Frank Miller's Sin City Volume 1: The Hard Goodbye 3rd Edition

by Frank Miller

[celinenyx]

Summary: Marv lives in Sin City, a city that is run by murderers, rapists and the corrupt. He has one amazing night with a woman called Goldie, but when he wakes up she is dead. He swears revenge and goes after her killer.

What I liked:
- This graphic novel is incredibly atmospheric; the erratic black and white pen-like drawings set the scene perfectly
- The stark contrast of black and white without even the aid of greys makes the already harsh environment seem even more harsh
- Though I wasn't expecting it, I found myself caring for Marv. And I really, really didn't see that coming - he is NOT a good guy
- Interesting cast of characters, especially the hookers play a role in the story that I enjoyed

What I didn't like:
- The gratious violence was too much to stomach. I can usually take violence in word form, but the torture that happens in the pages of The Hard Goodbye crossed my boundries
- It got so much that I was glad when they were just breaking bones/hitting each other in the face with guns
- The solution to the main story line was a bit weird. It seemed to come a bit out of the middle of nowhere
- Overall I'm just very conflicted about this book. On one hand, it made me feel things (huge accomplishment) but on the other hand it's so incredibly bleak

Verdict: Extremely bleak and heart-wrenching. Only read it if you don't mind visual violence.