Scan barcode
mel_morm's review
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jekutree's review against another edition
3.0
Probably my least favorite Tommaso so far, the narration felt a bit overwhelming and the mystery wasn’t the greatest. I did like the characters and the craft that went into it however. Love Tommaso’s style. Still worth the read.
6/10
6/10
sizrobe's review against another edition
3.0
Kidnap mystery graphic novel. Didn't really click for me. The art style is good but the plot didn't really go anywhere and the ending wasn't much of a payoff.
shannonleighd's review against another edition
2.0
hobbes199's review
4.0
Having never read any of Tommaso's work before, I had no idea what to expect when I entered his 80's Gen X world. Glad I did though, as this personal angst/ crime noir mash-up is a brightly coloured joy.
As with all good noir, true intentions are mysterious, situations unpredictable, and locations are filled with an air of danger. Tommaso uses a great technique here (similar to noir voiceovers and internal monologues) by overlaying the panels onto yellow legal paper, giving the narrative an almost 'statement' feel. The art itself is lovely, with a fantastically bright palette that thankfully avoids the current trend for '80's design' than colours everything in neon. Instead we have lovely combos of yellows and pinks, with a switch-up to blues and purples for the night-time sections.
This is one I'll be following with great interest and even though I get sent the individual issues for review, I'll no doubt be grabbing the graphic novel when it comes out.
Many thanks to Image for the review copy.
As with all good noir, true intentions are mysterious, situations unpredictable, and locations are filled with an air of danger. Tommaso uses a great technique here (similar to noir voiceovers and internal monologues) by overlaying the panels onto yellow legal paper, giving the narrative an almost 'statement' feel. The art itself is lovely, with a fantastically bright palette that thankfully avoids the current trend for '80's design' than colours everything in neon. Instead we have lovely combos of yellows and pinks, with a switch-up to blues and purples for the night-time sections.
This is one I'll be following with great interest and even though I get sent the individual issues for review, I'll no doubt be grabbing the graphic novel when it comes out.
Many thanks to Image for the review copy.
pdestrienne's review against another edition
medium-paced
2.0
A sad boy Generation X archetype in the early 90s goes on a noir adventure looking for a kidnapped woman he thinks may be "the one" or even just "the one to have sex with". The mystery itself is muddled, probably because our hero is not a good detective (and he admits this). The resolution is, thankfully, not as violent as I expected. If you're simply reading for the benefit of enjoying comics art, and you like the style of art that I can't help but think of as "Clowes/Tomine adjacent", you will like looking at this. As befits a story set in Florida, the coloring is top notch, full of pinks and oceanic teals for the buildings and skies.
micah_thelibrarian's review
2.0
Too much going on with the writing blocks in the graphic. Too many storylines and do not have to read the entire graphic to read what is going on. Random read I found.
skjam's review
3.0
After six months in Miami, cartoonist Lou Rossi is finding he’s not cut out for the night club lifestyle, no matter how often he goes. Tonight, he’s going to do laundry instead. At the laundromat, he meets an attractive woman named Janet Laughton, and they hit it off. Having some encouragement convinces Janet to leave her deadbeat boyfriend Earl when he decides they should move to Fort Myers.
Before Lou can start seriously romancing Janet, however, she’s abducted by a violent attacker, and the only witness is left in a coma. Lou takes the “tell the cops and she’s dead” note seriously, so doesn’t tell them about Janet and starts trying to track her down himself with the aid of his record store clerk best friend and the jailbait girl from across the street.
Who’s the kidnapper? Is it Earl? Janet’s even worse ex, Cliff? The Christian gangbangers that have been prowling the neighborhood? Or someone you’d never suspect?
This crime noir graphic novel is set in the early 1990s, which is a reminder of how quickly some aspects of technology have changed in the last couple of decades. It’s unlikely Lou would be going in to the newspaper’s office to draw his comic strip nowadays, even assuming he could find a newspaper that would run a non-syndicated local feature.
The art is a touch cartoony and a bit stiff, but works well for this kind of story. I’m wondering if it was a deliberate choice to make Michelle’s (the sixteen year old “jailbait” neighbor) face look to be in her thirties, older than some of the grown women in the story.
Robert, the best friend, is more sexist than Lou, and uses some unpleasant language.
Not knowing the twists ahead of time is part of the attraction of mysteries, so I will just say that some people make bad decisions in a mostly believable way and that this is the first installment of what could be a series about Lou Rossi. Oh, and eventually the title makes sense.
Content note: As hinted at above, domestic abuse. This is a “mature readers” title, so plenty of rough language.
Recommended to noir fans.
Before Lou can start seriously romancing Janet, however, she’s abducted by a violent attacker, and the only witness is left in a coma. Lou takes the “tell the cops and she’s dead” note seriously, so doesn’t tell them about Janet and starts trying to track her down himself with the aid of his record store clerk best friend and the jailbait girl from across the street.
Who’s the kidnapper? Is it Earl? Janet’s even worse ex, Cliff? The Christian gangbangers that have been prowling the neighborhood? Or someone you’d never suspect?
This crime noir graphic novel is set in the early 1990s, which is a reminder of how quickly some aspects of technology have changed in the last couple of decades. It’s unlikely Lou would be going in to the newspaper’s office to draw his comic strip nowadays, even assuming he could find a newspaper that would run a non-syndicated local feature.
The art is a touch cartoony and a bit stiff, but works well for this kind of story. I’m wondering if it was a deliberate choice to make Michelle’s (the sixteen year old “jailbait” neighbor) face look to be in her thirties, older than some of the grown women in the story.
Robert, the best friend, is more sexist than Lou, and uses some unpleasant language.
Not knowing the twists ahead of time is part of the attraction of mysteries, so I will just say that some people make bad decisions in a mostly believable way and that this is the first installment of what could be a series about Lou Rossi. Oh, and eventually the title makes sense.
Content note: As hinted at above, domestic abuse. This is a “mature readers” title, so plenty of rough language.
Recommended to noir fans.
More...