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Parker Graphic Novels #1-2
Parker integral. Tomo 1
Atracos de altos vuelos, un criminal traicionado muchas veces y dado por muerto casi otras tantas, que se dedica a robar a mafiosos y a eludir su venganza, eso es justamente lo que es Parker. En una atmósfera por momentos glamurosa y fúnebre, el dibujante Darwyn Cooke, fallecido en 2016, da vida a este escurridizo personaje y a estas densas tramas con un estilo años sesenta.
Este primer tomo (de dos) del integral de las novelas de Parker, escritas por Richard Stark, seudónimo de Donald Westlake, incluye, además de las adaptaciones de El cazador y La Compañía, la transcripción de la entrevista en la que Darwyn Cooke habla de su admiración por Stark con Ed Brubaker y Tom Spurgeon, así como diversas ilustraciones inéditas.
Este primer tomo (de dos) del integral de las novelas de Parker, escritas por Richard Stark, seudónimo de Donald Westlake, incluye, además de las adaptaciones de El cazador y La Compañía, la transcripción de la entrevista en la que Darwyn Cooke habla de su admiración por Stark con Ed Brubaker y Tom Spurgeon, así como diversas ilustraciones inéditas.
312 pages, Hardcover
First published August 2, 2011
15 people are currently reading
364 people want to read
About the author
Darwyn Cooke
245 books354 followersDarwyn Cooke was an Eisner Award winning comic book writer, artist, cartoonist and animator, best known for his work on the comic books Catwoman, DC: The New Frontier and Will Eisner's The Spirit.
In 1985, Cooke published his first comic book work as a professional artist in a short story in New Talent Showcase #19, but economic pressure made him leave the career and he worked in Canada as a magazine art director, graphic and product designer for the next 15 years.
In the early 1990s Cooke decided to return to comics, but found little interest for his work at the major publishers. Eventually he was hired by Warner Bros. Animation after replying to an ad placed by animator Bruce Timm.
He went on to work as a storyboard artist for Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series, and in 1999 he animated the main title design for Batman Beyond. He then worked as a director for Sony Animation's Men in Black: The Series for a year.
DC Comics then approached Cooke about a project which he had submitted to the publisher years earlier which eventually became Batman: Ego, a graphic novel published in 2000.
The critical success of that project led to Cooke taking on more freelance work, such as X-Force, Wolverine/Doop and Spider-Man's Tangled Web for Marvel Comics and Just Imagine... Stan Lee for DC.
In 2001, Cooke and writer Ed Brubaker teamed up to revamp the Catwoman character. They started with a 4 issue serial "Trail of the Catwoman" in Detective Comics #759-762 in which private detective Slam Bradley attempts to investigate the death of Selina Kyle (AKA Catwoman).
The story led into a new Catwoman title in late 2001 by Brubaker and Cooke, in which the character's costume, supporting cast and modus operandi were all redesigned and redeveloped. Cooke would stay on the series, which was met with critical and fan acclaim, up until issue #4. In 2002 he would write and draw a prequel, the Selina's Big Score graphic novel which detailed what had happened to the character directly before her new series.
Cover to DC: The New Frontier #6.
Cover to DC: The New Frontier #6.
Cooke's next project was the ambitious DC: The New Frontier (2004), a six issue miniseries which sought to tell an epic storyline bridging the gap between the end of the golden and the start of the silver age of comic books in the DC Universe. The story, which was set in the 1950s, featured dozens of super-hero characters and drew inspiration from the comic books and movies of the period as well as from Tom Wolfe's non-fiction account of the start of the US Space Program The Right Stuff. The major DC characters are introduced in "The New Frontier" in the same order that DC originally published them, even down to the correct month and year in the story's timeline. In 2005, Cooke won an Eisner Award for "Best Limited Series", and a Joe Shuster Award for "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Cartoonist" for his work on the series.
Most recently, Cooke contributed to DC's artist-centric anthology project Solo. His issue (#5, June, 2005) featured several different stories in different styles with a framing sequence featuring the Slam Bradley character. In 2006, Solo #5 won an Eisner Award for "Best Single Issue."
In July 2005, it was announced that in 2006 Cooke and writer Jeph Loeb would produce a Batman/Spirit crossover, to be followed shortly afterwards by an ongoing Spirit series written and drawn by Cooke. Batman/The Spirit was ultimately published in November 2006, followed in December by the first issue of Cooke's The Spirit. In June 2007, Cooke and J. Bone won a Joe Shuster Award for "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Artists" for their work on "Batman/The Spirit", and Cooke won "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Cartoonist" for his work on "The Spirit".
In July 2006, it was announced that Warner Bros. Animation and DC Comics would release a series of direct-to-DVD animated movies based on important DC com
In 1985, Cooke published his first comic book work as a professional artist in a short story in New Talent Showcase #19, but economic pressure made him leave the career and he worked in Canada as a magazine art director, graphic and product designer for the next 15 years.
