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Vertigo Crime
A Sickness in the Family
Meet the Ushers. The parents, Ted and Biddy. Grandma Martha. The three kids, William, Amy and Sam. Just a normal, middle-class family gathered around the table on Christmas Day. Until they start dying. Violent deaths. One by one. Is there a curse on their house, as a recently unearthed history of witchcraft in the area would suggest? Or has one member of the Usher clan declared open season on the rest? As secrets and resentments boil to the surface, it becomes clear that more than one Usher has a motive for killing off the others. But in the end, the truth turns out to be far more shocking than anyone in this ill-fated family could have imagined.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published October 19, 2010
4 people are currently reading
399 people want to read
About the author
Denise Mina
109 books2,531 followersDenise Mina was born in Glasgow in 1966. Because of her father's job as an Engineer, the family followed the north sea oil boom of the seventies around Europe
She left school at sixteen and did a number of poorly paid jobs, including working in a meat factory, as a bar maid, kitchen porter and cook.
Eventually she settled in auxiliary nursing for geriatric and terminal care patients.
At twenty one she passed exams, got into study Law at Glasgow University and went on to research a PhD thesis at Strathclyde University on the ascription of mental illness to female offenders, teaching criminology and criminal law in the mean time.
Misusing her grant she stayed at home and wrote a novel, 'Garnethill' when she was supposed to be studying instead.
She left school at sixteen and did a number of poorly paid jobs, including working in a meat factory, as a bar maid, kitchen porter and cook.
Eventually she settled in auxiliary nursing for geriatric and terminal care patients.
At twenty one she passed exams, got into study Law at Glasgow University and went on to research a PhD thesis at Strathclyde University on the ascription of mental illness to female offenders, teaching criminology and criminal law in the mean time.
Misusing her grant she stayed at home and wrote a novel, 'Garnethill' when she was supposed to be studying instead.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
July 26, 2020
The Ushers are the most dysfunctional family ever to grace a comic book!
• dark
• depressing
•suspensive
•twisted
•horrifying
Just what I required!!
One of the best vertigo crime books❤❤️
• dark
• depressing
•suspensive
•twisted
•horrifying
Just what I required!!
One of the best vertigo crime books❤❤️
April 30, 2022
"A Sickness in the Family" was ok. Nothing great. The artwork, done in B&W, is ok and works well enough for the story, though there is nothing to recommend it.
The story is about a haunted house. The name of the family, in a nod to Poe, is "Usher". As this dysfunctional family full of terrible people all end up in this haunted house, things begin to go awry. Strange incidents become violent ones and as madness seems to descend on the family- it falls to the adopted son to try to figure out if his family has come under the malevolent control of a long-dead witch.
The ending was pretty decent. Perhaps I'd have li8ked this more if I could have found even one person in this awful family that I found a character deserving of empathy. An interesting story but nothing great. An odd addition to my collection.
The story is about a haunted house. The name of the family, in a nod to Poe, is "Usher". As this dysfunctional family full of terrible people all end up in this haunted house, things begin to go awry. Strange incidents become violent ones and as madness seems to descend on the family- it falls to the adopted son to try to figure out if his family has come under the malevolent control of a long-dead witch.
The ending was pretty decent. Perhaps I'd have li8ked this more if I could have found even one person in this awful family that I found a character deserving of empathy. An interesting story but nothing great. An odd addition to my collection.
January 22, 2021
Synopsis: Meet the Ushers. The parents, Ted and Biddy. Grandma Martha. The three kids, William, Amy and Sam. Just a normal, middle-class family gathered around the table on Christmas Day. Until they start dying. Violent deaths. One by one. Is there a curse on their house, as a recently unearthed history of witchcraft in the area would suggest? Or has one member of the Usher clan declared open season on the rest? As secrets and resentments boil to the surface, it becomes clear that more than one Usher has a motive for killing off the others. But in the end, the truth turns out to be far more shocking than anyone in this ill-fated family could have imagined.
