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Sin City #3
Sin City, Vol. 3: The Big Fat Kill
One of Sin City's most fascinatingly conflicted characters, Dwight, returns in The Big Fat Kill, the third volume of Frank Miller's seminal noir comic and the inspiration for one of the segments of the blockbuster Sin City film! This third edition is newly redesigned and features a brand-new cover by Miller-some of his first comics art in years! For Dwight, sometimes standing up for his friends means killing a whole lot of people . . . Not for revenge. Not because they deserve it. Not because it'll make the world a better place. There's nothing righteous or noble about it. Dwight's gotta kill them because he needs them dead. With a new look generating more excitement than ever before, this third edition is the perfect way to attract a whole new generation of readers to Frank Miller's masterpiece!
184 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
About the author
Frank Miller
1,287 books4,999 followersFrank Miller is an American writer, artist and film director best known for his film noir-style comic book stories. He is one of the most widely-recognized and popular creators in comics, and is one of the most influential comics creators of his generation. His most notable works include Sin City, The Dark Knight Returns, Batman Year One and 300.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 414 reviews
December 24, 2017
"You gotta stand up for your friends. Sometimes that means dying. Sometimes that means killing a whole lot of people"
In volume 3 of the Sin City series, the story remains dark, gory, and creative. For those who have seen the original movie you will recognize this as the middle part of it.
This is a highly entertaining mix of action, humor, and bad-ass-ery (a word that I am growing very fond of using). If you like your thrills noir, your heroines very naughty, and your heroes fighting to within an inch of their life, then this is for you!
You can pretty much pick this one up without having read the previous ones if you want. But, so far they are all pretty good, so you should probably read them all.
In volume 3 of the Sin City series, the story remains dark, gory, and creative. For those who have seen the original movie you will recognize this as the middle part of it.
This is a highly entertaining mix of action, humor, and bad-ass-ery (a word that I am growing very fond of using). If you like your thrills noir, your heroines very naughty, and your heroes fighting to within an inch of their life, then this is for you!
You can pretty much pick this one up without having read the previous ones if you want. But, so far they are all pretty good, so you should probably read them all.
December 5, 2021
What is Old Town? Old Town is a district in Sin City where the sex workers have a deal in place with the police - that means that the police manage the law, give out off-book punishments, and protect the district from pimps, gangsters and the average toxic male. A string of incidences leads to that truce being compromised. Dwight, Miho, Gail and co. might have a lot on their hands, but then again, they do have Miho -->
7.5 out of 12 for this volume because of the limited and mostly linear characterisations of some of the Old Town residents, in comparison to how they are characterised in he wider scheme of things. Also, I lost some of the plot, with the heavily inked monochrome artwork getting me quite a bit confused. Still, this is another volume that is part of a wonderful series overall, a volume in which we get to learn a lot more about Sin City.
2019 read
Next is the biggie --> Sin City, Vol. 4: That Yellow Bastard.
7.5 out of 12 for this volume because of the limited and mostly linear characterisations of some of the Old Town residents, in comparison to how they are characterised in he wider scheme of things. Also, I lost some of the plot, with the heavily inked monochrome artwork getting me quite a bit confused. Still, this is another volume that is part of a wonderful series overall, a volume in which we get to learn a lot more about Sin City.
2019 read
Next is the biggie --> Sin City, Vol. 4: That Yellow Bastard.
January 2, 2020
Μια από τις δυνατές ιστορίες της σειράς, σίγουρα αρκετά πάνω από το μέσο όρο των υπόλοιπων βιβλίων.
Βέβαια, κατά την άποψή μου, ούτε το τρίτο τεύχος της Sin City φτάνει τη δύναμη της αρχικής ιστορίας.
Οι φίλοι της σειράς, πάντως, είναι δεδομένο ότι θα το απολαύσουν.
Βέβαια, κατά την άποψή μου, ούτε το τρίτο τεύχος της Sin City φτάνει τη δύναμη της αρχικής ιστορίας.
