somewhat gappy and I'm not about to compare word for word, but I think most of the long speeches were severely reduced or cut down to acceptable standards. All in all, a great adaptation, memorable, and more than worthy to watch, as much as any segment of the first Sin City movie. Recommendable (8/10)
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1996] [240p] [Comic] [Conditional 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.
-----------------------------------------------
Un Trato Justo.
John Hartigan es un honesto y viejo derrotado policía, a pocas horas de jubilarse. Sin embargo, esa fatídica noche recibe una estresante llamada de uno de sus superiores; un violador serial ha secuestrado a una niña de once años, una tal Nancy Callahan. Nada de lo que no pueda encargarse con gusto, excepto que... el monstruo es el hijo de una figura política muy prominente.
Una interesante precuela que puede leerse de forma independiente, ya que la historia tiene lugar antes de #1. En general esto fue bueno, entretenido, extremadamente violento y sobresalientemente noir como siempre, sin embargo, fue algo como una especie de decepción, simplemente carece de la ininterrumpida y emocionante acción que caracteriza a la mayoría de los volúmenes anteriores. A veces casi nada sucede, las partes 2, 3 y 4 pudiéndose omitir casi por completo. El tiempo del encarcelamiento tomando demasiado tiempo, con discursos excesivamente largos y tediosos... como Roark, el Torturador, Lucille... A veces siendo abrumadoramente demasiado verborrágicos, para un cómic. Pero dejando de ladopequeños medianos inconvenientes, esto igualmente estuvo bien. Disfrutable. Más que aceptable. Bueno. John Hartigan y Nancy Callahan, dos personajes extremadamente atrapantes y bien definidos que afortunadamente me salvaron el día, aunque la diferencia de edad fue un poco desconcertante. Y ese Bastardo Amarillo...
*** La película (2005) es una fantástica adaptación, muy superior al cómic, en mi opinión. Bruce Willis sobresale terriblemente como Det. John Hartigan y Jessica Alba prácticamente brilla como Nancy Callahan. Nick Stahl como ese Bastardo Amarillo no se queda atrás, y un Powers Boothe muy memorable como Senador Roark. La escenografía, los efectos especiales y el ambiente capturando perfectamente la oscura vibra artística del cómic. Simplemente brillante. Mi memoria tiene muchos baches y no voy a comparar palabra por palabra, pero creo que la mayoría de los discursos largos fueron severamente cortados o reducidos a estándares aceptables. Dentro de todo, una genial adaptación, memorable y más que digna de ver, tanto como cualquier segmento de la primera película de Sin City. Recomendable (8/10)
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1996] [240p] [Comic] [Recomendable Condicional]
-----------------------------------------------
John Hartigan is an honest old beaten down cop, just hours away from to retirement. Yet this fateful night he receives a distressing call from one of his superiors; a serial rapist has kidnapped an eleven year old girl, one Nancy Callahan. Nothing he can't gladly take care of, except... the freak is the son of a very prominent political figure.
An interesting prequel installment that can be read as a standalone, since the story takes place before #1. This was good, all in all, entertaining, extremely violent and supremely noir as always, yet, this was on the whole kind of a disappointment, it just lacks the thrilling non-stop action that characterizes most of the previous volumes. Barely anything happens sometimes, issues 2, 3 and 4 almost completely skippable. The incarceration time taking too long, with excessively verbose long winded speeches... like Roark, the Torturer, Lucille... It was just too damn overwhelmingly wordy sometimes, for a comic. But
*** The movie (2005) is a fantastic adaptation, greatly superior to the comic imo. Bruce Willis just excels as Det. John Hartigan, and Jessica Alba pretty much nails it as Nancy Callahan. Nick Stahl as that Yellow Bastard not so far behind, and a very memorable Powers Boothe as Senator Roark. The scenography, special effects and ambience perfectly capturing the artistic dark vibe of the comic. Simply outstanding. My memory is somewhat gappy and I'm not about to compare word for word, but I think most of the long speeches were severely reduced or cut down to acceptable standards. All in all, a great adaptation, memorable, and more than worthy to watch, as much as any segment of the first Sin City movie. Recommendable (8/10)
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1996] [240p] [Comic] [Conditional 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.
-----------------------------------------------
Un Trato Justo.
John Hartigan es un honesto y viejo derrotado policía, a pocas horas de jubilarse. Sin embargo, esa fatídica noche recibe una estresante llamada de uno de sus superiores; un violador serial ha secuestrado a una niña de once años, una tal Nancy Callahan. Nada de lo que no pueda encargarse con gusto, excepto que... el monstruo es el hijo de una figura política muy prominente.
Una interesante precuela que puede leerse de forma independiente, ya que la historia tiene lugar antes de #1. En general esto fue bueno, entretenido, extremadamente violento y sobresalientemente noir como siempre, sin embargo, fue algo como una especie de decepción, simplemente carece de la ininterrumpida y emocionante acción que caracteriza a la mayoría de los volúmenes anteriores. A veces casi nada sucede, las partes 2, 3 y 4 pudiéndose omitir casi por completo. El tiempo del encarcelamiento tomando demasiado tiempo, con discursos excesivamente largos y tediosos... como Roark, el Torturador, Lucille... A veces siendo abrumadoramente demasiado verborrágicos, para un cómic. Pero dejando de lado
*** La película (2005) es una fantástica adaptación, muy superior al cómic, en mi opinión. Bruce Willis sobresale terriblemente como Det. John Hartigan y Jessica Alba prácticamente brilla como Nancy Callahan. Nick Stahl como ese Bastardo Amarillo no se queda atrás, y un Powers Boothe muy memorable como Senador Roark. La escenografía, los efectos especiales y el ambiente capturando perfectamente la oscura vibra artística del cómic. Simplemente brillante. Mi memoria tiene muchos baches y no voy a comparar palabra por palabra, pero creo que la mayoría de los discursos largos fueron severamente cortados o reducidos a estándares aceptables. Dentro de todo, una genial adaptación, memorable y más que digna de ver, tanto como cualquier segmento de la primera película de Sin City. Recomendable (8/10)
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1996] [240p] [Comic] [Recomendable Condicional]
-----------------------------------------------
November 28, 2022
He has Angina, is nearly 60, and about to retire; he's a super honourable and honest cop; John Hartigan refuses to let serial paedophile and rapist Roark Jnr, get away with kidnapping his latest potential victim, 11 year old Nancy Callahan. One slight problem, Jr's dad, Senator Roark has, like his family before him, bought and paid for, Sin City itself! What's a detective to do?