Review: An extremely bleak modernized take on Poe's Fall of the House of Usher. The characters are brutally realistic, selfish and dysfunctional beyond belief. The haunted house setting was flipped on its head. The house and the 'evil' that may or may not haunt it barely even plays a role in the story, the family itself is doing the haunting. Each member of the family haunts the conscience of all the others, preying on each other's vulnerability, playing a fierce game of victim blaming and crumbling under the weight of psychological torment caused by a broken home falling apart.
Although I managed to predict it, the twist at the end of the story was very cool and had a nice touch of tragic irony. My only complaint was that it wasn't at least 100 pages longer. The setting and characters were very grim and the tension between the family was through the roof, it just went by a little too fast for me to fully soak in the looming misery which led to the final downfall. It had the same kind of feel as the movie Hereditary.
***
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My YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
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Review: An extremely bleak modernized take on Poe's Fall of the House of Usher. The characters are brutally realistic, selfish and dysfunctional beyond belief. The haunted house setting was flipped on its head. The house and the 'evil' that may or may not haunt it barely even plays a role in the story, the family itself is doing the haunting. Each member of the family haunts the conscience of all the others, preying on each other's vulnerability, playing a fierce game of victim blaming and crumbling under the weight of psychological torment caused by a broken home falling apart.
Although I managed to predict it, the twist at the end of the story was very cool and had a nice touch of tragic irony. My only complaint was that it wasn't at least 100 pages longer. The setting and characters were very grim and the tension between the family was through the roof, it just went by a little too fast for me to fully soak in the looming misery which led to the final downfall. It had the same kind of feel as the movie Hereditary.
***
My Social Media
My YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
My Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/michael_sor...
My Wattpad Account: https://www.wattpad.com/user/Michael-...
May 21, 2021
Lukisan dia serabut sikit, agak mengelirukan pada permulaan cerita. Hampir pertengahan baru aku faham.
November 30, 2014
This is one of the better of the Vertigo Crime imprint series. A bit of mystery, a bit of supernatural horror, and a twist ending that I should have seen coming but didn't. The art wasn't great but wasn't bad either, so it at least held its own. I would recommend this for any fans of crime, horror or mystery comics.
February 14, 2024
A look at a dysfunctional family...the shocking ending will stay with you long after you put the book down. This book is not for the faint of heart; there are many deeply traumatic events that will keep you guessing just how 'damaged' this family is. Reminds me of Preacher by Ennis/Dillon - same really creepy family dynamics!
September 21, 2011
Wow. Okay, this book is officially tied with Area 10 as my most favourite Vertigo Crime book. From its creepy cover to the last panel of the story, "A Sickness In The Family" is a success. Denise Mina has written a truly fantastic story, with its twists & turns and great characterisation, and Antonio Fuso's art conveys really well the sense of foreboding that emanates from the script with his clear, crisp pencils.
You know a book is great when you just *can't* stop reading until the last page. The story just pulls you in. Of course, as the story progresses, you find yourself playing detective and you try to figure it out... But a great mystery is one that you can't readily solve. So many suspects, with as many motives. And like the blurb on the back of the book says: Until they start dying. One by one.
And the twist at the end... Brilliant. Mina & Fuso have met the quality standard set by (Gage & Samnee's) Area 10, and people (mystery enthusiasts, especially) who don't normally read comic books will enjoy this one. This book is well-worth a purchase and should be on every mystery-lover's book shelf.
You know a book is great when you just *can't* stop reading until the last page. The story just pulls you in. Of course, as the story progresses, you find yourself playing detective and you try to figure it out... But a great mystery is one that you can't readily solve. So many suspects, with as many motives. And like the blurb on the back of the book says: Until they start dying. One by one.
And the twist at the end... Brilliant. Mina & Fuso have met the quality standard set by (Gage & Samnee's) Area 10, and people (mystery enthusiasts, especially) who don't normally read comic books will enjoy this one. This book is well-worth a purchase and should be on every mystery-lover's book shelf.
January 5, 2011
The Ushers are a family in decline. Mother Biddy’s having an affair, William’s just been kicked out of Oxford, Amy’s waging a battle with their father over his refusal to invest in her architecture firm, Sam, the adopted son is never allowed to forget that he’s not “one of them,” and then there’s Grandma Martha.
