Black Gate has a new blog post about hardboiled stories in comics form, titled "Graphic Noir: A Random Sample." William Patrick Maynard places You Have Killed Me in some awfully cool company, and though not all his assumptions about the inspiration aren't correct, they are none I object to. So, everybody wins!
Seriously, it's a great blurb, check it:
Veteran graphic novel writer Jamie S. Rich channeled his love of legendary songwriter Johnny Mercer into the creation of Tony Mercer, the hardboiled private eye hero of his modern noir masterpiece, You Have Killed Me (2009; Oni Press).
Joelle Jones’ artwork is dead-on perfect and a cut above most graphic noir. Rich’s script, a nice spin on Chandler’s The Big Sleep with bits and pieces reminiscent of both Mike Hammer and Peter Gunn, centers on two sisters and the men in their lives. The locked room mystery is rarely a good match with hardboiled fare and presents an obvious giveaway to seasoned readers, but Mercer isn’t the brightest bulb although he is likeable and the plot twists and dialogue keep the reader engaged.
Rich’s variation on the usual Marxist bent in hardboiled fiction is particularly intriguing. He may profess not to be an expert on hardboiled detectives, but Rich understands people and combined with Jones’ stunning artwork they create a combination that makes one look forward to Mercer’s promised return. You Have Killed Me comes highly recommended.
Current Soundtrack: The Clash, Sandinista!
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