Pistolwhip: Yellow Menace [Paperback]

Jason Hall (Author), Matt Kindt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 10, 2003

Jack Peril is the beloved hero of radio, comics, and the silver-screen, but is his existence merely fictional? What does a series of grisly murders and a new lecture series condemning the pulse-pounding parables of said Mr. Peril have to do with it all? And just who is The Yellow Menace? Mitch and Charlie, along with Ray (the luckless cop) and Isla (the inquisitive maid), plan to find out!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Pistolwhip made Time's list of top 10 comics of 2001 and garnered two Harvey Award nominations. Set in 1930s America, this sequel focuses on the duel between the Yellow Menace, who models his murders after comic books, and Jack Peril, the comic book hero determined to stop him. Simultaneously, author Roderick Loom begins giving a series of lectures associating comic books, radio shows and movies with the deterioration of contemporary society. Meanwhile, aspiring private investigator Mitch Pistolwhip, the mysterious Charlie Minks, hotel maid Isla Rose and flatfoot Ray Ford search for the links among Loom, the Yellow Menace and the origin of Jack Peril. With wisps and squiggles, Kindt opens the door to a young American city filled with Woofie Dogs, flapjacks and torch singers. As Hall's narrative shift from flashbacks to fantasy, Kindt shifts perspective, using creative angles and frames to move readers along. The two weave a tight story, interspersing "advertisements" for Jack Peril paraphernalia and "pages" of Jack Peril comics throughout the book. These layers of fiction within fiction make for a complex read that pulls readers and the characters into Jack Peril's world. The book's only downfall is the vague use of the term "yellow," which carries little weight here, but bears a racial burden historically. While Kindt and Hall capitalize on the paranoia of yesteryear with catchphrases, they allude to the threat of foreigners in a pat and safe manner that skims over the underlying bigotry. But overall, this is a showcase for the skill, grace and charm of Top Shelf's newest dynamic duo.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

With an "office" in a corner of his uncle's boat repair shop, young Mitch Pistolwhip isn't your hard-boiled gumshoe yet. Hired to find a missing pooch, he whiles away the days trying to expose the Yellow Menace, who has apparently dispatched costumed crime fighter Jack Peril. But Mitch rescues Peril from a drill bit within the first few pages, and Peril's demise in an explosion was just part of a radio serial, though the explosion did happen. Moreover, someone really is killing folks resembling the Yellow Menace's victims in the serial in the same ghastly ways. What, pray tell, is going on? Hall and Kindt's vision of pop culture infecting the "real" world is a nostalgic parody of old media crime serials and a dizzyingly self-reflective bit of pomo irony at the expense of nostalgia. Hall's slashing line and love of high contrast keep the whole thing visually exuberant, and the artist-writer team's highly cinematic scene links are keenly delightful, if you like that sort of thing. Of course, you do! Ray Olson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Top Shelf Productions (February 10, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 189183035X
• ISBN-13: 978-1891830358
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,096,049 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Followup improves greatly on the original!, February 19, 2003

By 

Andrew J. Campbell "deadmetheny" (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pistolwhip: Yellow Menace (Paperback)

Last year I read Hall & Kindt's Pistolwhip and thought it was cute, entertaining and a great first effort. I picked up the second volume (not counting the superb Mephisto's Box--a shorter story that packs some great emotional power) expecting more of the same and was floored. The seemingly simple yet complex story and art are still there, but the characters have more depth and the very intriguing references to comics, pulp, noir, et al really add another dimension that I didn't pick up on in the original Pistolwhip. Pick this one up if you enjoy graphic novels, liked the first one, or just want to experience a new kind of storytelling. Plus the index in the back of the book is totally sweet!

3.0 out of 5 stars I Didn't Get It, January 1, 2012

By 

Paige Turner "Paige" (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pistolwhip: Yellow Menace (Paperback)

I love edgy, interesting, non-traditional graphic novels. I admire artists that take chances with their styles, and veer off from the DC/Marvel school of comic drawing. I really love stories that emphasize character and are not afraid to be a bit odd.

"Pistol Whip - The Yellow Menace" was all of these things: edgy, daring, and non-traditional artwork.

Somehow, I just didn't get it. It didn't light my fire. Maybe it was the weird art style which seemed rushed at times to me. Perhaps it was just the convoluted story and characters that I couldn't follow.

This book is highly regarded- so don't just take my word for it. But I would caution you to browse a few pages before investing in it, because it may not be for you.