As they settle in for Christmas dinner, the Ushers listen as their downstairs neighbors beat each other to death. Literally. However, this doesn’t deter the Ushers from their petty family bickering over the Christmas pudding. Only Sam is moved enough by the screams emanating from the downstairs apartment to investigate. By that time, however, he’s too late.
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As they settle in for Christmas dinner, the Ushers listen as their downstairs neighbors beat each other to death. Literally. However, this doesn’t deter the Ushers from their petty family bickering over the Christmas pudding. Only Sam is moved enough by the screams emanating from the downstairs apartment to investigate. By that time, however, he’s too late.
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January 21, 2019
The thing with haunted house stories is most of the time the characters within them are cardboard characters or if stretched, caricatures... what's so amazing about Denise Mina's A Sickness In the Family is the haunted house barely plays any part in the story. The Ushers are probably one of the most dysfunctional families ever to grace comic books. They do all the haunting themselves, each their own demon to best while playing a very delusional game of cat and mouse with each other. The ending is quite a mindbending, but ohsooo satisfying twist.
August 30, 2018
A brutal, creepy story as seems to always come from the fevered brain of Denise Mina. The Usher family live above a flat which experiences a terrible crime, and that becomes the catalyst for the release of all of the pent-up hostility in their lives, which slowly crumble under the weight of their rage and abdication of responsibility. There's more, but I shan't tell you.
April 18, 2020
An interesting comic that tells the tale of a family that implodes on each other but then it comes out that someone internally was murdering them to frame it on another. Told from the perspective of the adopted son, it is beautifully drawn and a good amount of suspense and creepiness.
April 24, 2014
Strange dialog bubbles that cut so-so written sentences up for no apparent reason, implausible elements and over the top foreshadowing got in the way of enjoying the good premise and the twists.
April 10, 2015
Not quite as unpredictable as the reviews promised. It was a fun, quick read and the art was lovely, but there was nothing especially new or fascinating here.
July 2, 2016
I quite enjoyed this. It kept my interest and I really wanted to know what happens next. Was surprised by the plot twist too. A fun,quick read.
March 2, 2021
This crime series from Vertigo is making me fall in love with B&W comics more and more with passing days.
The story revolves around Sam, an adopted son of a family who feels left out every single moment. The author made the family as repulsive as he could. We could see that the children cared nothing but the fortune from their father and the wife having an affair with the relationship counsel.
When mysteriously they start to die one by one and the reader starts to play detective you suddenly realize that you care about the characters.
A haunted house murder thriller; the best way to explain the GN.
Rating: 3.8/5
The story revolves around Sam, an adopted son of a family who feels left out every single moment. The author made the family as repulsive as he could. We could see that the children cared nothing but the fortune from their father and the wife having an affair with the relationship counsel.
When mysteriously they start to die one by one and the reader starts to play detective you suddenly realize that you care about the characters.
A haunted house murder thriller; the best way to explain the GN.
Rating: 3.8/5
May 10, 2021
A rather dark mystery story.
Being knowledgeable of murder mystery books I actually saw who the real culprit was halfway in the book, but its reveal came out greatly.
Still, what really gives weight to this story is its heavy themes. A family of hyenas, with only one -adopted- member to be the straight and decent man.
It's a story of cruelty. No good endings, no fairy tale moral, no satisfaction nor justice.
Definitively worth a read if you're in those topics.
Being knowledgeable of murder mystery books I actually saw who the real culprit was halfway in the book, but its reveal came out greatly.
Still, what really gives weight to this story is its heavy themes. A family of hyenas, with only one -adopted- member to be the straight and decent man.
It's a story of cruelty. No good endings, no fairy tale moral, no satisfaction nor justice.
Definitively worth a read if you're in those topics.
May 6, 2022
Nice blend of horror and crime not often seen today.
January 7, 2021
Outta left field with this one, pleasantly surprised
January 29, 2016
I have always been extremely fond of comics and think they get a bad rap. People always just assume it is nothing but caped crusaders and masked superheroes. I think Denise Mina and I would disagree with that notion. In an effort to read even more graphic novels I turned to the mystery/thriller/crime genre. It is not a genre that I read a lot, which is a shame as there is some great stuff out there. So when I went to the library I had to pick this guy up.
