Noir Burlesque - Part 2

Noir Burlesque #2

by Enrico Marini

Things aren't getting any easier for Slick. After falling out of favor with local mob boss Rex, he finds himself thrust into a turf war with the Sicilian mafia. He's tasked with stealing a prized and priceless portrait belonging to the capo himself, and when things go south, he finds himself with a bigger target on his back than ever. If he's going to make it through in one piece, Slick will have to think fast and hit hard—and keep a close eye on Caprice, as well as mob daughter Pearl, two femmes fatales who prove to be just as dangerous as any of the other gun-toting gangsters. The gripping conclusion to Marini's noir opus.

Genres: Bande Dessinée, Comics, Noir, Graphic Novels, Thriller, Crime, Romance

128 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 10, 2022

Reviews

[OmniBen · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Zero spoiler review) 3.75/5
Sadly not the knockout that volume one was, although a more than competent and commendable climax to a well told tale. The art continued to be sublime although the shift from set up to pay off led to a noticeable downturn in the frequency and quality of the writing, with too much action taking the place of what had been some well delivered dialogue wrapped around a clever (if not terribly original) plot. The addition of a new party into the fray towards the end added nothing of any real enjoyment, save for some fairly bland characterisation. The ending itself was fine, although the preceding 100 pages did slightly tarnish what could have been a rollercoaster from start to finish. This title is still an absolute must read, although if you are anything like me, the second half certainly doesn't live up to the first. 3.75/5


OmniBen.

[Urbon Adamsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great conclusion to a great series.

Beautiful illustrations.

Great story.

One of the best gangster stories out there.

A must read.

[Filip · Rating 4 out of 5]

The conclusion of this part is an improvement on the first part. Still very noir, though some characters (the Hungarian (?) Indian) while hilarious don't fit very well. The ending is also a bit too clean for a true noir story and, well, it happens through a shoot-out which isn't really how the noir protagonist is supposed to deal with his opponents. Still, very enjoyable, especially introducing a couple of interesting secondary characters. The very finale - post-time-skip - also has this bittersweet feel that I would expect in a story like this. Not perfect, but gave me my noir fix and I'm sad that it was only two issues as I'd love to read more of it. Gorgeous art as before.

[Ver · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second part is also interesting and finally reveals the ending. It ends in the way we expect, that is everyone goes down apart from the main character who outsmarted all.

[Frédéric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review for both volumes

This one’s hard to rate.

The plot is kind of stale with all tropes and worn out clichés- whether classic (la femme fatale) or modern (the incongruous Apache)- used and abused. There’s no real twist and it goes as planned with every marked for death character dying right on cue.
Still, there’s some humour and Terry’s caustic remarks hit the spot most of the time and when all’s said and done it’s not an unpleasant read. It’s just that I’ve read the same story two dozen times already.

Then there’s the art. When I discovered his work in the early 90’s he already was a boy wonder and he never ceased to get better over time. So of course the art is gorgeous, all pencils and hand painted in grays and red. Storytelling and pacing are on par.

So that’ll be 2* for the plot and 4* for the art.

[Λευτέρης Αναγνωστόπουλος · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Noir Burlesque for the plot.
The plot: a red head, "Jessica Rabbit" look-alike, named Caprice.
Same as the first one, the second (and last) issue isn't something special or all that memorable, but it taps in our primary needs for sex and violence. At the same time it does that with stunning artwork which it might be the only reason that I recommend it. Other than that, it's a "take it or leave it" situation.
(More like a 2,5 than a 3)

[Ruben Oliveira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part 2: Betrayal, deception, and a splash of red!

The second part of Noir Burlesque dives deeper into deception and betrayal, with Marini's impeccable artwork and the recurring motif of red. The tension escalates, delivering a surprising and satisfying resolution. Marini masterfully blends stunning visuals with intricate storytelling, making this graphic novel a must-read for fans of noir.

[Juan Fuentes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Se deja leer

[Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is part two in the two part graphic novel series, Noir Burlesque. Much of what I stated in my part one review, stands for this book. The story is typical noir of the period, 1950's. Babes, brawn, booze, bullets, it's all here. The artwork however, is the star. Done in shadows of gray and black, it captures the grim feel that we read in noir books, and what we see in noir films.

Recommended!

[Corrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Noir Burlesque (Part 2) by Enrico Marini.

Things aren't getting any easier for Slick. Until now, he had to deal with Irish mobsters. But this time, he’s confronted with the Italian mafia. After falling out of favor with local mob boss Rex, he finds himself thrust into a turf war with the Sicilian mafia. He's tasked with stealing a prized and priceless portrait belonging to the capo himself, and when things go south, he finds himself with a bigger target on his back than ever. If he's going to make it through in one piece, Slick will have to think fast and hit hard—and keep a close eye on Caprice, as well as mob daughter Pearl, two femmes fatales who prove to be just as dangerous as any of the other gun-toting gangsters. The gripping conclusion to Marini's noir opus.

I was doing a happy dance when I saw part 2 was out! Again, loved the artwork in black, white and red. It really works well in capturing the time period and the whole noir feel. A great (all be it a violent and bloody) conclusion to this 2-part series.

5 Stars

[CharlyyGentlePhoenix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marini – Noir Burlesque (2) – Dargaud – 126 pages - Sorti le 10 Novembre 2022 -

Non je n’ai pas commencé par le début.