A tremendous and powerfully driven drama, debatably the best of Sin City.. and wtf is The Yellow Bastard? A Five Star read - 10 out of 12.
2019 read
A tremendous and powerfully driven drama, debatably the best of Sin City.. and wtf is The Yellow Bastard? A Five Star read - 10 out of 12.
2019 read
March 2, 2016
Number four - I still really hate the artwork, but the story is first rate. There's nothing like a good vengeance tale, and Miller's story of a wronged cop finally righting the score is particularly sweet.
My most bone-chilling moment? This little speech delivered by one of the villains:
Power doesn't come from a badge or a gun. Power comes outta lying and lying big and getting the whole damned world to play along with you. Once you got everybody agreeing with what they know in their hearts ain't true, you got 'em trapped. You're the boss. You can turn reality on its head and they'll cheer you on.
This could be the stump speech of a certain short-fingered, orange vulgarian currently running for President.
My most bone-chilling moment? This little speech delivered by one of the villains:
Power doesn't come from a badge or a gun. Power comes outta lying and lying big and getting the whole damned world to play along with you. Once you got everybody agreeing with what they know in their hearts ain't true, you got 'em trapped. You're the boss. You can turn reality on its head and they'll cheer you on.
This could be the stump speech of a certain short-fingered, orange vulgarian currently running for President.
July 22, 2018
You just cannot go wrong with Sin City! So much is in these pages: action, intrigue, really bad baddies, really good (but tragic) goodies. My only caution is it may be a bit much for some. If you prefer you violence, language and sex tame, this may not be the series fro you.
But if you are ready for some serious corruption and bloody revenge, this is the book for you. I have enjoyed every volume equally so far. It is just so darn creative and enthralling. You have likely seen me say in my reviews before that if I am cheering for or talking back at what I am reading it is the sign of a good book. That is definitely how I was with this volume.
For those who have seen the first Sin City movie, you will recognize this story. In fact, while the whole movie was great, I think this is the part I remember the most from the movie. Usually the book is said to be better than the movie. Rarely does the movie surpass the book. In this case, I would say that they are both equally fantastic!
"An old man dies, a little girl lives. Fair trade."
But if you are ready for some serious corruption and bloody revenge, this is the book for you. I have enjoyed every volume equally so far. It is just so darn creative and enthralling. You have likely seen me say in my reviews before that if I am cheering for or talking back at what I am reading it is the sign of a good book. That is definitely how I was with this volume.
For those who have seen the first Sin City movie, you will recognize this story. In fact, while the whole movie was great, I think this is the part I remember the most from the movie. Usually the book is said to be better than the movie. Rarely does the movie surpass the book. In this case, I would say that they are both equally fantastic!
"An old man dies, a little girl lives. Fair trade."
September 10, 2014
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
John Hartigan has served the police force well and his retirement is deserved, but when he gets word that little Nancy Callahan has been kidnapped he can’t just hand over his badge and gun without attempting to save her. Little does he know that his final moment of heroism will haunt him for years to come . . .
For all of you who know me in real life, follow my blog, or are friends with me here, you are probably well aware that I’m quite proud of my supernerdery. I know a lot about nothing important and love to share my pop culture Rainman abilities with anyone who is willing to look/listen. That being said, I now come to you all and admit that until this point I’ve been a total poseur. Although I take my tiny Sheldon Cooper (seriously, he’s the “got it, got it, need it, got it” kid when looking through the various boxes) to Planet ComicCon annually
my personal geekery was missing one huge piece – I had never before read a graphic novel.
Since I have more than a bit of an obsession with all things Sin City (when Starz was added to our cable package a couple of months ago I used the “on demand” option and watched the first movie EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT. for a month straight until my husband threatened to stage an intervention on my behalf), I figured it was high time to go big or go home.
I was sooooooo not disappointed. Frank Miller reached such a level of perfection with the graphic novel version of Sin City that hardly a word was needed to be changed before its transformation to the big screen. Sidenote: The one thing that was changed was the “grandfatherly” Hartigan being cast with the totally un-grandfatherly Bruce Willis. For that, I am eternally grateful : )
(and dare I forget to mention a certainpair of boobs someone else who might add to the enjoyment factor for others while watching the movie version)
From the characters, to the dialogue, to the artwork
That Yellow Bastard was everything I hoped it would be.
ALL THE STARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
John Hartigan has served the police force well and his retirement is deserved, but when he gets word that little Nancy Callahan has been kidnapped he can’t just hand over his badge and gun without attempting to save her. Little does he know that his final moment of heroism will haunt him for years to come . . .
For all of you who know me in real life, follow my blog, or are friends with me here, you are probably well aware that I’m quite proud of my supernerdery. I know a lot about nothing important and love to share my pop culture Rainman abilities with anyone who is willing to look/listen. That being said, I now come to you all and admit that until this point I’ve been a total poseur. Although I take my tiny Sheldon Cooper (seriously, he’s the “got it, got it, need it, got it” kid when looking through the various boxes) to Planet ComicCon annually
my personal geekery was missing one huge piece – I had never before read a graphic novel.