In the early 1990s Cooke decided to return to comics, but found little interest for his work at the major publishers. Eventually he was hired by Warner Bros. Animation after replying to an ad placed by animator Bruce Timm.
He went on to work as a storyboard artist for Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series, and in 1999 he animated the main title design for Batman Beyond. He then worked as a director for Sony Animation's Men in Black: The Series for a year.
DC Comics then approached Cooke about a project which he had submitted to the publisher years earlier which eventually became Batman: Ego, a graphic novel published in 2000.
The critical success of that project led to Cooke taking on more freelance work, such as X-Force, Wolverine/Doop and Spider-Man's Tangled Web for Marvel Comics and Just Imagine... Stan Lee for DC.
In 2001, Cooke and writer Ed Brubaker teamed up to revamp the Catwoman character. They started with a 4 issue serial "Trail of the Catwoman" in Detective Comics #759-762 in which private detective Slam Bradley attempts to investigate the death of Selina Kyle (AKA Catwoman).
The story led into a new Catwoman title in late 2001 by Brubaker and Cooke, in which the character's costume, supporting cast and modus operandi were all redesigned and redeveloped. Cooke would stay on the series, which was met with critical and fan acclaim, up until issue #4. In 2002 he would write and draw a prequel, the Selina's Big Score graphic novel which detailed what had happened to the character directly before her new series.
Cover to DC: The New Frontier #6.
Cover to DC: The New Frontier #6.
Cooke's next project was the ambitious DC: The New Frontier (2004), a six issue miniseries which sought to tell an epic storyline bridging the gap between the end of the golden and the start of the silver age of comic books in the DC Universe. The story, which was set in the 1950s, featured dozens of super-hero characters and drew inspiration from the comic books and movies of the period as well as from Tom Wolfe's non-fiction account of the start of the US Space Program The Right Stuff. The major DC characters are introduced in "The New Frontier" in the same order that DC originally published them, even down to the correct month and year in the story's timeline. In 2005, Cooke won an Eisner Award for "Best Limited Series", and a Joe Shuster Award for "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Cartoonist" for his work on the series.
Most recently, Cooke contributed to DC's artist-centric anthology project Solo. His issue (#5, June, 2005) featured several different stories in different styles with a framing sequence featuring the Slam Bradley character. In 2006, Solo #5 won an Eisner Award for "Best Single Issue."
In July 2005, it was announced that in 2006 Cooke and writer Jeph Loeb would produce a Batman/Spirit crossover, to be followed shortly afterwards by an ongoing Spirit series written and drawn by Cooke. Batman/The Spirit was ultimately published in November 2006, followed in December by the first issue of Cooke's The Spirit. In June 2007, Cooke and J. Bone won a Joe Shuster Award for "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Artists" for their work on "Batman/The Spirit", and Cooke won "Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Cartoonist" for his work on "The Spirit".
In July 2006, it was announced that Warner Bros. Animation and DC Comics would release a series of direct-to-DVD animated movies based on important DC com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
February 12, 2019
If you like crime noir, this is the book for you. Parker is a stone cold bastard. Cross him and you're dead. This contains adaptation of the first 2 Parker novels along with a new short story, The Seventh made for this edition and an art gallery of paintings Cooke made for all the Parker related movies. It's pretty amazing. This oversized edition makes Cooke's art almost poster size. The only downside is it weighs 5 pounds or so.
April 21, 2023
Collects:
The Hunter
The Man with the Getaway Face (Short comic)
The Outfit
The Seventh (Short comic)
Also choke-full of goodies like Darwyn Cooke's full-page illustrations of the all the various Hollywood adaptions of the Parker novels. An interview with Cooke and an essay on the Parker novels, full of illustrations.
Beautiful over-sized edition with a slip-case.
The Hunter
The Man with the Getaway Face (Short comic)
The Outfit
The Seventh (Short comic)
Also choke-full of goodies like Darwyn Cooke's full-page illustrations of the all the various Hollywood adaptions of the Parker novels. An interview with Cooke and an essay on the Parker novels, full of illustrations.
Beautiful over-sized edition with a slip-case.
December 9, 2015
I could not imagine a better illustrator for Richard Stark's "Parker" books. It's like a marriage made in heaven. Cooke's fantastic illustrations to Mr. Westlake's (writing under the pen name Richard Stark)stories is simply fantastic.
Here in this over sized book are the first two installments of the series. They were first printed separately by IDW in individual installments, and if nothing else, check those out. However this edition adds so many extras and with the increase in page size, this is truly worth owning, especially if a fan of either gentlemen.
I believe the smaller editions are up to volume 4 at this point. Seek them out if you don't want to spring for this amazing collection.
Contents:
010 - "Hunting The Hunter"
026 - "The Man Called Parker"
036 - "Parker"
174 - "The Man With The Getawsay Face"
198 - "The Outfit"
322 - "The Seventh"
334 - "Stark's Hollywood"
356 - "Parting Shot"
358 - "The Stark Persona"
Highest Recommendation.