The Ushers look like your typical family albeit a bit dysfunctional, but who isn’t these days. Ted and Biddy, Biddy’s mom Martha, and the three grown children William, Amy and Sam have all come together for Christmas. Tragedy strikes when a horrible murder takes place in the basement flat they let out. Ted quickly decides that this means this is the perfect time to incorporate the flat back into the house as that has been his plan for many years. Then family members start to die. First Grandma Martha falls through the hole one night; a drop of almost thirty feet. She suffers a stroke and can no longer take care of herself. The rest of the family could care less, and it is up to Sam to care for Martha. Ted and his wife Biddy are having problems and seeing a marriage counselor, William is kicked out of school, and Amy just wants money. Sam seems to be the only sane member of the family. As Sam investigates he begins to wonder is it because of the wrath of a witch who was burnt at the stake there in the 1500s? Or has one of the remaining family members decided to get rid of the rest, each of whom has a surprisingly good reason for wanting the others dead?
Things I loved: Ooh dysfunction at its best. Everyone is selfish, with the exception of Sam, it seems. They bicker, they fight, and are downright nasty. Sam tries to hold it all together, but in the end he understands that he is the outsider. Maybe that is a good thing, being adopted and not quite having all of this in the blood. Perhaps.
This is a great little gothic horror mystery, one that had a twist I wasn’t quite expecting though definitely had my guesses. The art is black and white with fairly stark lines and a lot of shadowing. I think it fits with the comic overall and is still gruesome even without the splashes of red.
Things I didn’t love so much: The narrative was a bit uneven at times, though overall the pacing was nice. Also, while I like a good mystery and thriller you have to make a few of the characters sympathetic. At the beginning of the story the family sits around in dysfunctional dinner bliss while their tenant is beaten and murdered. No one lifts a finger. So when they start dying do I really care? Not really. So as a whole the story, because I could not feel any sympathy for the characters, was missing that great hook I was looking for.
Buy or Borrow: Borrow. This won’t be for everyone. It has some great things about it that I really liked, but some things I also really didn’t like.
Part of: Stand Alone
Also Recommended: If you are looking for some mystery/crime comics please try: Criminal by Ed Brubaker, Fell by Warren Ellis, Torso by Brian Michael Bendis, and Queen and Country by Greg Rucka.
The Ushers look like your typical family albeit a bit dysfunctional, but who isn’t these days. Ted and Biddy, Biddy’s mom Martha, and the three grown children William, Amy and Sam have all come together for Christmas. Tragedy strikes when a horrible murder takes place in the basement flat they let out. Ted quickly decides that this means this is the perfect time to incorporate the flat back into the house as that has been his plan for many years. Then family members start to die. First Grandma Martha falls through the hole one night; a drop of almost thirty feet. She suffers a stroke and can no longer take care of herself. The rest of the family could care less, and it is up to Sam to care for Martha. Ted and his wife Biddy are having problems and seeing a marriage counselor, William is kicked out of school, and Amy just wants money. Sam seems to be the only sane member of the family. As Sam investigates he begins to wonder is it because of the wrath of a witch who was burnt at the stake there in the 1500s? Or has one of the remaining family members decided to get rid of the rest, each of whom has a surprisingly good reason for wanting the others dead?
Things I loved: Ooh dysfunction at its best. Everyone is selfish, with the exception of Sam, it seems. They bicker, they fight, and are downright nasty. Sam tries to hold it all together, but in the end he understands that he is the outsider. Maybe that is a good thing, being adopted and not quite having all of this in the blood. Perhaps.
This is a great little gothic horror mystery, one that had a twist I wasn’t quite expecting though definitely had my guesses. The art is black and white with fairly stark lines and a lot of shadowing. I think it fits with the comic overall and is still gruesome even without the splashes of red.
Things I didn’t love so much: The narrative was a bit uneven at times, though overall the pacing was nice. Also, while I like a good mystery and thriller you have to make a few of the characters sympathetic. At the beginning of the story the family sits around in dysfunctional dinner bliss while their tenant is beaten and murdered. No one lifts a finger. So when they start dying do I really care? Not really. So as a whole the story, because I could not feel any sympathy for the characters, was missing that great hook I was looking for.