Since I have more than a bit of an obsession with all things Sin City (when Starz was added to our cable package a couple of months ago I used the “on demand” option and watched the first movie EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT. for a month straight until my husband threatened to stage an intervention on my behalf), I figured it was high time to go big or go home.
I was sooooooo not disappointed. Frank Miller reached such a level of perfection with the graphic novel version of Sin City that hardly a word was needed to be changed before its transformation to the big screen. Sidenote: The one thing that was changed was the “grandfatherly” Hartigan being cast with the totally un-grandfatherly Bruce Willis. For that, I am eternally grateful : )
(and dare I forget to mention a certain
From the characters, to the dialogue, to the artwork
That Yellow Bastard was everything I hoped it would be.
ALL THE STARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 21, 2015
[9/10]
The best Sin City episode for me since "The Hard Goodbye". I'm not making a case that the previous two albums were inferior. I was just waiting for a strong lead character to rival the unique voice of Marv, and for some of that sharp internal monologues that cut to the the bone, letting out all the pent up rage and despair of a man pushed beyond his limits of endurance.
The present album also benefits from some of the best opening lines in my noir library:
Just one hour to go.
My last day on the job.
Early retirement.
Not my idea.
Doctor's orders.
Heart condition.
Angina, he calls it.
Just one hour to go.
I'm polishing my badge and getting myself used to the idea of saying goodbye to it. It and the thirty-odd years of protecting and serving and tears and blood and terror and tryumph it represents. I'm pushing papers, filling out forms, going through the motions like some old forgotten machine nobody ever bothered to turn off.
I'm thinking about Eileen's slow smile, about the thick, fat steaks she picked up at the butcher's today, about the bottle of champagne she's got packed in ice, about sleeping in till ten in the morning if I ever feel like it and sunny afternoons flat on my back and one loose end I haven't tied up, a young girl who's out there somewhere, helpless in the hands of a drooling lunatic.
Just one hour to go and I get the word from a stoolie by the name of Morales. I guess it's all over my face because Bob's on me like a fly on used food, yelling at me all the way to the projects.
John Hartigan, a policeman on his last day on the job, appears at first glance to be cut from the same cloth as Marv, at least in the way his character is drawn. I had to pay attention to the "X" scar on his temple to make sure he is a new character. It didn't help that I was expecting to recognize Bruce Willis in his face, forgetting that the comic precedes the movie version. I did get used to Hartigan pretty fast, mainly for one character trait that he shares with Marv, even as the two operate on opposing sides of the law: some things are simply not acceptable, even in the crime and corruption riddled Basin City. A man has to do what a man has to do, and preventing a pervert from abusing an eleven year old girl is worth a man's career, even his life.
Hartigan storms in and stops the crime like a black, hulking, battle scarred avenging angel. Since this is Sin City, after all, he also has to pay the price. The pervert is none other than the son of the most powerful man in town, Senator Roark (not a spoiler: revealed in the opening scene!), and the father swears a personal vendetta against the man who mutilated his only son.
I will not reveal the rest of the story - it's a bit more straight forward that the other Sin City albums, but this is exactly what makes it more powerful for me. We spend a lot of time inside Hartigan's mind, torn between the devotion to the girl he saved and the awareness of the dangers of coming close to her while he is chased by Roark's goons.
This girl is familiar from the first three albums, and it was about time we get a glimpse of her back story, after spending so many pages mesmerized by her gyrations in a topless cowboy outfit at Kadie's Bar. Nancy Callahan is already alluring as a little girl (which doesn't in any way excuse the pervert's actions). As a strip dancer we already found out that she is smoking hot. We know now that there is a real person behind the doll mask, sensitive and loyal and intelligent. For once, I cannot really complain about Frank Miller's portrayal of women. Seeing Hartigan and Nancy together prompts comparisons with the fairytale Beauty and the Beast, which is not as far fetched at you might think at first glance. Hartigan looks like a monster, but throughout the presentation he is a tower of strength and integrity.
As secondary character go, the portrait of Senator Roark is another effective combination of powerful monologue and stark monochrome graphics. I judge the succes by how repulsive I found his image and his plea for the rule of the weak by the strong:
Power doesn't come from a badge or a gun. Power comes outta lying and lying big and getting the whole damn world to play along with you. Once you got everybody agreeing with what they know in their hearts ain't true, you got 'em trapped. You're the boss. You can turn reality on its head and they'll cheer you on. You can make a saint out of a gibbering nutcase like my high-and-mighty brother. You can beat your wife to death with a baseball bat like I did and leave your fingerprints all the hell over it and a dozen witnesses will swear on a stack of bibles you were a thousand miles away.
I saw some of the other reviewers comment on the artwork in the later Sin City albums as more conventional and less cutting edge that the debut. I can't argue with the theory: I have either gotten used to the camera angles and to the stark shadows, or Miller has indeed got a little lazy in the panel layouts. (the exception here is a whole chapter drawn from a fixed camera position, Hartigan lying on his back in a hospital bed, reminding me of the movie Rope by Hitchcock). The artist still has some arrows left in his graphic quiver, such as the recent addition of colour to augment what was until now uncompromisingly two-tone. The symbolism is evident: red in an earlier story for blood, yellow now for corruption, cowardice, moral poison.
Another experiment, only partly successful, is the attempt to write humorous characters into what was until now unrelentlessly grim. "Mr. Klump and Mr. Shlub, two any-dirty-job-there-is thugs with delusions of eloquence." exchange pretentious words while they go about their illegal business, small fry to face the full fury of Hartigan. Although their onscreen time was too brief to make a strong impression, they appear to me modelled on the duo of hired killers from Neil Gaiman's "Neverwhere", who were truly scary, but this might be just the result of the fact that I read the Neverwhere comic just before Sin City.