Here in this over sized book are the first two installments of the series. They were first printed separately by IDW in individual installments, and if nothing else, check those out. However this edition adds so many extras and with the increase in page size, this is truly worth owning, especially if a fan of either gentlemen.
I believe the smaller editions are up to volume 4 at this point. Seek them out if you don't want to spring for this amazing collection.
Contents:
010 - "Hunting The Hunter"
026 - "The Man Called Parker"
036 - "Parker"
174 - "The Man With The Getawsay Face"
198 - "The Outfit"
322 - "The Seventh"
334 - "Stark's Hollywood"
356 - "Parting Shot"
358 - "The Stark Persona"
Highest Recommendation.
June 12, 2016
Fantastic. Cooke has really outdone himself and it's amazing to see what he can do when not restricted by an overbearing company. This is such a unique piece: using graphics and prose to recreate (not change or interpret) the original novels. The story was so good I want to both read the novels and see some of the films that were inspired by them. You've got to love noir though: it's fairly dark and gritty, but not over the top violence. It takes place in the 60's, and one small thing that made me uncomfortable was the depiction and treatment of women. I get why it's there (and don't want it changed), but it was just a little shocking to see living in the modern world.
The Martini Edition is a beautiful package, nearly identical in size and shape to DC's Absolute Editions (they were created by the same guy) and there are some wonderful extras. Here's hoping for a second volume collecting the remaining of Cooke's work.
The Martini Edition is a beautiful package, nearly identical in size and shape to DC's Absolute Editions (they were created by the same guy) and there are some wonderful extras. Here's hoping for a second volume collecting the remaining of Cooke's work.
March 15, 2022
Grande Stark y muy grande Cooke con lo que hace con su material. El cazador está ya muy bien, pero lo que hace con ciertas secuencias de La compañía y cómo experimenta con el storytelling para contar diferentes golpes es de maestro. Lo he disfrutado una barbaridad.
November 14, 2024
This gorgeous over-sized collection brings together all of the Parker stories that Darwyn Cooke has done to date. I have the first two books in their original form, and am absolutely in love with them - everything, from their size to the paper they're printed on, is great. Because of this, I was hesitant to double dip and pick up the "Martini Edition," even though it contained tons of extra material. I bit the bullet at Christmas though, and I am so glad that I did. This special edition takes everything I love about the two smaller books and amplifies them - Cooke is definitely one of my favorite artists, and seeing the art this size reminds me why I love his stuff. The stories, obviously, are great - Richard Stark knew how to write perfect crime novels, and Cooke has done a great job adapting them. The bonus features, which include a short story pulled from The Seventh and portraits of the various actors that have portrayed Parker on film, really add to the overall feeling that these books are a labor of love for Darwyn Cooke. If you're on the fence about spending the money on this - you should hop off and pick it up while it's still in print. Not only can i not wait for the third book in the series (coming out in few months), I'm already hoping for another one of these large books once the fourth book has been released.
March 28, 2016
I do like the art of Darwyn Cooke. It's stylized 1930s/1940s feeling. In this case the story appears to be taking place in the 50s in the US. The main character is a con man who was betrayed and left for dead. The story starts with him coming to New York and searching for the people who betrayed him for pay back, in money and blood.
The main character isn't a good person. But, he has a code he follows. He is the man of honor among thieves. He's the kind of man you would want on your side in a survival situation. Dependable when he gives his word, strong enough to get the job done, and smart enough to figure out the best plan to achieve the group's goals.
The original author's books became several movies over the past few decades. His stories are well written and have won awards as films and sold well as books. This visual adaption has also won awards. If you are interested in an old school crime type story this one is worth checking out.
The main character isn't a good person. But, he has a code he follows. He is the man of honor among thieves. He's the kind of man you would want on your side in a survival situation. Dependable when he gives his word, strong enough to get the job done, and smart enough to figure out the best plan to achieve the group's goals.
The original author's books became several movies over the past few decades. His stories are well written and have won awards as films and sold well as books. This visual adaption has also won awards. If you are interested in an old school crime type story this one is worth checking out.
July 5, 2023
Nieruchome spojrzenie, czujna sylwetka, twarz wyciosana z kamienia. Nie sposób oderwać wzroku od górującej nad tłumem postaci; od masywnego ciała, hipnotycznej gracji ruchów, bladych ust zaciśniętych w wąską kreskę. Parker porusza się pewnie, przemierza nowojorski motłoch, kroczy brudnymi chodnikami Manhattanu.
Jest 1962 rok. Bez grosza przy duszy, z pragnieniem zemsty w sercu i spluwą w kieszeni, Parker idzie załatwiać stare poruchanki.
