The Killer, Vol. 1 (v. 1) [Hardcover]

Matz (Author), Luc Jacamon (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 21, 2009

A man solitary and cold, methodical and unencumbered by scruples or regrets, the killer waits in the shadows, watching for his next target. And yet the longer he waits, the more he thinks he's losing his mind, if not his cool. A brutal, bloody and stylish noir story of a professional assassin lost in a world without a moral compass, this is a case study of a man alone, armed to the teeth and slowly losing his mind.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A bestseller in Europe, Le Tueur has finally reached America. A French hit man has long been at the top of his game, but the psychic weight of his crimes is slowly catching up with him, and, after he botches one job and attracts a policeman determined to bring him down, he may be breaking down just when he needs his skills the most. The French have long been masters of moody noir films like Band of Outsiders or Le Samourai, so The Killer carries some heavy expectations. Fortunately, Jacamon's art is more than up to the task. His layouts are exciting, equally adept at choreographing brutal action, placing the camera for maximum suspense, and playing with panel borders to convey the protagonist's gradual mental breakdown. His figures are reminiscent of Darwyn Cooke's (The Spirit) cartoony realism, using deceptively simple lines and expressive faces to suggest far greater depth to the characters. Saturating panels with washed-out greens, blues and yellows, he changes palettes to establish shifts in location or flashbacks. The story is slight and a little disjointed, relying too heavily on self-consciously cool narration and abrupt flashbacks to pad out a by-the-numbers plot. Fans of Goddard or Melville should enjoy how well Jacamon captures their aesthetic on the page. (July)
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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Archaia Entertainment (July 21, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932386440
• ISBN-13: 978-1932386448
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 7.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #524,264 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping portrait of an assassin, February 8, 2008

By 

John Sutherland (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Killer, Vol. 1 (v. 1) (Hardcover)

Matz has written an amazingly deep, amazingly gripping thriller that deals with the inner conflicts of a fascinating character. This really stretches what can be done with character depth in a graphic novel. I'd rank this on the level of Frank Miller's Dark Knight and Alan Moore's Watchmen. It's amazing how much empathy I had for the assassin.

I know there are several more volumes in the original French already published. I'm tempted to get them from Amazon.fr and push my bad French, so I don't have to wait for the English translations to continue the story.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!, July 21, 2010

By 

David - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Killer, Vol. 1 (v. 1) (Hardcover)

A fantastic story! The reader is brought into the world of a contract hitman, one who is actually good at his job and does his homework. We see the world through his mind, his views on life, and the morale's that he lives by. A great addition to any graphic novel collection, and definitely one to be passed on through the ages.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's a killer....., January 18, 2010

By 

T. Hardin (seaside,oregon) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: The Killer, Vol. 1 (v. 1) (Hardcover)

Having to wait between volumes is gonna be a real "killer" (sorry, can never let the opportunity for a bad pun go to waste!). This is indeed a great,moody and dark graphic novel for the mature crowd,one that has me mighty glad i've "come back" to the world of comics.This is well written,with great illustrations. I'm already addicted,with this first volume...Makes me wonder what else i've missed the last dozen years or so! "French noir" comics?!? Sign me up!!