A last word about the timeline: album four is set a few years before, and later in parallel with the events from the other episodes. It can be easily read out of order, as a stand-alone, but it will probably be tied up later with the stories of the girls of Old Town and with the adventures of photographer/ vigilante Dwight. I look forward to seeing Nancy again, with or without her clothes, which I hope is not a confession of pervert thoughts from this reader.
Recommended, with the usual advisory: explicit violence, language and nudity.
The best Sin City episode for me since "The Hard Goodbye". I'm not making a case that the previous two albums were inferior. I was just waiting for a strong lead character to rival the unique voice of Marv, and for some of that sharp internal monologues that cut to the the bone, letting out all the pent up rage and despair of a man pushed beyond his limits of endurance.
The present album also benefits from some of the best opening lines in my noir library:
Just one hour to go.
My last day on the job.
Early retirement.
Not my idea.
Doctor's orders.
Heart condition.
Angina, he calls it.
Just one hour to go.
I'm polishing my badge and getting myself used to the idea of saying goodbye to it. It and the thirty-odd years of protecting and serving and tears and blood and terror and tryumph it represents. I'm pushing papers, filling out forms, going through the motions like some old forgotten machine nobody ever bothered to turn off.
I'm thinking about Eileen's slow smile, about the thick, fat steaks she picked up at the butcher's today, about the bottle of champagne she's got packed in ice, about sleeping in till ten in the morning if I ever feel like it and sunny afternoons flat on my back and one loose end I haven't tied up, a young girl who's out there somewhere, helpless in the hands of a drooling lunatic.
Just one hour to go and I get the word from a stoolie by the name of Morales. I guess it's all over my face because Bob's on me like a fly on used food, yelling at me all the way to the projects.
John Hartigan, a policeman on his last day on the job, appears at first glance to be cut from the same cloth as Marv, at least in the way his character is drawn. I had to pay attention to the "X" scar on his temple to make sure he is a new character. It didn't help that I was expecting to recognize Bruce Willis in his face, forgetting that the comic precedes the movie version. I did get used to Hartigan pretty fast, mainly for one character trait that he shares with Marv, even as the two operate on opposing sides of the law: some things are simply not acceptable, even in the crime and corruption riddled Basin City. A man has to do what a man has to do, and preventing a pervert from abusing an eleven year old girl is worth a man's career, even his life.
Hartigan storms in and stops the crime like a black, hulking, battle scarred avenging angel. Since this is Sin City, after all, he also has to pay the price. The pervert is none other than the son of the most powerful man in town, Senator Roark (not a spoiler: revealed in the opening scene!), and the father swears a personal vendetta against the man who mutilated his only son.
I will not reveal the rest of the story - it's a bit more straight forward that the other Sin City albums, but this is exactly what makes it more powerful for me. We spend a lot of time inside Hartigan's mind, torn between the devotion to the girl he saved and the awareness of the dangers of coming close to her while he is chased by Roark's goons.
This girl is familiar from the first three albums, and it was about time we get a glimpse of her back story, after spending so many pages mesmerized by her gyrations in a topless cowboy outfit at Kadie's Bar. Nancy Callahan is already alluring as a little girl (which doesn't in any way excuse the pervert's actions). As a strip dancer we already found out that she is smoking hot. We know now that there is a real person behind the doll mask, sensitive and loyal and intelligent. For once, I cannot really complain about Frank Miller's portrayal of women. Seeing Hartigan and Nancy together prompts comparisons with the fairytale Beauty and the Beast, which is not as far fetched at you might think at first glance. Hartigan looks like a monster, but throughout the presentation he is a tower of strength and integrity.
As secondary character go, the portrait of Senator Roark is another effective combination of powerful monologue and stark monochrome graphics. I judge the succes by how repulsive I found his image and his plea for the rule of the weak by the strong:
Power doesn't come from a badge or a gun. Power comes outta lying and lying big and getting the whole damn world to play along with you. Once you got everybody agreeing with what they know in their hearts ain't true, you got 'em trapped. You're the boss. You can turn reality on its head and they'll cheer you on. You can make a saint out of a gibbering nutcase like my high-and-mighty brother. You can beat your wife to death with a baseball bat like I did and leave your fingerprints all the hell over it and a dozen witnesses will swear on a stack of bibles you were a thousand miles away.
I saw some of the other reviewers comment on the artwork in the later Sin City albums as more conventional and less cutting edge that the debut. I can't argue with the theory: I have either gotten used to the camera angles and to the stark shadows, or Miller has indeed got a little lazy in the panel layouts. (the exception here is a whole chapter drawn from a fixed camera position, Hartigan lying on his back in a hospital bed, reminding me of the movie Rope by Hitchcock). The artist still has some arrows left in his graphic quiver, such as the recent addition of colour to augment what was until now uncompromisingly two-tone. The symbolism is evident: red in an earlier story for blood, yellow now for corruption, cowardice, moral poison.
Another experiment, only partly successful, is the attempt to write humorous characters into what was until now unrelentlessly grim. "Mr. Klump and Mr. Shlub, two any-dirty-job-there-is thugs with delusions of eloquence." exchange pretentious words while they go about their illegal business, small fry to face the full fury of Hartigan. Although their onscreen time was too brief to make a strong impression, they appear to me modelled on the duo of hired killers from Neil Gaiman's "Neverwhere", who were truly scary, but this might be just the result of the fact that I read the Neverwhere comic just before Sin City.
A last word about the timeline: album four is set a few years before, and later in parallel with the events from the other episodes. It can be easily read out of order, as a stand-alone, but it will probably be tied up later with the stories of the girls of Old Town and with the adventures of photographer/ vigilante Dwight. I look forward to seeing Nancy again, with or without her clothes, which I hope is not a confession of pervert thoughts from this reader.
Recommended, with the usual advisory: explicit violence, language and nudity.