****
,,Parker: Edycja Martini’’ z hukiem trafia na rynek wydawniczy. Piszę z hukiem, bo wziąwszy pod uwagę rozmach oraz epickość ów przedsięwzięcia, doprawdy trudno mówić o banalnym entuzjazmie jakim szczycą się przeciętne publikacje. Zresztą; ostatnią rzeczą, którą można by zarzucić Scottowi Dunbierowi & Richardowi Cooke’owi, jest właśnie konwencjonalność czy pospolitość. Obaj panowie wykonali kawał – jak zapewne powiedziałby to sam Parker – ‘solidnej roboty’. Pomysły Dunbiera, rysunki Cooke’a, scenariusze na podstawie powieści Donalda Westlake’a, są dokładnie tym czym być powinny: genialnie zrealizowanymi wizjami przeniesionym na papier.
****
Wszystko zaczęło się od amerykańskiego autora piszącego cykl z postacią – dziś kultowego już – kryminalisty Parkera. Richard Stark nakreślił Parkera, ma się wrażenie, jednym sprawnym pociągnięciem pióra. Widać to szczególnie na kartach komiksowej adaptacji; łatwo tutaj bowiem wyłapać jednoczesną prostotę i złożoność jego czarnego charakteru. Potencjalnie ‘czarnego’.
Parker, co trzeba wiedzieć, jest trochę na bakier z prawem. Trochę bardzo. Albo jeszcze lepiej – on jest po prostu POZA prawem.
To jednak nic; w końcu popkultura uwielbia jemu podobnych twardzieli; bezwzględnych terminatorów – zabijaków napędzanych żądzą zemsty; awanturników z piekącym pragnieniem vendetty wyrytym głęboko w sercu; morderców o pokerowej twarzy, naciskających bez najmniejszego mrugnięcia spust gigantycznej pukawki, wymierzonej prosto w twarz zmartwiałej ze strachu ofiary.
Szaleństwo, nieprzewidywalność, obłęd i magnetyzm: to nas podnieca, to nas pociąga.
Parker poniekąd wpisuje się w kanon takiego płatnego rzezimieszka; typa spod ciemnej gwiazdy, co mu źle z oczu patrzy – góry mięśni, kupy seksapilu, masy brutalności. Jednostki bezwzględnie dążącej do wzbogacenia się, dbającej wyłącznie o swój interes; osoby odsuniętej od społeczeństwa, wyalienowanej, nieufnej, polegającej wyłącznie na własnych umiejętnościach i predyspozycjach; maksymalnie skupionej na czerpaniu przyjemności ze świata wielkiego konsumpcjonizmu.
Ale tylko poniekąd, ponieważ mimo pewnej dozy sztampy, Parker całkiem sprawnie rozmija się z tą konkretną kreacją. Posiada on w sobie coś nietypowego, niejednoznacznego, dwuwymiarowego. Ani jego niemoralne uczynki, ani złe występki nie są w stanie przekreślić sympatii, którą – siłą rzeczy – czytelnik wobec odczuwa. Postać Donalda Wetlake’a naprawdę da się lubić!
Cooke’owi udało się doskonale uchwycić ten wyjątkowy dysonans. Za pomocą kilku słów, paru szkiców oraz ograniczonej barwy kolorów, kreśli bohatera o dwoistym obliczu i ów dwoistość świetnie uwypukla. Plansze Darwyna to połączenie klasyki, nostalgii oraz gęstego klimatu noir. Tu – jeśli chodzi o same środki przekazu – nie ma rewolucji; wręcz przeciwnie: ścisła konwencja, której twórca się trzyma.
Czy wychodzi mu to na dobre? Zdecydowanie. Największą siłę rażenia mają bowiem wyrywkowe kadry, utrzymane w kameralnym, nieskomplikowanym artyzmie. Prosta, pozornie niedbała kreska, ciemna kolorystka, gra światłocienia, kilka zdawkowych fraz – to wystarczające. Odbiorca, mimo oszczędności użytych środków, śledzi fabułę z zapartym tchem. A jeśli dodać do tego kryminalny sznyt, retro nastrój i spooooroooo sensacji, to uwierzycie mi, macie fantastycznie rozrywkową pozycję na wyciągnięcie Waszej rąsi.
Jest 1962 rok. Bez grosza przy duszy, z pragnieniem zemsty w sercu i spluwą w kieszeni, Parker idzie załatwiać stare poruchanki.
****
,,Parker: Edycja Martini’’ z hukiem trafia na rynek wydawniczy. Piszę z hukiem, bo wziąwszy pod uwagę rozmach oraz epickość ów przedsięwzięcia, doprawdy trudno mówić o banalnym entuzjazmie jakim szczycą się przeciętne publikacje. Zresztą; ostatnią rzeczą, którą można by zarzucić Scottowi Dunbierowi & Richardowi Cooke’owi, jest właśnie konwencjonalność czy pospolitość. Obaj panowie wykonali kawał – jak zapewne powiedziałby to sam Parker – ‘solidnej roboty’. Pomysły Dunbiera, rysunki Cooke’a, scenariusze na podstawie powieści Donalda Westlake’a, są dokładnie tym czym być powinny: genialnie zrealizowanymi wizjami przeniesionym na papier.