Buy or Borrow: Borrow. This won’t be for everyone. It has some great things about it that I really liked, but some things I also really didn’t like.
Part of: Stand Alone
Also Recommended: If you are looking for some mystery/crime comics please try: Criminal by Ed Brubaker, Fell by Warren Ellis, Torso by Brian Michael Bendis, and Queen and Country by Greg Rucka.
December 31, 2020
I don't know anymore who's really sick here. The illustration isn't my style but the story is quite dark and creepy at some parts.
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December 10, 2010The Ushers, a dysfunctional family, are celebrating Christmas. Dinner has been taken over by fighting and sarcasm, drowning out the noise of the fight between their downstairs neighbors. When Sam, the adopted outsider in the Usher family, checks on the neighbors, he discovers a horrifying scene. Darota has snapped, killing her abusive husband and herself. In the aftermath, Ted Usher, Sam’s father, buys the apartment and has a hole knocked out for a staircase to join the two spaces. That’s when things really get weird.
Grandma Martha falls through the hole one night; a drop of almost thirty feet. She suffers a stroke and can no longer take care of herself. The rest of the family could care less, and it is up to Sam to care for Martha. Ted and his wife Biddy are having problems and seeing a marriage counselor, William is kicked out of school, and Amy just wants money. Sam seems to be the only sane member of the family.
Sam searches the Internet and discovers that a witch had been burned at the stake right where the Ushers’ house now stands. Could the witch be haunting the house and driving the family further apart? Is the murder/suicide of Darota and her husband a result of that haunting? Then family members begin dying one by one. Who is responsible for the fall of the family of Usher?
Denise Mina has created a fantastically dysfunctional family in the Ushers. None of them, with the exception of Sam, seem to care about anyone but themselves. Biddy hates Ted, but Ted will do anything to keep her. Amy and William hate their adopted brother…they don’t even consider Sam part of the family. Grandma Martha was emotionally abusive to her daughter Biddy. It’s like a soap opera with an edge. I really felt sorry for Sam and did like him, especially when he tried to hold things together as his relatives started dying mysteriously. A Sickness in the Family is a very engaging story that is well-written and beautifully illustrated. The end was a shock and totally threw me. It was a very enjoyable read. Recommended. Contains: adult language, images of drug use, and violence Reviewed by: Colleen Wanglund
Grandma Martha falls through the hole one night; a drop of almost thirty feet. She suffers a stroke and can no longer take care of herself. The rest of the family could care less, and it is up to Sam to care for Martha. Ted and his wife Biddy are having problems and seeing a marriage counselor, William is kicked out of school, and Amy just wants money. Sam seems to be the only sane member of the family.
Sam searches the Internet and discovers that a witch had been burned at the stake right where the Ushers’ house now stands. Could the witch be haunting the house and driving the family further apart? Is the murder/suicide of Darota and her husband a result of that haunting? Then family members begin dying one by one. Who is responsible for the fall of the family of Usher?
Denise Mina has created a fantastically dysfunctional family in the Ushers. None of them, with the exception of Sam, seem to care about anyone but themselves. Biddy hates Ted, but Ted will do anything to keep her. Amy and William hate their adopted brother…they don’t even consider Sam part of the family. Grandma Martha was emotionally abusive to her daughter Biddy. It’s like a soap opera with an edge. I really felt sorry for Sam and did like him, especially when he tried to hold things together as his relatives started dying mysteriously. A Sickness in the Family is a very engaging story that is well-written and beautifully illustrated. The end was a shock and totally threw me. It was a very enjoyable read. Recommended. Contains: adult language, images of drug use, and violence Reviewed by: Colleen Wanglund
January 17, 2011
Reason for Reading: I love that the pure mystery/thriller/crime genre is so much more easily found in the graphic novel format now. I'll always take a look when I see one and the plot had me on this book.