August 21, 2015
This is the best so far of the Sin City volumes, which I am reading as part of the BIG DAMN Sin City complete collection, which is 1357 pages long and in a really BIG format, which is sort of appropriate for Miller's sort of approach to noir, mostly black and white (though this one adds yellow for the yellow bastard guy), with BIG cops and BIG women and BIG criminals and BIG splashy art). But the art and story seem to work better here than in the previous volumes, seem a bit more inspired. He's in the swing, or hitting his stride, maybe?
This one focuses on sixty year old Hartigan (someone said the inspiration was Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry), a good cop who had been framed and jailed for eight years, who gets revenge and twice saves young heroine Nancy, first when she was eleven, and now again when she is nineteen. This really is a great noir story that almost makes me forgive Miller for the faults in some of his other work. When he is good. . .
The Yellow Bastard is big and bold and brash and and over the top, though still (for him) almost understated in a way because Hartigan is at the end of his career and so (surprisingly) good for one of Miller's characters.
This one focuses on sixty year old Hartigan (someone said the inspiration was Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry), a good cop who had been framed and jailed for eight years, who gets revenge and twice saves young heroine Nancy, first when she was eleven, and now again when she is nineteen. This really is a great noir story that almost makes me forgive Miller for the faults in some of his other work. When he is good. . .
The Yellow Bastard is big and bold and brash and and over the top, though still (for him) almost understated in a way because Hartigan is at the end of his career and so (surprisingly) good for one of Miller's characters.
June 18, 2025
A new arc in this volume, with officer Hartigan having his last day on the force ending with a bang (literally), it's a trademark of the series apparently that Chapter 1 of each volume seems to be the end of the story not the start of it!
The score starts on a hopeful note that the story this time will be different, but it turns out the same, a dame in distress for the fourth time, but what's new this time is that Hartigan goes after the bad guys driven by his fatherly affection for Nancy, he is not consumed by a lustful love like his predecessors in the previous volumes...
The story felt shorter and a bit shallower this time, still good though, will take out a star this time, and hope we're back to 4 stars in vol 5...
MiM
The score starts on a hopeful note that the story this time will be different, but it turns out the same, a dame in distress for the fourth time, but what's new this time is that Hartigan goes after the bad guys driven by his fatherly affection for Nancy, he is not consumed by a lustful love like his predecessors in the previous volumes...
The story felt shorter and a bit shallower this time, still good though, will take out a star this time, and hope we're back to 4 stars in vol 5...
MiM
April 29, 2015
Hartigan is a cop. Last day before retirement. He spends it hunting down a pedophile and saving the little girl, 11-year-old Nancy Callahan. Because the pedophile was the senator's son, Hartigan - who was shot 6 times AND has a bad heart - is fingered as the pedophile. He spends 8 years in solitary. Nancy loves him and writes him a letter a week. For eight whole years. Then the letters stop coming. Just an envelope with the finger of a 19-year-old girl. Hartigan knows what he has to do...
...
LIKES:
Excellent writing. Miller does a great job at distinguishing voices. All his strong male leads have a different, distinct voice. That's a skill. Hartigan leans towards fragmented sentences and he tends to repeat himself a lot.
The "hero" of this novel doesn't hit any women. You might think it's weird that I'm mentioning this, but this volume, #4, is the FIRST Sin City graphic novel where the "hero" doesn't strike a woman in the face. I'm not even counting when "bad guys" do it. But in 1, 2 and 3 the "hero" main character always sees fit to smack a woman around. It wasn't winning any points with me and I'm glad Hartigan never strikes Nancy.
Beautiful, stunning illustrations. Excellent use of color and black & white.
The plot. It's exciting, it's gripping, it's moving. Hartigan is hunting down a pedophile/rapist and Nancy is 50 years younger than Hartigan and in love with him. Hartigan is trying his hardest not to have sex with her, no matter how much she begs, and he's just such a mensch. And not only a mensch, but someone who's really strong mentally and physically and can get the job done. Also, they use the word "mensch" in the novel. That alone wins points with me, since I use that word in my life when a man deserves it. :)
Burt Schlubb and Douglas Klump crack me up. A bit of humor in this dark novel. They are two thugs who use huge words in order to sound polished.
The guard, the prison guard, when Hartigan's in prison - Miller gives him these little thought bubbles all the time like, "My life is worthless." "My wife hates me, "I don't get paid half what I'm worth." and it's a background taking place while Hartigan and Lucille are arguing. It's hilarious and very well done.
DISLIKES:
I don't like reading about pedophiles and rapists even if they get what's coming to them.
It has a sad ending.
...
LIKES:
Excellent writing. Miller does a great job at distinguishing voices. All his strong male leads have a different, distinct voice. That's a skill. Hartigan leans towards fragmented sentences and he tends to repeat himself a lot.
The "hero" of this novel doesn't hit any women. You might think it's weird that I'm mentioning this, but this volume, #4, is the FIRST Sin City graphic novel where the "hero" doesn't strike a woman in the face. I'm not even counting when "bad guys" do it. But in 1, 2 and 3 the "hero" main character always sees fit to smack a woman around. It wasn't winning any points with me and I'm glad Hartigan never strikes Nancy.
Beautiful, stunning illustrations. Excellent use of color and black & white.
The plot. It's exciting, it's gripping, it's moving. Hartigan is hunting down a pedophile/rapist and Nancy is 50 years younger than Hartigan and in love with him. Hartigan is trying his hardest not to have sex with her, no matter how much she begs, and he's just such a mensch. And not only a mensch, but someone who's really strong mentally and physically and can get the job done. Also, they use the word "mensch" in the novel. That alone wins points with me, since I use that word in my life when a man deserves it. :)
Burt Schlubb and Douglas Klump crack me up. A bit of humor in this dark novel. They are two thugs who use huge words in order to sound polished.