****
Wszystko zaczęło się od amerykańskiego autora piszącego cykl z postacią – dziś kultowego już – kryminalisty Parkera. Richard Stark nakreślił Parkera, ma się wrażenie, jednym sprawnym pociągnięciem pióra. Widać to szczególnie na kartach komiksowej adaptacji; łatwo tutaj bowiem wyłapać jednoczesną prostotę i złożoność jego czarnego charakteru. Potencjalnie ‘czarnego’.
Parker, co trzeba wiedzieć, jest trochę na bakier z prawem. Trochę bardzo. Albo jeszcze lepiej – on jest po prostu POZA prawem.
To jednak nic; w końcu popkultura uwielbia jemu podobnych twardzieli; bezwzględnych terminatorów – zabijaków napędzanych żądzą zemsty; awanturników z piekącym pragnieniem vendetty wyrytym głęboko w sercu; morderców o pokerowej twarzy, naciskających bez najmniejszego mrugnięcia spust gigantycznej pukawki, wymierzonej prosto w twarz zmartwiałej ze strachu ofiary.
Szaleństwo, nieprzewidywalność, obłęd i magnetyzm: to nas podnieca, to nas pociąga.
Parker poniekąd wpisuje się w kanon takiego płatnego rzezimieszka; typa spod ciemnej gwiazdy, co mu źle z oczu patrzy – góry mięśni, kupy seksapilu, masy brutalności. Jednostki bezwzględnie dążącej do wzbogacenia się, dbającej wyłącznie o swój interes; osoby odsuniętej od społeczeństwa, wyalienowanej, nieufnej, polegającej wyłącznie na własnych umiejętnościach i predyspozycjach; maksymalnie skupionej na czerpaniu przyjemności ze świata wielkiego konsumpcjonizmu.
Ale tylko poniekąd, ponieważ mimo pewnej dozy sztampy, Parker całkiem sprawnie rozmija się z tą konkretną kreacją. Posiada on w sobie coś nietypowego, niejednoznacznego, dwuwymiarowego. Ani jego niemoralne uczynki, ani złe występki nie są w stanie przekreślić sympatii, którą – siłą rzeczy – czytelnik wobec odczuwa. Postać Donalda Wetlake’a naprawdę da się lubić!
Cooke’owi udało się doskonale uchwycić ten wyjątkowy dysonans. Za pomocą kilku słów, paru szkiców oraz ograniczonej barwy kolorów, kreśli bohatera o dwoistym obliczu i ów dwoistość świetnie uwypukla. Plansze Darwyna to połączenie klasyki, nostalgii oraz gęstego klimatu noir. Tu – jeśli chodzi o same środki przekazu – nie ma rewolucji; wręcz przeciwnie: ścisła konwencja, której twórca się trzyma.
Czy wychodzi mu to na dobre? Zdecydowanie. Największą siłę rażenia mają bowiem wyrywkowe kadry, utrzymane w kameralnym, nieskomplikowanym artyzmie. Prosta, pozornie niedbała kreska, ciemna kolorystka, gra światłocienia, kilka zdawkowych fraz – to wystarczające. Odbiorca, mimo oszczędności użytych środków, śledzi fabułę z zapartym tchem. A jeśli dodać do tego kryminalny sznyt, retro nastrój i spooooroooo sensacji, to uwierzycie mi, macie fantastycznie rozrywkową pozycję na wyciągnięcie Waszej rąsi.
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April 29, 2025It’s just a guy committing crimes in the ‘60s and it’s possibly the most beautiful comic I own
June 10, 2012
If you read Darwyn Cooke's New Frontier or Selina's Big Score, it's a no brainer to see him adapting the Richard Stark Parker Novels. It's a perfect fit. He captures that early 1960's feel so elegantly and precisely, using an illustration style that comes from that era. That's because he loves this time and he for this collection, it's obvious how he feels about the Parker books.
About 10 years ago, I started reading the Parker books -- I would read one a year while I was on vacation in the Cape. I loved the easy flow of the books and Parker's mechanical, passionless use of violence. He's a criminal and everything thing he does is calculated and thought out. Cooke captures this perfectly in his art.
This edition is perfect for his stories. The oversized pages make the story as large as life -- you aren't reading a comic book, you are reading a story book. The handful of full page illustrations are gorgeous. Definitely worth reading in this edition.
About 10 years ago, I started reading the Parker books -- I would read one a year while I was on vacation in the Cape. I loved the easy flow of the books and Parker's mechanical, passionless use of violence. He's a criminal and everything thing he does is calculated and thought out. Cooke captures this perfectly in his art.
This edition is perfect for his stories. The oversized pages make the story as large as life -- you aren't reading a comic book, you are reading a story book. The handful of full page illustrations are gorgeous. Definitely worth reading in this edition.
