Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stellar crime fiction. A must read for noir fans, March 26, 2006
Brian Michael Bendis is probably today's most successful comic writer. At the very least, he's the most visible, penning a slew of high profile titles for Marvel and practically guiding the core Marvel Universe single-handedly, even while he continues to write the critically acclaimed Powers series.
But Bendis didn't get his start with superhero comics. His first truly notable work - and some, including myself, would argue his very best work - is right here in crime comics like Jinx. This, when set alongside Goldfish and Torso, make for an impressive body of noirish crime fiction which proves that, like his Marvel work or not, Bendis is the real deal.
Here we have a story about three people - a bald, stupid young crook; a young grifter who wants out of the crime life; and the bounty hunter woman he falls in love with - who are chasing after a hefty payday right within their grasp ... if they can work together without killing one another, that is. If Quentin Tarrantino filmed his movies with 1940s technology, they'd look like this.
Jinx may have been originally published as a comic series, but make no mistake, this is a graphic novel in the truest sense of the word. It's dense with dialogue and plot, rich with characters, and is just BEGGING to be on the big screen. Bendis' artwork (that's right, folks, Bendis used to draw) is moody and full of shadows. His page layouts are bold and dynamic. Sure, he does a poor job showing action, leaving the reader confused until the text clears up what they just saw, but that's a minor niggle, since most of the action here is made up of intra-character interplay.
And that interplay is a joy to read. Bendis sometimes pushes it a bit too far, trying too hard to make the conversations seem real by inserting dozens of pauses and repeated words, but by and large this Mamet-lifted style sings, flies off the pages, and engages. You can hear these people chatting clear and a bell. Wonderful.
As mentioned earlier, when set next to Goldfish (a sort of sequel to Jinx) and Torso, Bendis' early body of work is highly impressive and highly readable. You can't go wrong with any of the three. If you like crime fiction especially, this is a must read.
|
|
|
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Jinx: Pros/Cons, November 7, 2006
I must admit I was disappointed with this story. Sorry to those who found Jinx to be an amazing independent effort from Bendis, but I just couldn't see what the hype was about. Interestingly enough, as if there aren't enough adaptations already, I read they will be turning this into a major motion picture starring Charlize Theron as none other than Jinx Alameda. But, aside from my initial statement, I want to express certain aspects of the story that appealed to me, and others that turned me away.
The Pros: Noir makes for some of the most intriguing story telling to date, so instantly I was drawn to the Jinx collection. Knowing Bendis' popular Powers series, I figured I couldn't go wrong with some of his earlier works. Photo referencing was genius. It added a thicker layer to Jinx's world that we don't see often in the comic universe. I'm all about presentation in comics and graphic novels, and I think this was done well (albeit one portion I'll explain in the cons.) Original story crafting was a plus. Typical crime drama setting -- i.e. casual noir -- with some real tragic characters. They carry their own individuality with precision. And finally, when you take it to the streets, this is some epic storytelling.
The Cons: Right off the bat, and again, sorry to those who disagree, I could not stand the dialogue. Trying to mimic realistic (real life) conversations just doesn't work on paper. In the movies, yes, because it obviously doesn't sound so scripted. But, your eyes don't accept the words so willingly when you just wanna get through a comic book. Especially a long one, it's frustrating to read someone stutter constantly or people interrupting each other and even finishing each others sentences. And, I really don't want to see "..." several times in a bubble. But, Jinx has it all. Which brings me to the other minute "presentation problem" I mentioned in the pros, the conversation bubbles seemed to be a mess, and the tails were too long; may sound petty yes, but in a black and white, they are more noticable and distracting. And finally, I just didn't really care for the story, it took me a while to read it because there are so many slow and boring parts, I was really ready to read a crime drama, but it's not what I got. This is not a spoiler review, so I won't reveal anything about the plot. Just, letting the readers know my opinion.
The wonderful thing about comics is that they've segregated themselves from any other art form and mediums on how to tell stories. And there's always something that gets lost in the translation when they are adapted into something else (such as a movie). There's such a unique-ness to it, that only fans can appreciate, and a respect that we can give to those involved in this comic universe. So, I applaud Brian Bendis' efforts, but I, unfortunately, can't carry much of Jinx with me.
|
|
|
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Bounty Hunter + Grifters = Trouble., January 21, 2002
With Jinx, creator Brian Michael Bendis returns to familiar territory- street-level crime fiction. He also returns to his popular character Goldfish, who previously starred in his own graphic novel, appropriately titled Goldfish. Jinx is a prequel of sorts to Goldfish. David "Goldfish" Gold, a petty grifter, is plying his trade with his sleazeball crony Columbia, when they are almost run over by a car containing 2 dying thugs- before they die, though, they pass along a tip about a hidden stash of loot...$3,000,000.00, to be exact. The problem is, Goldfish was told the location of the loot, Columbia was told the name it's stored under. So they're going to have to play nice to get the cash. Then along comes "Jinx" Alameda, a female bounty hunter looking to get enough cash to leave her sordid job behind. Goldfish and Jinx fall for each other, Columbia decides he doesn't want to share, the REAL owner of the cash comes looking for it....you can just feel the trouble brewing...... The story is well-told, and the book itself is HUGE; a tremendous value for your money. I loved the way that Bendis told the stories of the bystanders at the Arcade. It really made the scene take on more urgency by turning the onlookers into real people, as opposed to potential victims. Jinx is a great character; one of the most fully-developed females in comics, and I loved the dialogue- it's really Bendis' strong suit. The bad...? The same as all of Bendis' other collections- POOR PRODUCTION VALUES. The introduction to the book has the usual transposed pages, a trademark of Bendis. There is also the typical mind-boggling array of misspelled words throughout the book. Bendis seriously needs an editor, and his wife just ain't cutting it. You'd probably want to read Goldfish first- It'll make the ending easier to follow. And check out Torso, also by Bendis. It's amazing!
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
by Brian Michael Bendis
by Brian Michael Bendis
by Ed Brubaker
by Brian Azzarello
by Joe Kelly