The guard, the prison guard, when Hartigan's in prison - Miller gives him these little thought bubbles all the time like, "My life is worthless." "My wife hates me, "I don't get paid half what I'm worth." and it's a background taking place while Hartigan and Lucille are arguing. It's hilarious and very well done.
DISLIKES:
I don't like reading about pedophiles and rapists even if they get what's coming to them.
It has a sad ending.
November 13, 2021
In a tale that seems to take place earlier in the Sin City chronology, we follow a grizzled, aging cop named John Hartigan on the verge of retirement, and his one last mission to try to save little 11-year-old Nancy Callahan. That’s right, we finally get a bit of backstory for the most famous and mysterious exotic dancer in Sin City, who’s graced all the books so far.
This is definitely one of the meaner, darker installments, as it features some of the more evil, deplorable villains in Sin City, and that’s saying a lot. The book also stands out because in the midst of the usual stark, black and white art, Miller explores splashes of yellow to very effective degree, as it really stands out on the page, and gave me anxiety knowing that that yellow bastard was around.
This is definitely one of the meaner, darker installments, as it features some of the more evil, deplorable villains in Sin City, and that’s saying a lot. The book also stands out because in the midst of the usual stark, black and white art, Miller explores splashes of yellow to very effective degree, as it really stands out on the page, and gave me anxiety knowing that that yellow bastard was around.
July 11, 2022
The series continues in great form, and this just might be my favourite yet.
November 14, 2022
Stupid, crazy, pathetic old man!
It starts slow, but gets better at the end of the third chapter! Totally reminiscent of the end of the first movie.
January 31, 2021
Okay, undoubtedly my favorite out of all the Sin City books so far, comparable with The Hard Goodbye. The addition of yellow ink was such a success too — I felt like I could smell the stench of the yellow man as I read. And the stakes just felt so high.
August 24, 2021
Frank miller delivered another classic and after reading it. I have to say it's kinda scary how closely they followed the books for the first movie. But I guess as a fan that's something you want to happen right.
May 21, 2025
Após terminar a leitura desse quarto volume de Sin City, fui pesquisar sobre a edição e descobri que esse volume é o mais benquisto entre fãs e a crítica. E realmente, esse volume superou o anterior e se tornou o meu favorito.
Na trama, acompanhamos um protagonista inusitado até então, um policial chamado John Hartigan, que está na casa dos 60 anos e está prestes a se aposentar. No entanto, em um noite de patrulha, ele e seu parceiro estão investigando um sequestro de uma garota, que poderia se desenrolar em um assassinato. Nesse momento, descobrimos que a garota é Nancy Callahan (sim, a famosa dançarina mencionada nos volumes anteriores) e assim, percebe-se que a história se passa anos antes dos três primeiros encadernados.
Dessa forma, O Assassino Amarelo é o encadernado inicial no que tange a época em que se passam as histórias, inclusive com momentos em que Marv e Dwight são mencionados e/ou aparecem nessa trama, bem como a fazenda mencionada no volume 1 e a influência da família Roark na cidade.
Evitando adentrar muito na história para manter a surpresa do leitor, O Assassino Amarelo se destaca pela maneira que o Miller conduz a trama, mas ao mesmo tempo pela história que ele roteirizou, pois o nível de suspense, investigação, vingança e superação que ele trabalha nessa obra são excepcionais. O trunfo dessa história é saber conduzir o leitor para uma trama que vai desmanchando-o por dentro, bem como a simpatia pelo protagonista.
Diferentemente dos volumes anteriores, onde temos protagonistas com atitudes questionáveis e um passado suspeito, o John é o contrário. Ao retrata-lo como Policial integro, que se preocupa com o próximo e com uma moral incorruptível, ver o que vai acontecendo com ele, as mentiras que são contadas e toda a injustiça, desperta uma sensação de revolta no leitor.
Ademais, o Miller trabalha muito bem a questão da verdade e da mentira, como o poder financeiro e político molda essas características da informação, de maneira que beneficie o indivíduo em detrimento do outro.
Na trama, acompanhamos um protagonista inusitado até então, um policial chamado John Hartigan, que está na casa dos 60 anos e está prestes a se aposentar. No entanto, em um noite de patrulha, ele e seu parceiro estão investigando um sequestro de uma garota, que poderia se desenrolar em um assassinato. Nesse momento, descobrimos que a garota é Nancy Callahan (sim, a famosa dançarina mencionada nos volumes anteriores) e assim, percebe-se que a história se passa anos antes dos três primeiros encadernados.
Dessa forma, O Assassino Amarelo é o encadernado inicial no que tange a época em que se passam as histórias, inclusive com momentos em que Marv e Dwight são mencionados e/ou aparecem nessa trama, bem como a fazenda mencionada no volume 1 e a influência da família Roark na cidade.
Evitando adentrar muito na história para manter a surpresa do leitor, O Assassino Amarelo se destaca pela maneira que o Miller conduz a trama, mas ao mesmo tempo pela história que ele roteirizou, pois o nível de suspense, investigação, vingança e superação que ele trabalha nessa obra são excepcionais. O trunfo dessa história é saber conduzir o leitor para uma trama que vai desmanchando-o por dentro, bem como a simpatia pelo protagonista.
Diferentemente dos volumes anteriores, onde temos protagonistas com atitudes questionáveis e um passado suspeito, o John é o contrário. Ao retrata-lo como Policial integro, que se preocupa com o próximo e com uma moral incorruptível, ver o que vai acontecendo com ele, as mentiras que são contadas e toda a injustiça, desperta uma sensação de revolta no leitor.
Ademais, o Miller trabalha muito bem a questão da verdade e da mentira, como o poder financeiro e político molda essas características da informação, de maneira que beneficie o indivíduo em detrimento do outro.
July 28, 2023
Sin City's darkest chapter is packed with some of the series' most intense confrontations and slickest artwork.