They could be your typical family: Ted and Biddy Usher, Biddy's mom Martha, and the three grown children, with the youngest in his last year of his school, William, Amy and Sam. But they are not, typical that is. It is Christmas and in the basement flat they rent out a horrendous murder takes place. Ted quickly makes plans to incorporate that portion back into the house as he'd been wanting to for years. Then family members start to die. One by one. Is it because of the wrath of a witch who was burnt at the stake there in the 1500s? Or has one of the remaining family members decided to get rid of the rest, each of whom has a surprisingly good reason for wanting the others dead?
An incredibly creepy murder mystery. Well-written with a plot that picks up suspense as it goes along and is quite difficult to solve since suspects keep getting killed themselves and the pool of possible suspects to pick from gets smaller and smaller. A delightfully tense and surprise ending with a final shocker on the last page. This is Mina's first graphic novel. She has previously written mystery novels and one series of comics. I am quite interested in reading something else by this author if this is an example of her technique. The artwork is done in black and white with a lot of shadows which I think is particularly suitable to this story (and others of its sort) as it captures the noir feeling that wold be missing if the gruesome scenes were shown in full colour.
Just the sort of thing I like in a murder mystery, gruesome, creepy and a shocker at the end.
They could be your typical family: Ted and Biddy Usher, Biddy's mom Martha, and the three grown children, with the youngest in his last year of his school, William, Amy and Sam. But they are not, typical that is. It is Christmas and in the basement flat they rent out a horrendous murder takes place. Ted quickly makes plans to incorporate that portion back into the house as he'd been wanting to for years. Then family members start to die. One by one. Is it because of the wrath of a witch who was burnt at the stake there in the 1500s? Or has one of the remaining family members decided to get rid of the rest, each of whom has a surprisingly good reason for wanting the others dead?
An incredibly creepy murder mystery. Well-written with a plot that picks up suspense as it goes along and is quite difficult to solve since suspects keep getting killed themselves and the pool of possible suspects to pick from gets smaller and smaller. A delightfully tense and surprise ending with a final shocker on the last page. This is Mina's first graphic novel. She has previously written mystery novels and one series of comics. I am quite interested in reading something else by this author if this is an example of her technique. The artwork is done in black and white with a lot of shadows which I think is particularly suitable to this story (and others of its sort) as it captures the noir feeling that wold be missing if the gruesome scenes were shown in full colour.
Just the sort of thing I like in a murder mystery, gruesome, creepy and a shocker at the end.
October 23, 2011
Löysin Denise Minan kymmenisen vuotta sitten ja ahmin psykologisen sairaalloisen Garnethill -trilogian kerralla. Ihan mieletön dekkari-idea. Sitten Minaa alettiin kääntämään, ja jotenkin taika alkoi haihtua. Ihan samalle tasolle kirjailija ei minusta enää päässyt.
Vakavasti sairas perhe houkuttelee monella tavalla. Se on sarjakuvaromaani, uutta Pulp-sarjaa (jossa muuten on aivan loistava kustannuspolitiikka ja hyviä valintoja!) ja omaa karmean kansikuvan. Heti ensimmäisillä sivulla lukijalle selviää, että tarjolla ei ole perusdekkari - Usherin perhe on kokoontumassa syömään kun alakerran naapur(e)ille käy köpelösti. Todella köpelösti.
Suora Poe-viittaus johdattaa goottilaiseen kauhu/dekkari-kirjaan, jossa on pieneen sivumäärään saatu hurja tarina, pulleita henkilöhahmoja, ahdistava ilmapiiri ja koukku. Ehdottomasti kauhuvinkkaukseen soveltuva ja itselle hankittava kirja, mutta joku voisi kertoa minulle Pulppien kuvituksesta.
Varmasti on olemassa nimi ja taidesuunta tuolle suttuiselle, ohuelle, smack- ja pam- efektejä kuvallisesti esittävälle amerikkaiselle piirrostyylille. Se on varmasti arvostettu.
Robin Hood jäi kesken nuhruisuuden vuoksi, mutta Minan tarina jaksoi kantaa loppuun häilyvistä tunnistuksista ja halvasta paperista huolimatta.
Vakavasti sairas perhe houkuttelee monella tavalla. Se on sarjakuvaromaani, uutta Pulp-sarjaa (jossa muuten on aivan loistava kustannuspolitiikka ja hyviä valintoja!) ja omaa karmean kansikuvan. Heti ensimmäisillä sivulla lukijalle selviää, että tarjolla ei ole perusdekkari - Usherin perhe on kokoontumassa syömään kun alakerran naapur(e)ille käy köpelösti. Todella köpelösti.