April 17, 2012
Utterly fantastic, of course, and the presentation here just makes everything sing even more. Loved seeing the final chapter of The Seventh here, too, and I just want to say that everybody needs to read this.
February 19, 2021
My first time reading the Martini edition and oh boy is this the way to read this material. Cooke is a genius. This book has also some of the best lettering of all time.
November 22, 2020
Richard Stark's Parker The Martini Edition, is a dream come true for Noir fans. This is the most deluxe graphic novel i have ever seen. This deluxe hardcover with slipcase, looks the most like a Absolute edition but is even bigger, i hear its even created by the guy who invented the Absolute, so you know this is something special. This 360 page book gives us the First two Parker books in comic form, The Hunter and The Outfit and also includes The Man With The Getaway Face. Also included is a new for the first time adapted short The 7eventh, this is basically a entire book made as a short, and it works really well. This book was a passion project for Darwyn Cooke and it shows, he fought for this edition and gave it his all, he draws the book perfectly and also painted it to give a cool contrast. He picked the paper, lettering and just the complete design of the book. The extra's are great aswell, a great long interview with Cooke and Ed Brubaker from The Comic Reporter, a small portfolio from Cooke of drawings from Gangster noir flicks and movie classics and his take on all the Parker movies. If you are a fan of the genre or of Darwyn Cooke's artwork, this is a must.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
September 6, 2025
While fairly simple, hands down, some of the most captivating crime noir stories I've ever read. Parker is one of those characters that is so good to read about that you can't help but root for the guy even when you feel like he is crossing a line. Great storytelling and adaptation of the novels.
Darwyn Cooke's art in this is truly some of his best work, if not his best, in my opinion.
There's not much to say other than if you're looking for some crime stories with an interesting cold anti-hero that you should never cross, then this is the book for you.
Seeing Parker determined for his revenge and taking on a criminal empire with no fear is just too damn fun. Definitely do yourself a favor and read it in the Martini Edition.
9/10
Darwyn Cooke's art in this is truly some of his best work, if not his best, in my opinion.
There's not much to say other than if you're looking for some crime stories with an interesting cold anti-hero that you should never cross, then this is the book for you.
Seeing Parker determined for his revenge and taking on a criminal empire with no fear is just too damn fun. Definitely do yourself a favor and read it in the Martini Edition.
9/10
February 19, 2021
I did not particularly enjoy Darwin Cooke’s New Frontier, so my expectations were pretty low for this book. But behold! I have now seen the light!
Seriously though, this was a pretty amazing read. Whether you like Darwin Cooks art or not, he certainly knew how to match his style to the right story. The melding of the very hardboiled crime story and Darwin’s story telling and art is the secret sauce. Some of the best visual storytelling I’ve seen.
If you’re on the fence at all about this book, just go for it. I’m not a fan of crime noir stories, but loved this.
Seriously though, this was a pretty amazing read. Whether you like Darwin Cooks art or not, he certainly knew how to match his style to the right story. The melding of the very hardboiled crime story and Darwin’s story telling and art is the secret sauce. Some of the best visual storytelling I’ve seen.
If you’re on the fence at all about this book, just go for it. I’m not a fan of crime noir stories, but loved this.
January 21, 2024
This book was astounding. I’m used to antiheroes, but I’m not used to reading a protagonist that says, cold, blooded, and a son of a bitch as Parker I’ve had zero experience with the character from any of the movies or previous books, so I truly went and blind what Darwin Cook did with the writing and art of this book was truly astounding, it really made me stop and appreciate the art because long portions of it had zero dialogue or zero words and will be action sequences that I have to re-read a couple of times to truly understand what was happening. His use of color and how it would change from book to book was also incredible.
July 23, 2012
Darwyn Cooke has quickly become my favorite artist, and he is right at home drawing art deco settings for Richard Stark's hard boiled noir Parker series. Cooke's mastery of simplified mod design perfectly fits the the quick-paced tempo for these thrilling heists and gives these stories a genuine sense of placement. This large book presents Cooke's art in dimensions closer to the original art so that the reader can soak in all of the monochromatic glory in each page.
Having never read the original source material, I can't comment on the faithfulness of this adaptation. Suffice to say, this volume reprints interviews in which Cooke reveals details about his correspondence with Donald Westlake (aka Richrd Stark) which implies that Cooke had Westlake's full blessing.
This volume collects Darwyn Cooke's adaptations of Richard Stark's Parker: The Hunter and Parker: The Outfit, along with a pair of short story adaptations: "The man With The Getaway Face" and the previously unpublished "The Seventh." Also included is an interview/discussion (with help from my other favorite writer, Ed Brubaker) and some new art inspired by the many Parker silver screen adaptations, which are more numerous than I was previously aware of. With two more Parker adaptations being planned (Parker: The Outfit and a yet-to-be-announced fourth book), I can only hope that IDW will publish a similar second Martini edition to collect the latter half of this series in this ideal format.