The story is quite simple: Man saves girl from pedophile, gets framed, gets locked up for eight years, then sets out to find the girl, seemingly kidnapped again by the same guy.
Works well as a revenge thriller and quite possibly has a bit more heart to it, regardless of how I felt about the strange, yet realistic love story twist thrown into the mix.
The story is quite simple: Man saves girl from pedophile, gets framed, gets locked up for eight years, then sets out to find the girl, seemingly kidnapped again by the same guy.
Works well as a revenge thriller and quite possibly has a bit more heart to it, regardless of how I felt about the strange, yet realistic love story twist thrown into the mix.
July 12, 2014
The name Frank Miller is a certificate for quality in the comics world, his noir series Sin City are an excellent example of a quality comic that is based purely on the writer/artist and owned by him as well.
That Yellow bastard is a brilliant telling in the oldish noir style with its b/w drawings it sets the mood. But the great thing is that the baddie, the title of the novel. is despicted in yellow. And it works very well.
John Hartigan the protagonist (and our hero) is only a few hours from retirement, due to a heartproblem, when he gets a tip off on one of his cases he finds impossible to ignore even with him in his last hours of duty. He wants to catch the perp in the act that is responsible for some sadistic killings. Has to do it in the act as it is the son of an influential senator who has all the means to get his son freed. Hartigan catches him in the act and maims the perp almost fatally when he gets betrayed and shot down himself.
Hartigan underestimated the wrath of the senator and he gets framed for the rape and assault on the senators son, and gets told that if he denies or opens his mouth the 11 year old victim or his wife will suffer the consequenses. And so Hartigan goes to jail and suffers in silence with as only communication the letters of the victim he saved untill one day the letters stop coming and Hartgan gets a visitor who comes baring gifts of the sadistic kind.
A great story of revenge, some gratious violence, some nudity with a bleak ending. The art is just beautifull and shows that Miller is indeed one of the masters in the genre.
That Yellow bastard is a brilliant telling in the oldish noir style with its b/w drawings it sets the mood. But the great thing is that the baddie, the title of the novel. is despicted in yellow. And it works very well.
John Hartigan the protagonist (and our hero) is only a few hours from retirement, due to a heartproblem, when he gets a tip off on one of his cases he finds impossible to ignore even with him in his last hours of duty. He wants to catch the perp in the act that is responsible for some sadistic killings. Has to do it in the act as it is the son of an influential senator who has all the means to get his son freed. Hartigan catches him in the act and maims the perp almost fatally when he gets betrayed and shot down himself.
Hartigan underestimated the wrath of the senator and he gets framed for the rape and assault on the senators son, and gets told that if he denies or opens his mouth the 11 year old victim or his wife will suffer the consequenses. And so Hartigan goes to jail and suffers in silence with as only communication the letters of the victim he saved untill one day the letters stop coming and Hartgan gets a visitor who comes baring gifts of the sadistic kind.
A great story of revenge, some gratious violence, some nudity with a bleak ending. The art is just beautifull and shows that Miller is indeed one of the masters in the genre.
May 16, 2022
Wow! If you can only read a couple of Frank Miller's SIN CITY volumes, make sure this is one of them. I love them all so it's hard for me to narrow it down. This series is a landmark among crime comics, and played a major influential role in all those that followed. From story-telling to illustration, THAT YELLOW BASTARD is a masterwork.
Miller was at the top of his form in terms of exploring and expanding the ways to illustrate and enhance his scripts with this one: so many gorgeous large panels that are 80-90% black where the white areas pop through like light creeping underneath a dark window shade. Miller introduces a limited use of yellow to these black and white images that stand out the same way the use of red (blood, etc) did in some other stories.
I had forgotten how damn good these SIN CITY books are. So glad I decided to re-visit them. They still hold up and reward again on multiple readings. Highly recommended.
Miller was at the top of his form in terms of exploring and expanding the ways to illustrate and enhance his scripts with this one: so many gorgeous large panels that are 80-90% black where the white areas pop through like light creeping underneath a dark window shade. Miller introduces a limited use of yellow to these black and white images that stand out the same way the use of red (blood, etc) did in some other stories.
I had forgotten how damn good these SIN CITY books are. So glad I decided to re-visit them. They still hold up and reward again on multiple readings. Highly recommended.
October 23, 2025
Ohhhh that bastard
November 25, 2025
This was amazing. It’s absolutely horrible and disgusting, but that’s what crime is. The good guys can lose and the bad guys probably never get the punishment they deserve (unlike the real world…)
The design is amazing- the deep piss yellow is so disturbing that even without his twisted dialogue you’d just know he’s a monster. Nancy is beautiful and Hartigan is THE perfect cop for this story. Man, this was messed up but that’s how it is in sin city!
The design is amazing- the deep piss yellow is so disturbing that even without his twisted dialogue you’d just know he’s a monster. Nancy is beautiful and Hartigan is THE perfect cop for this story. Man, this was messed up but that’s how it is in sin city!
August 5, 2025
Man, the title really spoiled the story.
He IS a bastard.
And, boy, is he yellow.
He IS a bastard.
And, boy, is he yellow.
May 6, 2020
Reread from high school. I loved Hartigan and Nancy even more this time around than I did then. He's now tied with Marv as my favorite character. Great read.
February 14, 2015
Frank Miller continues to weave his magic.I like that each book is basically a prequel to the book before it.Mr.Miller penchant for penning kick ass characters continues.Hartigan stole the show.Real tough cop with a big heart.Also liked how Nancy Callahan origin came about.Lastly the artwork and writing of the character the yellow bastard was truly demented and disgusting.Just the way it should be.
September 15, 2013
Until now, this is my favorite installment. Even though it's hard to pick, because "The Big Fat Kill" was also really good, I'm sticking with this one. The Yellow guy is really creepy and the fact that he is drawn in yellow in an all-black drawing work makes him stand out even more.
I've already started the 5th Sin City volume.
