Fishtown [Hardcover]

Kevin Colden (Author, Artist)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 18, 2008

The highly acclaimed and Xeric Award-winning series about the murder of a sixteen-year-old boy by four teenagers in the Fishtown section of Philadelphia, PA, originally serialized as a weekly webcomic, is now collected into a deluxe hardcover form. Inspired by real events, Colden's story explores what led the teens to commit such a heinous crime.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

In the working-class Fishtown area of Philadelphia, four teens share a bleak existence. Abuse, drugs, and apathy constitute an ever-present backdrop, and this environment of despair eventually leads to murder. Justin, Keith, Adrian, and Angelica devise a crude plan to kill a mutual acquaintance, although it’s unclear if it’s for the money or the thrill. The story is told through disjointed flashbacks and narratives as the teens are interviewed by police, shedding little light on the motives behind their violent, impulsive actions. While this style can seem a bit disorderly, the feeling of unsettled anarchy it conjures suits the story well. The teens seem to have no more idea why they did what they did than do the faceless adults around them. Colden’s art, with its sharp, angular line work and color-wash of dirty yellows and blues with hints of muted red, gives the book the look of stylized, modern noir, which increases an aura of disconnection. Originally serialized on the Web, Colden’s Xeric Award winner was based on real events. --Tina Coleman

Product Details

• Hardcover: 120 pages
• Publisher: IDW Publishing (November 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600102735
• ISBN-13: 978-1600102738
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,407,945 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Alienation from the Self, August 16, 2009

By 

A. Ross (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fishtown (Hardcover)

Inspired by the 2003 real-life murder of a Philadelphia teenager, this debut (which originally appeared online) uses a slightly disturbing puke-yellow and blue-black palette to inspect the dark side of the human animal. The story opens with a teenager being questioned by an unseen inquisitor, and it's clear that something bad has happened. The book then cuts between flashbacks and several teens being questioned about the events being flashed back to, and soon one learns that the three boys and girl being interviewed decided to kill another teen they knew.

We also learn that some of the accused had tough family lives, all were into drugs to one degree or another, and the girl was a "cutter." These details are in no way meant to explain what was essentially a thrill killing (the money that was the ostensible motive is fairly negligible), but nor to they add much of anything to our understanding of the events. As we hear the statements of the four accused and see what ostensibly happened via flashbacks, the central question becomes whose idea the murder was, and who bears moral responsibility.

Of course, ultimately, the question of the "truth" of the murder doesn't really matter, all that matters is that a boy was killed. The format of the book, the inking style, the narrative cuts, all contribute to a very discernible sense of the teens' collective alienation. Not alienation from society, but alienation from themselves. These kids are empty and unreflective, and while it might be tempting to blame society or their parents or their environment, the horror of this crime resists such simple analysis. In the end, I'm not really sure what the point of the book is, other than representing a terrible crime which serves as yet another illustration of Hannah Arendt's famous statement about the banality of evil.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Feels like subpar exploration of tragedy, January 1, 2009

By 

S. Patel "sajioblo" (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fishtown (Hardcover)

This is an interesting work, somehow failing to rise above being something akin to the Faces of Death DVDs.

A blended together tale, it touches on the cycle of abuse with a dose of Primal Fear. Sadly though the book does little more than a quick tour, something like learning about lions while seeing them on safari.

I don't think we get a clear picture of what the facts in the case are, or how much this veers from them. This is possible why I can't the taste out of my mouth that on some level this is simple exploitation.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Story Come Alive!, January 21, 2009

By 

Betsy - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Fishtown (Hardcover)

I'm new to the graphic novel genre, but am quite taken with the power Mr Colden transmits through the visuals. It's a disturbing story to be sure and that it is real makes it even more so.

This should be a movie.