Les images sont magnifiques et le blanc /noir se dispute au rouge dans une sorte de tri colométrie.

On est loin du côté « enfantin » ou « fou fou » que je lis ou écris d’habitude.

Ils ont l’intention de tuer Slick une fois son travail achevé, la rousse qui chante de belles chansons pour Lui le prévient et lui fait l’amour dans une scène sensuelle mais pas du tout vulgaire…

L’objet du délit est le vol d’un tableau sentimental. Il s’agit d’une vengeance entre deux riches qui fait pas mal de dommages collatéraux.
Fusillades à gogo et thèmes de baston…

Une bonne petite BD !! Le rythme et le tempo sont nickels. Le suspense et les rebondissements aussi.

J’ai beaucoup aimé le côté gringe et vintage.
Phoenix
++

[Manfred Moonlight Ackermann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enfin le tome 2 !
Bon je mets plus de temps à le lire que l'auteur à l'écrire/dessiner. Oups.
Une fois de plus, que dire sur le graphisme tout bonnement au top.
De même, il y a quelques personnages sympas, les femmes sont belles, plantureuses à souhait pour certaines, charmantes pour toutes.
Et les mecs sont tous des salauds à différents niveaux.
Bref il ne semble pas vraiment faire bon vivre à cette période, du moins dans ces milieux ...
L'histoire est un peu classique, pas trop de chichi, surtout prétexte à nous en mettre plein la vue graphiquement. Et on prend volontiers. Mais ça n'en fera pas une BD incontournable alors qu'avec un tel talent dans les mains, il faudrait une belle histoire un peu tordue, des situations un peu moins clichées, et on serait au top.

[David Lefebvre · Rating 2 out of 5]

Noir Burlesque est une série que j’aurais adoré aimer. Malheureusement, ses qualités sont aussi ses défauts : un dessin à l’aquarelle qui vient créer une certaine ambiance manque parfois de détails, les personnages très typiques sont difficiles à aimer, la seule couleur, rouge, qui symbolise le désir et le danger, aurait dû être utilisé que pour Caprice … on se surprend même à trouver la fin très kitch, voire mièvre. Dommage

[Andrew Ives · Rating 3 out of 5]

(English version) As with pt1, the artwork is still of a decent standard, with b&w watercolour and dashes of red. Some of the larger panels are quite brilliant. However, the storyline becomes violent, with everyone shooting everyone, plenty of gruesome ends all around (far more than any Film Noir I ever saw!) so although the panels are quite 'exciting' looking, the whole thing was becoming tiresome and the ending was obvious long before we got there. 2.75/5

[Gonzalo Oyanedel · Rating 3 out of 5]

La segunda parte del tributo a la serie negra que firma Enrico Marini mantiene las líneas propuestas en el primer volumen. Algo más firme en el ritmo, consigue además despertar simpatía hacia secundarios que cumplen con el arquetipo que el lector aficionado al estilo disfruta. Eso - y su talento gráfico indiscutible - hacen que valga la pena sumarlo al librero.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second part of Marini's noir tale. It has a nice conclusion, half hitting the mark on noir stereotypes, half taking some liberties with the genre. Yeah it's nothing new or original but the art is exceptional, the trick with the color red elevates the narration (all heil the mighty Jacques Tardi that first used it) and the story is pulp fiction at it's core.

Read this!

[Knjigolija · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good sequel! Especially given the ending of the first volume! If you love Marini's art and stories then you will enjoy this one as well.
The story itself in nothing new, but it is rather well paced and the style is amazing!

[Bus · Rating 4 out of 5]

No cuenta nada de nada de nada no leído mil veces. Es un cliché permanente sin embargo es tan increíble visualmente que compensa todo. La historia es amena y fluye ágil pero te pide el cuerpo pararte en cada viñeta y aunque suene pedante, deleitarte.

[Jipi Perreault · Rating 2 out of 5]

Somptueux dessin recouvrant un dégoulis de clichés, nibards dialogues ringards et personnages aussi incompétents que sans saveurs. L'auteur n'a visiblement pas compris ce qui rend le genre intéressant Un dyptique inutile

[francesca · Rating 3 out of 5]

i admire enrico marini works, nothing short of beautiful and classy.

the story is captivating, and the atmosphere feels luxurious & dangerous. the ending has the same beauty and intensity as the rest of the narrative. it’s not an absurd story, but great work.

[Julls · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[lecoincosydeva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vraiment bien ! On est vraiment à fond dans l’histoire et on suit la fin de la mission de Slick. J’ai beaucoup aimé ! Je lirai d’autres romans graphiques de l’artiste !

[Edith Campo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un buen cierre de la primera parte, continua con los clichés y no hay nada que no sea predecible, pero los dibujos son una maravilla

[iona · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it as much as the first one

[Atef Attia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superbe feu d'artifice en guise de conclusion pour ce diptyque de feu et de sang !

[Emil Vartušek · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Joan F C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meravellós. Dibuix tipus aquarela amb una qualitat visual increible. Bon guió, gàngsters a dojo, una mica pulp. Top!!

[Inês · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5/3

[Inge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the surprising ending. I also loved the story and the bribing between the characters. Everyone had his own agenda.

[Konlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poszedłem za ciosem i po pierwszym tomie od razu wziąłem się za drugi.
W zasadzie różnicy żadnej nie ma, po prostu ciąg dalszy w tym samym stylu.