Customer Reviews

Raymond Chandler's Marlowe: The Authorized Philip Marlowe Graphic Novel

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this books collects three top chandler stories in comics form on heavy shiny paper. the adaptations are all terrific and "The Pencil" the adaptation of Chandler's last Marlowe short story is by Jerome Charyn, himself a top mystery writer. The art byRian Hughes for "Goldfish" is stunning. Noted comic book illustrator
David Lloyd does Charyn proud with "The Pencil." Well-priced and framed by two Steranko covers.

A great Steranko cover. Found the artwork on the first story to be the best but overall this was a great buy for anyone who likes Raymond Chandler. Totally recommended.

Raymond Chandler's Marlowe: The Graphic Novel, A Trilogy of Crime is a series of 3 stories in 1 book (2 B&W art, 1 color ART with a great cover by Jim Steranko). This adapts Chandler's stories: GOLDFISH, TROUBLE IS MY BUSINESS and THE PENCIL. The adaptations are all terrific and spot on with the novels.

GOLDFISH is in color with Bruce Timm/Darwyn Cooke style art by Rian Hughes.
The whole thing is better than Michael Lark's LITTLE SISTER adaptation... Buy this if you are a MARLOWE fan. Great stuff. Softcover Printing

This Philip Marlowe Graphic novel looks great but I'm a big fan of Raymond Chandler's short stories and novels and I just could'nt get use to the shorten dialog, though I know it was necessary for the comic book style mode. Just the same the illustrations are superb.

Three of Chandler's short stories told in comic book style are fairly accurate to the originals. The first, "Goldfish", has mediocre graphics --and I'm being kind! The art is sometimes so poor that it becomes confusing as to what character is speaking. But the second two stories have excellent illustration that graphically enhances the storyline. These two,"Trouble Is My Business" & "The Pencil", make the book worth reading and provide an interesting adaptation. Any story in print, however, is the best way to appreciate Chandler and neither film noir nor comics can surpass the experience he provides on the printed page.

This book has a great Steranko cover, but it's all downhill after that. It makes a good argument that Chandler's verbose writing and tangled mysteries are better in their original form than as graphic adaptations. The images here do little to clarify the stories, and in some sequences make the narrative more confusing. I had to read some pages several times to comprehend what was going on. If you want noir comics, read the Sin City series by Frank Miller. If you want Raymond Chandler, read the originals. But pass on this one.

My first impresssion was what a shame to make a comic book out of Raymond Chandler's classic crime novels. But, the more I got into it, I realized what a great idea -- as this novel beginning can educate a whole different audience, a new generation, those whose concentration allows them to read only this type of format in literature.

The hair styles of the women and short, wide ties of the men date the stories, making this new process appear old. Just today, I told a tall man "I like your tie" which was wide, bright, and long.

Included are three stories featuring Philip Marlowe of Hollywood, California, GOLDFISH, TROUBLE IN MY BUSINESS, and THE PENCIL (by Helga Greene). Marlowe represents the basic conflict of the human condition. He works hard at his job, but is not always successful in his 'heroic quest for the truth.'

Chandler wrote: "as (a) detective, outside the story and above it, and always will be." He should have known -- he created this 'misogynistic' character. In movies, Marlowe has been acted out by Humphrey Bogart, Dick Powell, and Robert Mitchum.

The creator, R. Chandler, was born in Chicago but educated in England. His first Philip Marlowe novel, THE BIG SLEEP, was published in 1939. He continued writing for twenty years in America until his death in 1959.

These were adapted to this format by Tom DeHaven, James Rose and Jerome Charyn for Byron Preiss Visual Publications. I hope they will do more, as these are delightful.