Review: Sin City, Vol. 1: The Hard Goodbye

Sin City, Vol. 1: The Hard Goodbye by Frank Miller

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I've heard a lot of things about Frank Miller's Sin City. It's a dark, gritty graphic novel that doesn't pull any punches. It had been on me To Read list for awhile, but passively rather than aggressively. So when I saw the first volume in the library, I knew the time was right for me to read it. I wasn't 100% sure what to expect, but it wasn't what I got.

What I got blew me away. The artwork is purely black and white, but very intricately drawn. The contrasts that Miller shows between light and dark in each panel is breath-taking. There are times when the artwork is incredibly disturbing, more because of what your mind fills in than what Miller has drawn.

And the story was riveting. From Marv meeting Goldie in a bar, through her death and his search for her killer, all the way to his final end, I did not want to put it down. I was incredibly invested in this story, worrying about Marv, saddened by some of the deaths, disgusted once Marv finally tracks down the killer... I felt every emotion that, I'm sure, I was intended to feel.

I'm not sure if this is one I'd want to own and only maybe read again. It was a wonderful, fantastic, terrific book. But it's also not a world I can see myself wanting to dive back into regularly.



View all my reviews