February 11, 2014
The 1st 2 Parker novels rendered in Darwyn Cooke's elegant art, plus a thorough interview from Comic Book Resources, largely on Westlake's creation of and understanding of the character. The large format really improves what were already a couple amazing graphic novels. A very respectful adaptation of highly acclaimed novels with amazing artwork. If you had someone who thought graphic novels were all capes & tights, this would be an amazing discussion-starter.
July 15, 2013
This is a work of art. If you are fan of crime and heist genres then this is the book for you. Based off some of the famous novels by Richard Stark that I haven't read yet. This book is about a cold hearted professional thief has he has revenge on those who burned him. The oversized collection is a great showcase of Cooke's art. Simplest but stunning.
August 27, 2016
This might be the most gorgeous thing I own. The artwork is stunning, the story is superb and it is presented in a fantastically over-sized edition with some great extras. Kudos to IDW for putting out this edition.
December 28, 2011
As good as they come.
June 3, 2012
I really don't need to say anything about Darwyn Cooke's art, and the Martini Edition really shows it off beautifully
If you can find a copy treat yourself you won't be disappointed
Great stuff
If you can find a copy treat yourself you won't be disappointed
Great stuff
August 3, 2012
Amazing narrative. Superb drawing. Parker is a milestone in the recent comic scene. Page after page I keep on thinking how easy to do a thing like this it seems, but it's not. A must-read
May 30, 2013
Between the ridiculously phenomenal art, the stories that have stood the test, who could want anything more?
May 30, 2013
The oversized edition makes it all the more impactful and beautiful.
May 3, 2022
Una novela negra con todas las de la ley pero por momento con una narración visual muy original.
March 18, 2012
Darwyn Cooke's art fits the Parker stories so well.
November 4, 2023
(Zero spoiler review) 4.5/5
I read this as part of the Martini edition collection, which is undisputedly the only way to experience this gorgeously drawn, competently told noir tale. Cooke's gorgeous visuals elevate the story to heights lesser artists could only dream of. At once appearing effortlessly simple yet undeniably complex.
The story itself isn't anything particularly outstanding. Parker, a cold and ruthless anti-hero a fairly unique choice for a protagonist. Skirting the line between good and bad to the point where you're not exactly sure if you should be rooting for him or not. The scenes between himself and the Linda were the undoubted highlight here, with the near sociopathic apathy of Parker perfectly juxtaposed against the hopeful, playfully naive damsel.
In short, though there are better noir tales out there, there really aren't any you could say look any better than this. Read it in the biggest format you can. A small paperback just won't cut it.
The Man with the Getaway Face is a story that really only suffers due to its brevity. All the usual qualities that usually make for a good Parker story are present and accounted for, except maybe for a fantastically fixating femme fatale. On second thought, that really is a bit of a drawback to this one. That and only clocking in at 30 odd pages leaves you wanting just that little bit more. Still, Darwyn Cookes gorgeous art style and the gritty and gruff protagonist are enough to elevate this one above the majority of imitators and ne'er do wells. The longer form stories are always the best, though.
The Outfit is possibly the best of the collection. You kind of run out of superlatives for Cooke's utterly fantastic artwork after a while. I really wish there were more books out like this at least working with this style. Whether imitators could ever equal the man's talent is up for debate, although even coming halfway close to matching these sublime visuals would be worth the potential watering down that may occur.
As always, I could always do with a few more femme fatale's thrown in the mix. It's likely the one area where it falls short of The Hunter. Cooke's women are so divinely simple that to only get the occasional appearance seems like a crime in itself.
Undoubtedly the weakest moment of the book was when it reverted to straight up prose storytelling. If this is Stark's (Westlakes) actual writing, then give me the comic adaptations all day long. I kind of figured it was 4 stars at best at that point, but normal service was resumed a few pages later and no real damage was ultimately done. One of the must-read Parker collection for sure. 4.5/5
OmniBen.
I read this as part of the Martini edition collection, which is undisputedly the only way to experience this gorgeously drawn, competently told noir tale. Cooke's gorgeous visuals elevate the story to heights lesser artists could only dream of. At once appearing effortlessly simple yet undeniably complex.
The story itself isn't anything particularly outstanding. Parker, a cold and ruthless anti-hero a fairly unique choice for a protagonist. Skirting the line between good and bad to the point where you're not exactly sure if you should be rooting for him or not. The scenes between himself and the Linda were the undoubted highlight here, with the near sociopathic apathy of Parker perfectly juxtaposed against the hopeful, playfully naive damsel.
In short, though there are better noir tales out there, there really aren't any you could say look any better than this. Read it in the biggest format you can. A small paperback just won't cut it.
