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Vertigo Crime
The Bronx Kill
Martin Keane is a literary writer whose second novel just received scathing reviews. He has a police officer father he can barely stand - a man who couldn't be more different from. But he decides to combine the two together for his next book, a historical cop thriller which he hopes will give him the chance to work through his family issues and cope with his past. Then, suddenly, Martin's wife disappears without a trace. And even as people start suspecting Martin himself might be responsible, he knows there's much more to it than that. He's sure there are clues to her abduction that he's overlooking, ones which can perhaps even
be found in the novel he's obsessively writing. As he and his father investigate his wife's disappearance, he'll find the truth is much more shocking than he thought - in a twist ending no one would ever dare guess.
be found in the novel he's obsessively writing. As he and his father investigate his wife's disappearance, he'll find the truth is much more shocking than he thought - in a twist ending no one would ever dare guess.
184 pages, Hardcover
First published March 23, 2010
174 people want to read
About the author
Peter Milligan
1,297 books389 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Peter Milligan is a British writer, best known for his work on X-Force / X-Statix, the X-Men, & the Vertigo series Human Target. He is also a scriptwriter.
He has been writing comics for some time and he has somewhat of a reputation for writing material that is highly outlandish, bizarre and/or absurd.
His highest profile projects to date include a run on X-Men, and his X-Force revamp that relaunched as X-Statix.
Many of Milligan's best works have been from DC Vertigo. These include: The Extremist (4 issues with artist Ted McKeever) The Minx (8 issues with artist Sean Phillips) Face (Prestige one-shot with artist Duncan Fegredo) The Eaters (Prestige one-shot with artist Dean Ormston) Vertigo Pop London (4 issues with artist Philip Bond) Enigma (8 issues with artist Duncan Fegredo) and Girl (3 issues with artist Duncan Fegredo).
Series:
* Human Target
* Greek Street
* X-Force / X-Statix
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Peter Milligan is a British writer, best known for his work on X-Force / X-Statix, the X-Men, & the Vertigo series Human Target. He is also a scriptwriter.
He has been writing comics for some time and he has somewhat of a reputation for writing material that is highly outlandish, bizarre and/or absurd.
His highest profile projects to date include a run on X-Men, and his X-Force revamp that relaunched as X-Statix.
Many of Milligan's best works have been from DC Vertigo. These include: The Extremist (4 issues with artist Ted McKeever) The Minx (8 issues with artist Sean Phillips) Face (Prestige one-shot with artist Duncan Fegredo) The Eaters (Prestige one-shot with artist Dean Ormston) Vertigo Pop London (4 issues with artist Philip Bond) Enigma (8 issues with artist Duncan Fegredo) and Girl (3 issues with artist Duncan Fegredo).
Series:
* Human Target
* Greek Street
* X-Force / X-Statix
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
March 18, 2024
Vertigo Crime (VC) was a great line of fiction that dealt with all sorts of criminal activity. I am so sorry that it is no longer publishing new GN's. In this well paced story a reporter looks into his families past as he starts to look for his missing wife. But what he finds will leave him more alone than he has ever been.
March 8, 2016
Not bad noir crime thriller. A bit dense and complicated of a plot to fully realise through the medium of a graphic novel, though. Also uses the device of telling two stories at the same time, a novel within a novel which I enjoyed. The main character is a writer and while the main story involves the murder of his wife he is writing a thriller and we get a few pages of text being his edited manuscript inserted every now and then. Makes for a unique read and not too shabby of a plot but I think it does strive too hard to aim for a literary goal it just doesn't reach. Both stories are just a bit too convoluted and I never felt myself really believing in it or getting involved with the characters.
October 16, 2018
Stupid. Boring. And dumb.
This retro-recontextualized take on the 1940/50’s era Film Noir is uncomfortably smooshed into a far more contemporaneous period. Chronological vertigo begins to take over just as most everything else that made film noir great is mutated unto another of Milligan’s perverted visions. Sometimes the experimental can lead to success, this is clearly not one of them.
Without the typical first person hard-boiled perspective (detective or otherwise) I was already at a loss. All the more unmoored I became as the protagonist was manifested into anything but the raw character I expected. Instead, a wimpy, effeminate, and utterly unlikable writer is the fetid result.
Without any interest at all in the main character, I struggled to read through all the ~200 pages. Even with the occasional plot twist(s) and what-have-you, nothing interesting or amazing flashed across my eyes. Neither written nor illustrated content could bring my interest above the level I would have enjoyed in regards to watching paint dry or grass grow.
L-A-M-E.
This retro-recontextualized take on the 1940/50’s era Film Noir is uncomfortably smooshed into a far more contemporaneous period. Chronological vertigo begins to take over just as most everything else that made film noir great is mutated unto another of Milligan’s perverted visions. Sometimes the experimental can lead to success, this is clearly not one of them.
Without the typical first person hard-boiled perspective (detective or otherwise) I was already at a loss. All the more unmoored I became as the protagonist was manifested into anything but the raw character I expected. Instead, a wimpy, effeminate, and utterly unlikable writer is the fetid result.
Without any interest at all in the main character, I struggled to read through all the ~200 pages. Even with the occasional plot twist(s) and what-have-you, nothing interesting or amazing flashed across my eyes. Neither written nor illustrated content could bring my interest above the level I would have enjoyed in regards to watching paint dry or grass grow.
L-A-M-E.
May 6, 2022
Graphics that intersperse pages of textual content are never as enjoyable for me, the change in pattern and pace always pulls me out of the story, no matter how interesting it is.
December 12, 2014
I have mixed feelings about this one. On one hand its a really cool story, but on the other hand it stretches believability a little more than a hard boiled crime story should. It deals with family secrets and how history repeats itself, but in this case it seemed a little unlikely history would repeat itself to this extent. The main character was a writer, which I could relate to on some levels, so that was an unexpected bonus. It actually had a lot of potential and was very well done, but was just a little too too cliche. Now, if there was supposed to be a supernatural element, which was hinted at but never outright stated, that could change things, but since I don't think there really was, I will stick by the three star rating. The art was good enough to not hurt the story, but not great enough to save it.
If you are a fan of the other Vertigo Crime graphic novels, I would say read this one, it's not bad. If you weren't, then I doubt you'll like this one either.
If you are a fan of the other Vertigo Crime graphic novels, I would say read this one, it's not bad. If you weren't, then I doubt you'll like this one either.
March 9, 2018
A writer from a line of alpha-male cops struggles with his family legacy, the failure of his sophomore novel, and the disappearance of his painter wife. The unsolved murder of his great-grandfather, his grandmother's abandonment of her family, and his wife's artistic tastes keep drawing him back to a shitty stretch of waterfront known as the Bronx Kill.
The Bronx Kill alternates intriguingly between the drawn story of the protagonist and his wife and prose excerpts from his murder mystery novel, with some eerie parallels between the two.
Solid. The mystery kept me guessing and the prose--with editor's markup--punctuated the main plot in an interesting way.
The gritty black and white illustration is perfectly suited to the noir plot and grubby Bronx Kill setting. (But the artist sucks at drawing tears; every time someone cries it looks like a carton of milk was poured on the bridge of the nose.)
The Bronx Kill alternates intriguingly between the drawn story of the protagonist and his wife and prose excerpts from his murder mystery novel, with some eerie parallels between the two.
Solid. The mystery kept me guessing and the prose--with editor's markup--punctuated the main plot in an interesting way.
The gritty black and white illustration is perfectly suited to the noir plot and grubby Bronx Kill setting. (But the artist sucks at drawing tears; every time someone cries it looks like a carton of milk was poured on the bridge of the nose.)
May 16, 2022
The artwork is a little rough in places, but overall a fairly enjoyable murder mystery. I liked that the main protagonist is an author and each chapter broken up with an excerpt from his novel.
I was a little disappointed by the ending, but perhaps I've just been spoiled by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips.
I was a little disappointed by the ending, but perhaps I've just been spoiled by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips.
June 30, 2011
La historia está buena y cómo está llevada también. También hay un par de recursos no demasiado originales pero que están bien usados: como el protagonista es un novelista, la historieta se va intercalando con páginas de esta supuesta novela, donde obviamente se ven pistas e indicios de lo que va a terminar pasando en el mundo real. Eso sí, estos fragmentos no están muy bien escritos que digamos, y me queda la duda de si Milligan será malo escribiendo prosa o si su idea era que pensáramos exactamente eso del protagonista, ya que una parte importante de la trama pasa por si es bueno haciendo lo que hace. Quiero creer que es lo segundo. El gran problema que tiene Bronx Kill, y que definitivamente resta más de lo que suma, es el dibujo. No es que el dibujante sea completamente asqueroso haciendo las escenas ni que no sirva en lo más mínimo para narar. Pero casi. Con un dibujo mejor, que aporte, que no distraiga tratando de descifrar la escena, y que se compenetre mejor con el guion, quizás el relato arañaba las cuatro estrellas. Así, gracias que llegó a las 3.
July 27, 2019
Par for the course for Vertigo Crime, which means it's incredible
Just incredible - all the books in this series are great, both the tale and the art, and this one is no exception.
Just incredible - all the books in this series are great, both the tale and the art, and this one is no exception.
March 16, 2010
Peter Milligan, The Bronx Kill (Vertigo Crime, 2010)
I was less than impressed with the first Vertigo Crime title I read, Azzarello's Filthy Rich, so I came into The Bronx Kill with a bit of trepidation. I shouldn't have. Milligan, who's written for Hellblazer and Human Target, is paired with James Romberger, who's been working on Tales from the Crypt. Unlike Azzarello's title, this pairing is solid, and Romberger's rather spare style is a great match for Milligan's tale.
Martin is a writer. His father and grandfather before him were cops, and his father is disappointed that Martin hasn't gone into the family business. (Astute readers will pick up on a solid nod to Charles Bukowski's short story “My Old Man” at the beginning of this volume.) When Martin's wife disappears, he finds that maybe he's not as far from the family business as he'd like to be, and things only get worse when events in real life start dovetailing with the manuscript of his new novel, a historical-fiction tale Martin is using to explore the mysterious death of his grandfather.
Needless to say, this is noir, and as such you can expect pulp-fiction writing here. I don't consider that a weakness any more than I do in, say, Wilder's adaptation of Double Indemnity; it fits the material. Sure, it's overblown. Who cares? If I have a problem with The Bronx Kill, it's that there isn't enough of it. We get just enough of Martin and his wife visiting Martin's father at Christmas to establish that there's an odd family dynamic (and anyone who's brought the significant other to meet the folks and had said significant other say “I don't know why you hate them so, they seem fine to me” will identify with the discomfort that bleeds from that scene), but there could have been so much more. In every other encounter, it's just Martin and his father. We know what their dynamic is like. I understand why Milligan took the route he did, and at the end of the book you will as well, but that doesn't mean I don't want more of it, just like we all wanted more of Edward G. Robinson in Double Indemnity. *** ½
I was less than impressed with the first Vertigo Crime title I read, Azzarello's Filthy Rich, so I came into The Bronx Kill with a bit of trepidation. I shouldn't have. Milligan, who's written for Hellblazer and Human Target, is paired with James Romberger, who's been working on Tales from the Crypt. Unlike Azzarello's title, this pairing is solid, and Romberger's rather spare style is a great match for Milligan's tale.
Martin is a writer. His father and grandfather before him were cops, and his father is disappointed that Martin hasn't gone into the family business. (Astute readers will pick up on a solid nod to Charles Bukowski's short story “My Old Man” at the beginning of this volume.) When Martin's wife disappears, he finds that maybe he's not as far from the family business as he'd like to be, and things only get worse when events in real life start dovetailing with the manuscript of his new novel, a historical-fiction tale Martin is using to explore the mysterious death of his grandfather.
Needless to say, this is noir, and as such you can expect pulp-fiction writing here. I don't consider that a weakness any more than I do in, say, Wilder's adaptation of Double Indemnity; it fits the material. Sure, it's overblown. Who cares? If I have a problem with The Bronx Kill, it's that there isn't enough of it. We get just enough of Martin and his wife visiting Martin's father at Christmas to establish that there's an odd family dynamic (and anyone who's brought the significant other to meet the folks and had said significant other say “I don't know why you hate them so, they seem fine to me” will identify with the discomfort that bleeds from that scene), but there could have been so much more. In every other encounter, it's just Martin and his father. We know what their dynamic is like. I understand why Milligan took the route he did, and at the end of the book you will as well, but that doesn't mean I don't want more of it, just like we all wanted more of Edward G. Robinson in Double Indemnity. *** ½
November 8, 2016
The Bronx Kill promised to be gritty, grimy, and noir. Yet what we get is a deeply rooted family drama that's both twisted and perverted amid a backdrop of a missing persons case that sometimes jumps around a little too much to make sense.
The art by James Romberger is moody and effective. The styling of each character is distinguishable page to page - you never get lost in the narrative trying to define who is who. For some reason I pictured most of this graphic novel taking place in the day time - even though there are a number of clearly drawn night time sequences. The Bronx Kill, the location, that is, that dumping ground of human waste both organic and non, just feels right in the day time - a seedy decrepit dark contrast to the sunshine.
Peter Milligan writes a nicely woven family drama than spans generations of adultery and murder. That was interesting. But a little of the spice was lost when in a matter of pages we jump months or even years without a segue or indication in a panel (bar one scene when Martin leaves America for Ireland and returns 4 months later). It can be confusing to the reader.
The Bronx Kill is a decent read that has a great twist but lacks a little rationale. There is one character, Kerry, who appears late in the book loaded with plot bombs that changes the course of Martin's story. Perhaps if she was introduced earlier, her character would have had more of an impact and the story would've felt more organic. That said, I see what Peter Milligan was trying to do and I liked it.
I'd rate this Vertigo Crime graphic novel a solid 3.5 / 5.
http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
The art by James Romberger is moody and effective. The styling of each character is distinguishable page to page - you never get lost in the narrative trying to define who is who. For some reason I pictured most of this graphic novel taking place in the day time - even though there are a number of clearly drawn night time sequences. The Bronx Kill, the location, that is, that dumping ground of human waste both organic and non, just feels right in the day time - a seedy decrepit dark contrast to the sunshine.
Peter Milligan writes a nicely woven family drama than spans generations of adultery and murder. That was interesting. But a little of the spice was lost when in a matter of pages we jump months or even years without a segue or indication in a panel (bar one scene when Martin leaves America for Ireland and returns 4 months later). It can be confusing to the reader.
The Bronx Kill is a decent read that has a great twist but lacks a little rationale. There is one character, Kerry, who appears late in the book loaded with plot bombs that changes the course of Martin's story. Perhaps if she was introduced earlier, her character would have had more of an impact and the story would've felt more organic. That said, I see what Peter Milligan was trying to do and I liked it.
I'd rate this Vertigo Crime graphic novel a solid 3.5 / 5.
http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
November 21, 2014
‘You shouldn’t have done your dirt’
The Bronx Kill offers a traditional mystery with little of surprises in it. An aspiring writes goes off to a tour for some days only to find his wife missing just after he returns. The police pins him down as the murder suspect and whole thing becomes a media circus. Everything happening around him points towards the novel he is obsessively working on and while the writer refuses to take any help from his DI father, the world around him keeps throwing him in more and more cryptic situations just to make him question more about his own family history.
Although the baseline of the story seems very regular, Bronx Kill offers some new twists too. The family drama and history is very enjoyable. Tying the past with present is a very good way of writing a mystery and Peter Milligan has done that uniquely. But even after all these things the conclusion/showdown seems bland and many of the twists feel unnecessary. Bronx Kill could have been much more because it surely had the potential and calibre.
In the art department, James Romerger scores very very well. Te gritty nature of the city and raw emotions are portrayed very well. His scribbling lines suit the mystery perfectly but at some places the faces are too much distorted and at some pages you might have to stop to identify who-is-who first.
Although it is full of ambitions and offers some memorable twists, The Bronx Kill fails sadly to reach the hight it could have reached.
The Bronx Kill offers a traditional mystery with little of surprises in it. An aspiring writes goes off to a tour for some days only to find his wife missing just after he returns. The police pins him down as the murder suspect and whole thing becomes a media circus. Everything happening around him points towards the novel he is obsessively working on and while the writer refuses to take any help from his DI father, the world around him keeps throwing him in more and more cryptic situations just to make him question more about his own family history.
Although the baseline of the story seems very regular, Bronx Kill offers some new twists too. The family drama and history is very enjoyable. Tying the past with present is a very good way of writing a mystery and Peter Milligan has done that uniquely. But even after all these things the conclusion/showdown seems bland and many of the twists feel unnecessary. Bronx Kill could have been much more because it surely had the potential and calibre.
In the art department, James Romerger scores very very well. Te gritty nature of the city and raw emotions are portrayed very well. His scribbling lines suit the mystery perfectly but at some places the faces are too much distorted and at some pages you might have to stop to identify who-is-who first.
Although it is full of ambitions and offers some memorable twists, The Bronx Kill fails sadly to reach the hight it could have reached.
April 24, 2012
This original graphic novel comes from the short-lived Vertigo Crime imprint. It was written by the veteran British write, Peter Milligan, and the black and white art was by James Romberger.
The derelict area around the Bronx Kill, a narrow strait in New York, holds a grim fascination for writer Martin Keane as it was the scene of his great-grandfather's murder. As Martin struggles to write his third novel, his mysterious family history is echoed in the present when his wife leaves their apartment and disappears just like his grandmother did many years before abandoning his father as a baby. Martin is suspected of foul play, and murder when his wife's body appears, and must find answers to the mystery in the events of the past.
A pretty good modern noir story from Milligan. He uses a lot of tropes - history repeating, lessons of the past not learned, mirroring of events in the draft pages of Martin's latest novel - but he combines them well to produce a gripping narrative. The art by Romberger is suitably dark when it needs to be and has an indie sensibility that is refreshing from the books I normally read. Well worth a read for fans of crime stories.
The derelict area around the Bronx Kill, a narrow strait in New York, holds a grim fascination for writer Martin Keane as it was the scene of his great-grandfather's murder. As Martin struggles to write his third novel, his mysterious family history is echoed in the present when his wife leaves their apartment and disappears just like his grandmother did many years before abandoning his father as a baby. Martin is suspected of foul play, and murder when his wife's body appears, and must find answers to the mystery in the events of the past.
A pretty good modern noir story from Milligan. He uses a lot of tropes - history repeating, lessons of the past not learned, mirroring of events in the draft pages of Martin's latest novel - but he combines them well to produce a gripping narrative. The art by Romberger is suitably dark when it needs to be and has an indie sensibility that is refreshing from the books I normally read. Well worth a read for fans of crime stories.
February 1, 2012
This is a rather decent mystery story about a 1-hit wonder author struggling to create another successful novel while seeking his own hidden family secrets. Bits of his prose manuscript are woven into the actual story, but the subject matter, that is, the mystery as it relates to the protagonist's family is flat-out disgusting IMHO.
September 10, 2012
This was pretty good. I could appreciate what Mr Milligan was trying to do with the book and I think he did it pretty well. I actually picked this one up on the strength of his writing on Hellblazer and was not disappointed.
The art style was curiously inspiring with its "indie" approach, which gave the story center stage.
The art style was curiously inspiring with its "indie" approach, which gave the story center stage.
May 12, 2014
Milligan puts together an interesting mix of comics and would-be hard boiled prose. As usual, its all dressing for him to pick at the scab of the human condition. The ending comes up a little too quickly, but the haunting mood is quite palpable.
April 4, 2015
Crime thriller with a twist. Was very slow to start. The "fictional"pages written by the m as in character really added to the story. Not big on black and white but art was okay.
June 7, 2016
This was a pretty good graphic novel. I enjoyed reading it.
5 out of 5 for sure.
5 out of 5 for sure.
March 11, 2021
(Zero spoiler review) 4.5/5
I've disagreed rather strongly with some of the scores given on this site of late, although perhaps none as strongly as this. One could pass off a low score with a very small review pool and an apathetic or obtuse group of readers, but with the numbers of people who had read this, it really makes one wonder. Maybe there just weren't enough capes and superpowers in it. Or maybe the more literary style and occasional descent into a novelised format turned people away. Regardless, they have tarnished a real gem of a book and I hope it doesn't stop more people from checking it out.
Whilst the art can be a tad hit and miss at times, its dark, scratchiness lends weight to the story, and helps transport one back to the New York of decades past. The grittiness and grimy streets shine here, with the backdrop playing as much a part as the small ensemble of characters we have. Whilst a cleaner, more refined style would have been appreciated, this more than aids in the telling of the story. And what a great story it was. At least the measure of some of the other noir authors for whom we are aware, and for whom receive their fair share of plaudits (and deservedly so). This could, and in fact should be turned into a film. The graphic novel is already so close to a screenplay anyway, it would take a real effort to butcher such a well told tale, although if anyone is capable of doing so, modern Hollywood would be at the top of the list. A few good its of casting and a competent director, and you would have yourself a hit.
Regardless of any possible big screen adaptation, what we have here is a wonderful little hidden gem of a story. And whilst the possibility always remains that you will more agree with the majority of the reviewers here than with me, I found it to be a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours, and a worthy antidote to so much of the modern garbage comic books have become. 4.5/5
OmniBen.
I've disagreed rather strongly with some of the scores given on this site of late, although perhaps none as strongly as this. One could pass off a low score with a very small review pool and an apathetic or obtuse group of readers, but with the numbers of people who had read this, it really makes one wonder. Maybe there just weren't enough capes and superpowers in it. Or maybe the more literary style and occasional descent into a novelised format turned people away. Regardless, they have tarnished a real gem of a book and I hope it doesn't stop more people from checking it out.
Whilst the art can be a tad hit and miss at times, its dark, scratchiness lends weight to the story, and helps transport one back to the New York of decades past. The grittiness and grimy streets shine here, with the backdrop playing as much a part as the small ensemble of characters we have. Whilst a cleaner, more refined style would have been appreciated, this more than aids in the telling of the story. And what a great story it was. At least the measure of some of the other noir authors for whom we are aware, and for whom receive their fair share of plaudits (and deservedly so). This could, and in fact should be turned into a film. The graphic novel is already so close to a screenplay anyway, it would take a real effort to butcher such a well told tale, although if anyone is capable of doing so, modern Hollywood would be at the top of the list. A few good its of casting and a competent director, and you would have yourself a hit.
Regardless of any possible big screen adaptation, what we have here is a wonderful little hidden gem of a story. And whilst the possibility always remains that you will more agree with the majority of the reviewers here than with me, I found it to be a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours, and a worthy antidote to so much of the modern garbage comic books have become. 4.5/5
OmniBen.
August 20, 2022
En esta novela gráfica acompañaremos a Martín Keane, un escritor de Nueva York, cuyos antecesores trabajaron en la policía. La historia girará entorno a dos misterios: la desaparición de la abuela de Martín cuando su padre era un bebé y, la reciente desaparición de su mujer.
El estilo de dibujo, en blanco y negro, es muy bueno y acorde a la historia sin resultar cargante en sus elementos.
Así mismo, la trama y la forma de explicar la historia me parecen muy originales.
Me han fallado las páginas en las que aparecía lo que Martín estaba escribiendo como borrador de su novela ya que no acababa de encontrarle el sentido dentro de la propia historia.
Más allá de eso, es una novela gráfica que recomiendo a todas las personas, mayores de 15 años, que disfruten con el género negro y quieran disfrutarlo en un formato diferente.
El estilo de dibujo, en blanco y negro, es muy bueno y acorde a la historia sin resultar cargante en sus elementos.
Así mismo, la trama y la forma de explicar la historia me parecen muy originales.
Me han fallado las páginas en las que aparecía lo que Martín estaba escribiendo como borrador de su novela ya que no acababa de encontrarle el sentido dentro de la propia historia.
Más allá de eso, es una novela gráfica que recomiendo a todas las personas, mayores de 15 años, que disfruten con el género negro y quieran disfrutarlo en un formato diferente.
January 8, 2025
I mean this was…fine. Pretty basic pulpy noir comic that I bought because I was the only person in a comic store and felt awkward not buying anything. The are style was so choppy that it was had to tell what was happening in some panels. The story was, weird — and not “good” weird. The idea of a main character being an writer and interspersing pages from his novel into the book is cool, but if the novel
Pages you wrote for it are bad, then he comes across as a bad writer— and so do you…
Pages you wrote for it are bad, then he comes across as a bad writer— and so do you…
September 27, 2023
A quite enjoyable mystery-crime comic. The story has some nice elements working together to create some neo-noir backdrop with family secrets and mystery on top. The characters are not all that developed, but are enough for this genre.
The art is what keeps it from a 4 star rating. It is too uneven in places, but once used to it, it works. The interspaced text passages are a nice touch.
The art is what keeps it from a 4 star rating. It is too uneven in places, but once used to it, it works. The interspaced text passages are a nice touch.
March 21, 2023
A magnificent novella by Peter Milligan. Because it’s not only a graphic novel, but a true novella, written alternating between drawings and script, with the literary expedient of the character being a writer and writing a story. A story that is, after all, HIS story. Great, great book. Enjoy it.
April 3, 2018
Very strong crime thriller. Milligan avoids the terse tough-guy cliches, instead giving a searing tale of family and loss. Romberger's art suits everything to a T. Good stuff.
May 19, 2020
Not bad but too far fetched whodunnit
January 19, 2023
Very good book because I never saw the twist coming and because of that I think think this is now my favorite of the vertigo crime graphic novels
February 12, 2010
I like crime fiction and I like graphic storytelling, so I'm always keen to check out a new crime graphic novel. This one is definitely of the noir variety, as it delves into family history and has the classic "you can't escape the past" theme. The protagonist is Martin Keane, a writer whose debut novel was a critical and commercial success, but whose new second novel is a dud (you can understand why when he complains to his wife's mild critique with "the point is that there is no point!"). While casting about for a new approach to his work, his wife's interest in his dark family history leads him to spend four months researching in Ireland. All seems well when he comes back, but one night she disappears from their apartment in the middle of the night.
Martin reluctantly enlists the help of his alcoholic ex-cop father to find her, but as he starts to crack under the stress, he finds himself under increasing scrutiny from the police. A number of reviewers have commented that the outcome of the story is pretty obvious, but I have to disagree. It's a bit difficult to say why I disagree without giving the plot away, but it hinges on a relationship between two characters that's so completely improbable that I was left with that "you gotta be kidding" feeling. It a case of a shocking twist ending that isn't earned in any way, and pretty much ruined the book for me.
The other thing that ruined the book for me is the awful artwork. When I first started the advance copy of the book I got, I spent about ten minutes poking around the front and back looking for some kind of indication that this was temporary art and would be replaced for the final version. Not finding any, I have to conclude that it's the final art, which leaves me aghast. Sometimes I don't care for graphic storytelling simply because I don't like the style, but in this case, its not taste, it's just poor quality. The faces are erratic and totally without nuance, the shading is all over the place, the paneling totally banal, it's just not good. So, between the art and the lame twist ending, I was left disappointed by yet another crime graphic novel. (The best I've come across is Miss: Better Living Through Crime).
Martin reluctantly enlists the help of his alcoholic ex-cop father to find her, but as he starts to crack under the stress, he finds himself under increasing scrutiny from the police. A number of reviewers have commented that the outcome of the story is pretty obvious, but I have to disagree. It's a bit difficult to say why I disagree without giving the plot away, but it hinges on a relationship between two characters that's so completely improbable that I was left with that "you gotta be kidding" feeling. It a case of a shocking twist ending that isn't earned in any way, and pretty much ruined the book for me.
The other thing that ruined the book for me is the awful artwork. When I first started the advance copy of the book I got, I spent about ten minutes poking around the front and back looking for some kind of indication that this was temporary art and would be replaced for the final version. Not finding any, I have to conclude that it's the final art, which leaves me aghast. Sometimes I don't care for graphic storytelling simply because I don't like the style, but in this case, its not taste, it's just poor quality. The faces are erratic and totally without nuance, the shading is all over the place, the paneling totally banal, it's just not good. So, between the art and the lame twist ending, I was left disappointed by yet another crime graphic novel. (The best I've come across is Miss: Better Living Through Crime).
February 23, 2016
The flaw is on my end, but I'm a far harsher critic on a story that features a struggling writer as the protagonist.
The writer in this case is Martin Keane, a should-be fourth generation New York cop who bucks the through line of his family history and, instead, is a one-hit wonder novelist with a failed second book. One who would far more successful if he took his father's advice and wrote something like Ed McBain or James Ellroy. The problem with Martin's writing is that he can't connect to his past and his work feels like he's running from something. Of course he is. There's a long-lingering family secret concerning Nora, Martin's Grandmother, who mysteriously vanished without a trace long ago.
After spending several months in Ireland, away from his father and Erin, his wife, Martin returns home to New York, reinvigorated as a writer. Soon after his homecoming, Erin goes missing, and shortly thereafter, Martin becomes the prime suspect.
Without spoiling the mystery, family dynamics from generations past play themselves once again in a forgotten section of land where the book gets its title from.
This is a quick read with a very straightforward plot line. As a protagonist, Martin doesn't do a whole lot of "doing." He's largely a pinball being shot across a board of stereotypical cops, agents, detectives, etc. Even when he learns the great big family mystery, it's only when another character is inserted into the story for the sole purpose of explaining it to him.
The female characters don't fare much better. They exist merely to be a canvas in which the tired and played out theme of the overbearing father versus the sensitive son is to be painted on.
Scattered throughout the narrative are passages of Martin's current work-in-progress that he works on in real time as the story plays out. It's an interesting device that has potential, but more often than not simply summarizes the previous few pages.
The art is sketchy and has an indie comics feel to it. It's certainly grittier than the story and does a lot of the heavy lifting here as far conveying the feel of the plot.
The Bronx Kill. Written by Peter Milligany. Art by James Romberger. Two of out Five Generations of NYPD Beat Cops.
The writer in this case is Martin Keane, a should-be fourth generation New York cop who bucks the through line of his family history and, instead, is a one-hit wonder novelist with a failed second book. One who would far more successful if he took his father's advice and wrote something like Ed McBain or James Ellroy. The problem with Martin's writing is that he can't connect to his past and his work feels like he's running from something. Of course he is. There's a long-lingering family secret concerning Nora, Martin's Grandmother, who mysteriously vanished without a trace long ago.
After spending several months in Ireland, away from his father and Erin, his wife, Martin returns home to New York, reinvigorated as a writer. Soon after his homecoming, Erin goes missing, and shortly thereafter, Martin becomes the prime suspect.
Without spoiling the mystery, family dynamics from generations past play themselves once again in a forgotten section of land where the book gets its title from.
This is a quick read with a very straightforward plot line. As a protagonist, Martin doesn't do a whole lot of "doing." He's largely a pinball being shot across a board of stereotypical cops, agents, detectives, etc. Even when he learns the great big family mystery, it's only when another character is inserted into the story for the sole purpose of explaining it to him.
The female characters don't fare much better. They exist merely to be a canvas in which the tired and played out theme of the overbearing father versus the sensitive son is to be painted on.
Scattered throughout the narrative are passages of Martin's current work-in-progress that he works on in real time as the story plays out. It's an interesting device that has potential, but more often than not simply summarizes the previous few pages.
The art is sketchy and has an indie comics feel to it. It's certainly grittier than the story and does a lot of the heavy lifting here as far conveying the feel of the plot.
The Bronx Kill. Written by Peter Milligany. Art by James Romberger. Two of out Five Generations of NYPD Beat Cops.
November 4, 2011
The Bronx Kill is a graphic novel released through Vertigo's crime imprint. In case you're not aware, Vertigo is a division of DC Comics, aimed at mature readers and offering mature content. Not pornographic, mind you, just a little bit more adult-themed. Think of DC as network television, and Vertigo as HBO.
Peter Milligan delivers a story about a young writer who opted to ignore the family's history of going into law enforcement. He takes his young wife to visit The Bronx Kill, a space of forlorn land where terrible things have happened to his family in particular. She is fascinated by it, especially given his father's past. The writer soon leaves the country in order to research his newest novel, but when he returns, his wife--and his life--are irrevocably changed ... and it has everything to do with The Bronx Kill.
I have to admit that much of Milligan's story was predictable and well-tread. However, he put enough suspense into it to make it an enjoyable read, and once through the first third of the book, I couldn't put it down--despite its familiar ingredients. Milligan did one thing, however, that really set The Bronx Kill apart. He inserted excerpts from his main character's latest novel, and it isn't long before the passages begin to parallel the main storyline. I thought this was a nice touch that really made the book feel special. It definitely augmented the book's quality in my mind.
James Romberger provided the art for The Bronx Kill, and he does a serviceable job. To me, his work didn't really stand out as especially captivating. And while he successfully conveyed the mood, the story's progression, and the action, his pictures just didn't seem to totally fit with Milligan's themes.
Overall, The Bronx Kill is a fast, enjoyable read with some moments of real originality. If you're a fan of crime noir and sequential art, I'd give it a try.
Peter Milligan delivers a story about a young writer who opted to ignore the family's history of going into law enforcement. He takes his young wife to visit The Bronx Kill, a space of forlorn land where terrible things have happened to his family in particular. She is fascinated by it, especially given his father's past. The writer soon leaves the country in order to research his newest novel, but when he returns, his wife--and his life--are irrevocably changed ... and it has everything to do with The Bronx Kill.
I have to admit that much of Milligan's story was predictable and well-tread. However, he put enough suspense into it to make it an enjoyable read, and once through the first third of the book, I couldn't put it down--despite its familiar ingredients. Milligan did one thing, however, that really set The Bronx Kill apart. He inserted excerpts from his main character's latest novel, and it isn't long before the passages begin to parallel the main storyline. I thought this was a nice touch that really made the book feel special. It definitely augmented the book's quality in my mind.
James Romberger provided the art for The Bronx Kill, and he does a serviceable job. To me, his work didn't really stand out as especially captivating. And while he successfully conveyed the mood, the story's progression, and the action, his pictures just didn't seem to totally fit with Milligan's themes.
Overall, The Bronx Kill is a fast, enjoyable read with some moments of real originality. If you're a fan of crime noir and sequential art, I'd give it a try.
September 21, 2011
A big "Thank You" to Peter Milligan for writing this story.
After getting scathing reviews for his second novel, a young writer struggles to write a "good book" to regain the critics' praise he'd received for his first novel. Along the way, his wife mysteriously disappears. And so he looks for her. What happened to her? How did she disappear? What does this have to do with his family's history (read: secrets)?
The story is tight and keeps things moving. It flows naturally and nothing seems forced. The mystery is well executed, as are the reveals: some things you just don't see coming. True to Noir form, not everything is as it seems, and the good guys & the bad guys are not always who we think they are.
While it does the job for most of the book, occasionally the art could have been more polished. Some panels seem rushed. It's a minor complaint, as the art "issues" don't hamper the overall enjoyment of the story.
Bottom line: A tight mystery that could easily have been a Hitchcock movie, this book is a fine addition to a crime fiction lover's book shelf.
After getting scathing reviews for his second novel, a young writer struggles to write a "good book" to regain the critics' praise he'd received for his first novel. Along the way, his wife mysteriously disappears. And so he looks for her. What happened to her? How did she disappear? What does this have to do with his family's history (read: secrets)?
The story is tight and keeps things moving. It flows naturally and nothing seems forced. The mystery is well executed, as are the reveals: some things you just don't see coming. True to Noir form, not everything is as it seems, and the good guys & the bad guys are not always who we think they are.
While it does the job for most of the book, occasionally the art could have been more polished. Some panels seem rushed. It's a minor complaint, as the art "issues" don't hamper the overall enjoyment of the story.
Bottom line: A tight mystery that could easily have been a Hitchcock movie, this book is a fine addition to a crime fiction lover's book shelf.
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