Suora Poe-viittaus johdattaa goottilaiseen kauhu/dekkari-kirjaan, jossa on pieneen sivumäärään saatu hurja tarina, pulleita henkilöhahmoja, ahdistava ilmapiiri ja koukku. Ehdottomasti kauhuvinkkaukseen soveltuva ja itselle hankittava kirja, mutta joku voisi kertoa minulle Pulppien kuvituksesta.
Varmasti on olemassa nimi ja taidesuunta tuolle suttuiselle, ohuelle, smack- ja pam- efektejä kuvallisesti esittävälle amerikkaiselle piirrostyylille. Se on varmasti arvostettu.
Robin Hood jäi kesken nuhruisuuden vuoksi, mutta Minan tarina jaksoi kantaa loppuun häilyvistä tunnistuksista ja halvasta paperista huolimatta.
November 10, 2015
I randomly came across this in a library. There aren't enough free- standing one- off graphic novels out there, a lot of the time I'm in the mood for a quick sit down with a graphic novel that doesn't require my expensive and time- consuming dedication to several volumes. This story I read in one sitting, and I enjoyed every page of it, every jaunty, beautifully- stylised line and consistent detail and quality of narrative flow. It was of course very reminiscent of a classic horror movie, but although I'm not much inclined to that genre, a graphic novel I could handle. It kept me guessing, wasn't too obvious and cliched in story but not alienating either, my only real criticism is that it was too short. I'd happily have read a few more pages mapping out the conclusion to the story a bit more. Speed is a delicate art in graphic novels, one that the artist has a deep skill of, in the exception of the last few pages. Still, I thoroughly recommend this book, it was entertaining and chilling, and makes me feel very grateful to have a family that isn't as broken as this one!
March 1, 2020
Crime story, set in Scotland, centred on a highly dysfunctional family.
It would probably come under the Tartan Noir umbrella but for quite a large gap in Scottish-isms! Apart from the taxi drivers (note to author: naughty language comment...) none of the characters use any dialect. The strength of the interactions/characterisation is enough to drive the narrative on regardless, but perhaps a missed opportunity. It’s a similar story with the settings - this family could really be anywhere remotely middle class in London or New York. There is mention of the ‘Hillhead Witch’, but even though its fleeting mention serves its genre purpose (adding a supernatural spice), perhaps this could have been used in a richer context as well?
The black and white artwork has a shadowy and geometrically fitting tone, and the panelling suits the story at all points; the 170-odd pages fly by pleasantly and quickly. Perhaps the onomatopoeia could have been a bit richer, but overall there is enough crammed into each page to keep the pace fast and interesting.
A decent, quick read.
It would probably come under the Tartan Noir umbrella but for quite a large gap in Scottish-isms! Apart from the taxi drivers (note to author: naughty language comment...) none of the characters use any dialect. The strength of the interactions/characterisation is enough to drive the narrative on regardless, but perhaps a missed opportunity. It’s a similar story with the settings - this family could really be anywhere remotely middle class in London or New York. There is mention of the ‘Hillhead Witch’, but even though its fleeting mention serves its genre purpose (adding a supernatural spice), perhaps this could have been used in a richer context as well?
The black and white artwork has a shadowy and geometrically fitting tone, and the panelling suits the story at all points; the 170-odd pages fly by pleasantly and quickly. Perhaps the onomatopoeia could have been a bit richer, but overall there is enough crammed into each page to keep the pace fast and interesting.
A decent, quick read.
October 27, 2013
Vivid portrayal of a family coming apart. All the little wedges of discontent, familiarity that fester, worm their way into the existing disappointments of lives lived but not terribly well.
I'm impressed most of all by how starkly each personality in this family stands out - each one a layered picture of each person just a little weak, a little bad, a little hopeful. These people seem (at least to start) sympathetic and ugly, like folks I know or have sidled up beside and studied warily out the corner of my eye.
As a horror story this is good in black & white, though I found the dark shadows and in distinct panel gutters made some of the active sequences hard to follow. Didn't matter much - still had plenty of creepy atmosphere and deepening dread.
I was thinking this would make a good foundation for a horror movie, well-structured and has plenty of meat for actors and director to feed on.
I'm impressed most of all by how starkly each personality in this family stands out - each one a layered picture of each person just a little weak, a little bad, a little hopeful. These people seem (at least to start) sympathetic and ugly, like folks I know or have sidled up beside and studied warily out the corner of my eye.
As a horror story this is good in black & white, though I found the dark shadows and in distinct panel gutters made some of the active sequences hard to follow. Didn't matter much - still had plenty of creepy atmosphere and deepening dread.
I was thinking this would make a good foundation for a horror movie, well-structured and has plenty of meat for actors and director to feed on.
November 29, 2012
I picked this up from the local library mainly because I check out any new graphic novels they get that don't look repellent. This is the second of the Vertigo Crime books I've read, and I've not been terribly impressed with either one. This one is better than the other (a Constantine thing), but the art is similarly flawed and really spoiled the story for me. I'm not sure why Vertigo seem to be going with more unknown artists for this series, but they can do a disservice to a good yarn. It's not even that the art is bad here, but ill-suited to the black-and-white format.
All that aside, this is an entertaining tale that's may or may not be a ghost story and involves a number of deaths of fairly unpleasant people. The family name Usher is a red herring, though there is plenty of familial strife...and noises from downstairs.
Though I can't solidly recommend this book, I wouldn't suggest avoiding it either. And I suppose I'll still pick up a Vertigo Crime book if another appears.
All that aside, this is an entertaining tale that's may or may not be a ghost story and involves a number of deaths of fairly unpleasant people. The family name Usher is a red herring, though there is plenty of familial strife...and noises from downstairs.
Though I can't solidly recommend this book, I wouldn't suggest avoiding it either. And I suppose I'll still pick up a Vertigo Crime book if another appears.
September 6, 2016
Denise Mina has crafted a dark piece of crime fiction in this little family saga about the Ushers, narrated by the youngest and adopted child in the family. It is a tale with hints of ghosts and witchcraft, and a name that is clearly there to remind us of Edgar Allan Poe's fiction, and Antonio Fuso's black and white art makes it come alive.
There are some production issues, like dialogue very weirdly being divided in the middle of words, and similar, which actually make the comic a bit hard to read on occasion (and not in a good way either). If these had not been disrupting the narrative, it is entirely possible that I would have appreciated it more, and conceivably also have given it a higher rating. But here we are.
Still, it is an interesting story, and its twists and turns do make it a worthwhile read.
There are some production issues, like dialogue very weirdly being divided in the middle of words, and similar, which actually make the comic a bit hard to read on occasion (and not in a good way either). If these had not been disrupting the narrative, it is entirely possible that I would have appreciated it more, and conceivably also have given it a higher rating. But here we are.
Still, it is an interesting story, and its twists and turns do make it a worthwhile read.
November 10, 2010
Really wanted to like this. A Sickness in the Family started off bumpy but it was so clearly full of potential. A modern take on a gothic whodunit. Then it kind of lost the plot. The story came out in weird stages; the narrative was anything but smooth. And the art, while I like the scratchy heavy lines, sometimes the art got in the way and it was hard to tell what was going on--especially when the characters were on the move. Because it seemed important to the story somehow, the sound effects were a little wonky. It was a decent read, three stars, too bad about the ending--which was telegraphed in the first act.
September 9, 2011
Overall, I thought the story was mean. All the characters, except for the narrator, were angry, jealous, full of "me" attitude. Only one character, the adopted son, showed any compassion, and, in the end, he is punished and becomes what the others were. It is a sad, angry story. Well written. Ends with an unexpected twist which usually pleases me but the reasoning of the killer left me feeling bewildered.
I found the drawings hard to distinguish one person from another or to easily see the attitude as the drawings were in black and white. But, the art did depict the anger I felt from each of the characters.
I found the drawings hard to distinguish one person from another or to easily see the attitude as the drawings were in black and white. But, the art did depict the anger I felt from each of the characters.
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