The Man with the Getaway Face is a story that really only suffers due to its brevity. All the usual qualities that usually make for a good Parker story are present and accounted for, except maybe for a fantastically fixating femme fatale. On second thought, that really is a bit of a drawback to this one. That and only clocking in at 30 odd pages leaves you wanting just that little bit more. Still, Darwyn Cookes gorgeous art style and the gritty and gruff protagonist are enough to elevate this one above the majority of imitators and ne'er do wells. The longer form stories are always the best, though.
The Outfit is possibly the best of the collection. You kind of run out of superlatives for Cooke's utterly fantastic artwork after a while. I really wish there were more books out like this at least working with this style. Whether imitators could ever equal the man's talent is up for debate, although even coming halfway close to matching these sublime visuals would be worth the potential watering down that may occur.
As always, I could always do with a few more femme fatale's thrown in the mix. It's likely the one area where it falls short of The Hunter. Cooke's women are so divinely simple that to only get the occasional appearance seems like a crime in itself.
Undoubtedly the weakest moment of the book was when it reverted to straight up prose storytelling. If this is Stark's (Westlakes) actual writing, then give me the comic adaptations all day long. I kind of figured it was 4 stars at best at that point, but normal service was resumed a few pages later and no real damage was ultimately done. One of the must-read Parker collection for sure. 4.5/5
OmniBen.
August 1, 2018
Most adaptations are struggles of trying to make something work in a medium it wasn’t designed for. Trying to make Watchmen work outside of comics means a lot of heavy lifting and losing the metatextual significance of a comic story about comic stories.
Richard Stark’s Parker is no stranger to adaptation, the novels getting film adaptations nearly a dozen times at this point. His characters pop out of the cage, his plots are clipped and engaging, his genre mastery is engrossing. And the only person who could adapt his work so well and so true to his work is Darwyn Cooke.
This book only magnifies the devastation I feel at the loss of such a master of the craft. He was such a gifted storyteller, making every line he drew scream with vibrancy and life. His panels are all dynamic, specific, and interesting. His pages are explosive works of art, not a wasted piece of real estate, every page worth putting on any wall anywhere.
And this book is a testament to his skill and his gifts and his raw talent. It’s crime comics at their best, it’s Cooke at his best, it’s comics at its most visceral and engaging. Everyone should read this book in all its oversized glory and soak it in and drink it up, because it’s one of the best things we have from a true master of the craft.
He gave us so much, and yet, as with all true genius artists, it never feels like enough. But I celebrate this work because it is so good, so jaw-dropping, so timeless.
Richard Stark’s Parker is no stranger to adaptation, the novels getting film adaptations nearly a dozen times at this point. His characters pop out of the cage, his plots are clipped and engaging, his genre mastery is engrossing. And the only person who could adapt his work so well and so true to his work is Darwyn Cooke.
This book only magnifies the devastation I feel at the loss of such a master of the craft. He was such a gifted storyteller, making every line he drew scream with vibrancy and life. His panels are all dynamic, specific, and interesting. His pages are explosive works of art, not a wasted piece of real estate, every page worth putting on any wall anywhere.
And this book is a testament to his skill and his gifts and his raw talent. It’s crime comics at their best, it’s Cooke at his best, it’s comics at its most visceral and engaging. Everyone should read this book in all its oversized glory and soak it in and drink it up, because it’s one of the best things we have from a true master of the craft.
He gave us so much, and yet, as with all true genius artists, it never feels like enough. But I celebrate this work because it is so good, so jaw-dropping, so timeless.
July 27, 2021
I picked this up because I saw Parker listed for various Eisner awards way back when.
It. is. cool.
Recommended to fans of crime/heist, noir, Ocean's 11 type stuff. There's a lot of content here: ~4 stories, a discussion with Ed MFing Brubaker, and an art gallery.
The art seems retro and fresh and detailed and minimal and there's never more than 3-4 colors being used. There's a two page spread of a moonlit motel parking lot/abandoned pool that seems so simple but it's incredibly rich and complex and expressive. And I drooled.
The stories are crime capers centered around professional criminal Parker, a frigid dude. He's never zany Fantomas-level evil, he's a much more grounded character, but he is a total sociopath. The quick pace and shifts in narrative techniques keep things exciting.
The minimal coloring could be considered a reflection of the stories, writing, character, and original author: Stark.
It. is. cool.
Recommended to fans of crime/heist, noir, Ocean's 11 type stuff. There's a lot of content here: ~4 stories, a discussion with Ed MFing Brubaker, and an art gallery.
The art seems retro and fresh and detailed and minimal and there's never more than 3-4 colors being used. There's a two page spread of a moonlit motel parking lot/abandoned pool that seems so simple but it's incredibly rich and complex and expressive. And I drooled.
The stories are crime capers centered around professional criminal Parker, a frigid dude. He's never zany Fantomas-level evil, he's a much more grounded character, but he is a total sociopath. The quick pace and shifts in narrative techniques keep things exciting.
The minimal coloring could be considered a reflection of the stories, writing, character, and original author: Stark.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews