Hard Boiled (Paperback)

by Frank Miller (Author), Geof Darrow (Author) "PLEASE PRESENT YOUR LICENSE AND REGISTRATION..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Review
The List 7-21 October 2004, review by Danny Graydon: "...intensely detailed and highly visceral..."; Go! Essex Chonicle: " packed to bursting with intricate illustrations." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
Carl Seltz is a suburban insurance investigator, a loving husband, and devoted father. Nixon is a berserk, homicidal tax collector racking up mind-boggling body counts in a diseased urban slaughterhouse. Unit Four is the ultimate robot killing machine - and the last hope of the future's enslaved mechanical servants. And they're all the same psychotic entity.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse (May 31, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1878574582
• ISBN-13: 978-1878574589
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #45,048 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nifty, August 16, 2006

By	ObiWanShinobi (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

Haven't bought a comic in a while. Hollywood, having finally admited to running out of ideas has turned to the great and ultra-cool comics (Hellboy, Sin City, V for Vendetta, etc) in order to make some dough, has once again sparked my interest in graphic novels. I bought this one based soley on the art and was not dissapointed.

The ultra-violence can get a bit tedious (If you like tons of bloody naked people getting mauled by flaming vehicles....then prepare for your boat to float), but overall its not a bad read.

The story is ok. Not amazing but interesting never-the-less.

The cool thing about this book is the illustration. Which, is a virtual "Where's Waldo" of advertising icons, naked people, drug parephanilia, blood, and robots. Folks who say you can reread this a few times just to look at the amazing detail are telling it to you straight.

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the all time greatest experiences on paper!, June 29, 2000

By	Jason (Milwaukee, WI) - See all my reviews

Okay,you have Frank Miller,THE greatest writer of comics/graphic novels,and you have Geof Darrow- THE undisputed greatest comic artist of all time-and here,the two join forces to produce an award winning masterpiece! This book has it all. A great story,sure.Full of extreme ultra violence,twisted humor,and taking place in a future where ANYTHING goes. And the artwork. For anyone unfamiliar with Darrow's brand of work...imagine "Where's Waldo"...on acid! I've never been able to find out much about his history as an artist,but I think he probably must have some experience as a technical artist,(you know the type,exploded interior views of engines and the like),except those drawings are done using computer aided design...this guy uses pen and ink,and gets a whole lot more creative. And in case you're wondering what I mean by Wheres Waldo on acid,on nearly every page,you'll find literally hundreds of people,going about their bizarre,and often somewhat perverted lives,all the while there being every piece of liter you can imagine from beer cans to condoms strewn about the streets,from which you can sometimes even see through windows,and all of this carefully and skillfully drawn out with such psychotic detail that it just might blow your mind! It can sometimes take around an hour to fully enjoy some scenes,depending on size. Even after you've read the story once,(which is great by the way,I just dont want to spoil anything),you can enjoy it all over again and again. P.S.---If you like this,you'll also like "The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot"...another Miller/Darrow collaboration. Also,I hear they are discussing making Hard Boiled:The Movie,with Nicholas Cage interested in the lead. It would be great...and if they stick with the look o'the book,quite exspensive as well!

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Hell of a Ride, May 18, 2006

By	D-Man - See all my reviews

The artwork alone will blow you away.

Loosely based on the same story that inspired "Blade Runner," this book is an irreverant thrill-ride from start to finish. Every page is a masterwork of illustration, and the detail is beyond belief.

It's classic Miller, with over-the-top violence, coupled with a disenfranchized cynicism that writers often imitate but can't duplicate. In this book, he masters the use of understatement, recognizing exactly when to step aside and let the art speak for itself.

You won't be disappointed.