Hard Looks: Adapted Stories (Comics market edition) [Paperback]

Andrew Vachss (Author), Various (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 30, 2002

Andrew Vachss' writing has been described as "red-hot and serious as a punctured lung" (Playboy), "hypnotically violent ... made up of equal part broken concrete block and razor wire" (Chicago Sun-Times), and "short and choppy, like the ticking of a time bomb" (Seattle Post-Intelligencer).

This brand new book contains fifteen of Vachss' most compelling, life-at-ground-zero stories, brought to life by an outstanding line-up of comics' most talented writers and artists. This exciting book also contains "Half-Breed," a never-before-published story by Vachss, with illustrations and a new cover by Geofrey Darrow, conceptual designer for the motion pictures The Matrix I, The Matrix Reloaded, and The Matrix Revolutions.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This well-crafted collection of comics adaptations of stories by Vachss, creator of the popular Burke mystery series and a former federal investigator, is an unlikely artistic triumph. Vachss, who wrote an authorized novel based on Batman in 1995, is not shy about moralizing; he operates in an ethical gray area, where traditional lines between good and bad, cop and criminal, are constantly blurred and broken. While highlighting the law's ambiguities, Vachss also teases out lessons and consequences for his characters, usually in the form of unexpected endings. No matter how hard the characters try, they can't escape brutal victimization. An unbalanced hostage negotiator, having successfully freed a captive, shoots the unarmed kidnapper at the end of "Hostage," and in "Replay," an over-eager phone sex operator realizes the man whose pedophilic fantasies she's entertaining is her own father, and she was his first victim. A young gang member, bragging of his successful (and bloody) initiation rite, is killed by associates of his victims; and so on. Left alone, a few of these stark, graphic stories go a long way, but enhanced by artwork contributed by a group of superb cartoonists, they come alive in new and unexpected ways. The artists include David Lloyd, Bruce Jones and Warren Pleece, who share a shadowy pen and ink style particularly well suited to these pieces' mood and the subject matter. George Pratt's expressionistic work illuminates the despair at the heart of these stories, while Gary Gianni's accurate line work superbly depicts the urban landscape. Such a diverse group of art styles keeps the anthology from groaning under its own weight and provides different interpretations of Vachss's otherwise fairly similar stories.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Publisher

The Chicago Sun-Times described Andrew Vachss' stories as "hypnotically violent ... made up of equal parts of broken concrete block and razor wire." The New York Times said, "Vachss seems bottomlessly knowledgeable about the depth and variety of human twistedness." All of that depth and all of that knowledge is displayed in Hard Looks, adapting Vachss' short stories to comic book format. A graphic novel companion to Vachss' short story collection, Born Bad, this isn't just a "hard look" at our human species, it's a call to action against its predators ... and a profound statement of respect for those scar-carrying members of that vast tribe Vachss calls the "Children of the Secret."

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Dark Horse (December 30, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569718318
• ISBN-13: 978-1569718315
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,136,290 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Andrew Vachss has been a federal investigator in sexually transmitted diseases, a social-services caseworker, a labor organizer, and has directed a maximum-security prison for "aggressive-violent" youth. Now a lawyer in private practice, he represents children and youth exclusively. He is the author of numerous novels, including the Burke series, two collections of short stories, and a wide variety of other material including song lyrics, graphic novels, essays, and a "children's book for adults." His books have been translated into twenty languages, and his work has appeared in Parade, Antaeus, Esquire, Playboy, The New York Times, and many other forums. His books have been awarded the Grand Prix de Littérature Policiére, the Falcon Award, Deutschen Krimi Preis, Die Jury des Bochumer Krimi Archivs and the Raymond Chandler Award (per Giurìa a Noir in Festival, Courmayeur, Italy). Andrew Vachss' latest books include Heart Transplant (Dark Horse Books, October 2010), a collaboration with Frank Caruso that attempts to reset the cultural software as it pertains to bullying, and The Weight (Pantheon, November 2010), a crime novel. The dedicated Web site for Vachss and his work is vachss.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hard Looks Rules! (where is the Darrow cover?), January 17, 2003

By 

D W (the diner around the corner) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hard Looks: Adapted Stories (Book market edition) (Paperback)

I learned about this new edition from the Andrew Vachss website. But Amazon, for *whatever* reason, doesn't have the ultra-hype Geof ("The Matrix") Darrow cover! Hey, Amazon, why can't we have a CHOICE? I mean, this photo cover is very good, but not everyone is so high-art -- some of us Vachss fans WANT the graphics cover!

I got my Darrow cover edition at my local comics shop, and paid full price, which totally [was bad]. Get a move on, Amazon!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Handsomely-Produced Collection of Brilliant Short Stories, January 12, 2003

By 

Reader (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hard Looks: Adapted Stories (Book market edition) (Paperback)

HARD LOOKS is an outstanding collection of 17 short stories by attorney/author Andrew Vachss, which makes an unflinching examination of all manner of human depravity while at the same time providing the reader with heroes and hope. The stories (titles include: DRIVE BY; DATE RAPE; LYNCH LAW; HEAD CASE; BORN BAD; CRIPPLE; DUMPING GROUND; and MAN TO MAN) have been adapted to graphic novel format by Joe R. Lansdale, Charles de Lint, Chet Williamson, Jim Colbert, Rose Dawn Scott, and Neal Barrett, Jr. and feature the splendid artwork of Geoff Darrow, David Lloyd, Gary Gianni, Warren Pleece, Jack Pollack, and others. The skillful adaptations and the beautifully-done artwork serve to greatly amplify the power of these hard-edged tales.

For years I have admired the power and strength of Mr. Vachss' novels (FLOOD, STREGA, BLUE BELLE, SHELLA, ONLY CHILD, et al.). This collection, with the freedom allowed by the short story form and its wide range of subject matter, equals or surpasses the intensity of those books.

This edition of HARD LOOKS is available in two versions, one with a photo cover and one with a masterfully-drawn cover by Geof Darrow. I would highly recommend the book featuring Mr. Darrow's artwork. Mr. Darrow's richly-detailed, colorful illustration tells a story (actually, many stories) all its own and is well worth the cover price....

HARD LOOKS ... masterfully adapted, wonderfully illustrated versions of 17 provacative, disturbing, and important short stories from Andrew Vachss.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars you should know, January 10, 2003

By 

Zak Mucha "zak mucha" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hard Looks: Adapted Stories (Book market edition) (Paperback)

You should know a few things-- I'm a biased fan of Andrew Vachss. I read everything of his that comes out as soon as it comes out. If you don't know his work, Hard Looks is the perfect introduction. You'll know immediately whether he's speaking to you or not. You should also know that there's an edition of Hard Looks available with artwork by the incredible Geoff Darrow. Darrow creates immaculately beautiful drawings that,in itself a rarity between text and image, match Vachss' prose. Stark and solid, every line suggests a weight that most artists would murder to achieve. Check that out.