I've already started the 5th Sin City volume.
August 12, 2016
Another story that was featured in the Sin City movie. Almost forgot all of the details to this one.
https://youtu.be/LdggXkVl8gA
https://youtu.be/LdggXkVl8gA
October 20, 2018
«La vita del vecchio per quella della ragazza, uno scambio equo; ti amo Nancy»
Frank Miller: un nome, una garanzia.
"Quel bastardo giallo" è il quarto volume della serie a fumetti Sin City ad essere pubblicato ma, cronologicamente, rappresenta l'antefatto di tutta la serie (ciò vi permetterà dunque di capire molte cose lasciate in sospeso nei volumi precedenti). L'episodio è così intitolato a causa del colore che il figlio del senatore Roark ha assunto come effetto collaterale degli interventi a cui è stato sottoposto dopo il primo scontro con l'agente Hartigan.
John Hartigan, un agente della polizia di Sin City ormai vicino al prepensionamento per via di una malattia cardiaca, salva una ragazzina di 11 anni di nome Nancy Callahan dalle grinfie di un pedofilo, il figlio del senatore Roark. Nel salvare la bambina Hartigan ferisce gravemente Junior sparandogli in un orecchio, una mano e nei genitali, mandandolo in coma; il suo collega ed amico Bob lo tradisce e viene così incastrato e condannato al posto del maniaco. Dopo 8 anni di prigionia e di torture l'agente viene rilasciato e da lì seguiranno tutta una serie di avventure, tra morte, intrighi, vendette, inseguimenti e il tanto atteso trionfo del bene.
Il dottor Miller è un abile maestro nel creare fantastiche illustrazioni, in un alternarsi di pennellate bianche e nere in perfetto contesto noir. Per non parlare dei suoi eroi di prim'ordine, di straordinario spessore morale e forza fisica.
In quest'opera si intrecciano temi della nostra più triste attualità con quel pizzico d'amore illecito alla Miller in piena regola con la famosa "città del peccato". Al centro della storia vi è il tema della pedofilia, combattuto più volte dall'agente Hartigan, ritorna il tema della corruzione dello Stato e della polizia, il tema della tortura e dell'amore.
Frank Miller: un nome, una garanzia.
"Quel bastardo giallo" è il quarto volume della serie a fumetti Sin City ad essere pubblicato ma, cronologicamente, rappresenta l'antefatto di tutta la serie (ciò vi permetterà dunque di capire molte cose lasciate in sospeso nei volumi precedenti). L'episodio è così intitolato a causa del colore che il figlio del senatore Roark ha assunto come effetto collaterale degli interventi a cui è stato sottoposto dopo il primo scontro con l'agente Hartigan.
John Hartigan, un agente della polizia di Sin City ormai vicino al prepensionamento per via di una malattia cardiaca, salva una ragazzina di 11 anni di nome Nancy Callahan dalle grinfie di un pedofilo, il figlio del senatore Roark. Nel salvare la bambina Hartigan ferisce gravemente Junior sparandogli in un orecchio, una mano e nei genitali, mandandolo in coma; il suo collega ed amico Bob lo tradisce e viene così incastrato e condannato al posto del maniaco. Dopo 8 anni di prigionia e di torture l'agente viene rilasciato e da lì seguiranno tutta una serie di avventure, tra morte, intrighi, vendette, inseguimenti e il tanto atteso trionfo del bene.
Il dottor Miller è un abile maestro nel creare fantastiche illustrazioni, in un alternarsi di pennellate bianche e nere in perfetto contesto noir. Per non parlare dei suoi eroi di prim'ordine, di straordinario spessore morale e forza fisica.
In quest'opera si intrecciano temi della nostra più triste attualità con quel pizzico d'amore illecito alla Miller in piena regola con la famosa "città del peccato". Al centro della storia vi è il tema della pedofilia, combattuto più volte dall'agente Hartigan, ritorna il tema della corruzione dello Stato e della polizia, il tema della tortura e dell'amore.
Read
January 16, 2025Alongside The Hard Goodbye, this is probably my favorite of the Sin City arcs. Frank Miller is in peak form here, telling a straightforward yarn with characters that you like and want to see succeed. It probably has one of the best pieces of ownage in comic book history, and Frank Miller knows how to do ownage if his Batman and Daredevil comics are anything to go home about. This might be his best piece of ownage and one of the best revenge sequences ever put to any kind of media. Yes, it even tops John Wick shooting Theon in the face.
That's honestly what we need in media. It's not a truly satisfying revenge until you rip a guy's balls off with your bare hands before pummeling his face into the floor. Frank Miller knows how to do revenge. Not much else to say.
May 9, 2018
This is , for me, the weakest book of the series - so far.
I knew most of the story from the first Sin City movie, but that was not the problem. What I like most about the books is the atmosphere they create. THe impressive dark pictures in combination with some meaningful texts (mostly monologs), that's what makes this series special. But I didn't quite get that in this one. It was somehow too little happening, to little talking, to little feeling.
I knew most of the story from the first Sin City movie, but that was not the problem. What I like most about the books is the atmosphere they create. THe impressive dark pictures in combination with some meaningful texts (mostly monologs), that's what makes this series special. But I didn't quite get that in this one. It was somehow too little happening, to little talking, to little feeling.
February 10, 2023
Continuing on with my Sin City adventure and I believe this volume has been one of my favourites so far. We follow the story of police officer John Hartigan and his personal war on crime through his final working years. This volume has everything you need, unbelievable story, powerful (and disgusting) villain, and a strong revenge plot.
May 26, 2019
Oh...my...God...the ending!
Every volume is better than the previous one!
I'm in love with these babies!!!
And the artwork in this one...wow...just WOW!
Every volume is better than the previous one!
I'm in love with these babies!!!
And the artwork in this one...wow...just WOW!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 453 reviews