Οι φίλοι της σειράς, πάντως, είναι δεδομένο ότι θα το απολαύσουν.
July 30, 2015
[7/10]
By the third tradeback album, readers should no longer be surprised at the excessive violence, nudity and cussing that define night life in Basin City. The question is not if things are about to go worse, but into what kind of horrible manner will the s--t hit the fan next. The Big Fat Kill starts with a case of domestic violence as a former minor character, the waitress Shellie, is battered in her own apartment by an old flame. By the end of the installment we will witness wholesale slaughter, with a bodycount that I believe surpasses the first two albums combined.
Yet, I am continuing to be interested in exploring the dark alleyways and the sleazy drinking holes of Sin City, in the company of some of the most deranged and dangerous characters ever to feature in a comic book, wondering which of the side characters will take center stage next, and which old acquaintances will return for a deadly re-match. Because it becomes clear by now that Frank Miller is doing more than just simply stitching together isolated criminal episodes for the vicarious pleasure of a bloodthirsty audience. There is a continuity and a consistency of the plot and of the characters, first glimpsed in the overlapping of the timelines and of the characters in the first two volumes, and evident in "The Hard Kill" by using the same POv as in the previous album: freelance photographer and urban vigilante Dwight. In trying to help Shellie deal with her violent former boyfriend, Dwight gets thrown in the middle of a developing conflict between the hookers controlling Old Town and the corrupted police of Basin City, with a side dish of local and Irish mobsters. And that's all I'm going to say about the plot - it's better to discover the details in the book and not here in my review.
Here's a sample though of the style of presentation:
The cop shuts down his siren, not sure how to play it.
He knows he's not the law.
Not in Old Town.
The ladies are the law here, beautiful and merciless.
If you've got the cash and you play by the rules,
they'll make all your dreams come true.
But if you cross them, you're a corpse.
The whole plot is more straightforward and more open ended than "A Dame To Kill For" and "The Hard Goodbye", but it gets its inspiration from the same noir roots as its predecessors, and is supported just as well by Miller's monochrome, jagged, posterized artwork. Of particular interest to the author, according to interviews, is the section of the album set in the Tar Pits, a derelict theme park in Basin City that offers Miller the chance to try his hand at drawing scary dinosaurs. His penchant for big breasted and scantily clad women is also very much in evidence, with the sole exception of the petite ninja lady of night Miho, the deadliest waif in town.
conclusion: not as convincing as the first two albums, and the violence threatens to get out of hand, but I am still interested to see where Frank Miller will take the story next. I am interested in particular to learn more about the exotic dancer Nancy and about the cop played by Bruce Willis in the movie.
By the third tradeback album, readers should no longer be surprised at the excessive violence, nudity and cussing that define night life in Basin City. The question is not if things are about to go worse, but into what kind of horrible manner will the s--t hit the fan next. The Big Fat Kill starts with a case of domestic violence as a former minor character, the waitress Shellie, is battered in her own apartment by an old flame. By the end of the installment we will witness wholesale slaughter, with a bodycount that I believe surpasses the first two albums combined.
Yet, I am continuing to be interested in exploring the dark alleyways and the sleazy drinking holes of Sin City, in the company of some of the most deranged and dangerous characters ever to feature in a comic book, wondering which of the side characters will take center stage next, and which old acquaintances will return for a deadly re-match. Because it becomes clear by now that Frank Miller is doing more than just simply stitching together isolated criminal episodes for the vicarious pleasure of a bloodthirsty audience. There is a continuity and a consistency of the plot and of the characters, first glimpsed in the overlapping of the timelines and of the characters in the first two volumes, and evident in "The Hard Kill" by using the same POv as in the previous album: freelance photographer and urban vigilante Dwight. In trying to help Shellie deal with her violent former boyfriend, Dwight gets thrown in the middle of a developing conflict between the hookers controlling Old Town and the corrupted police of Basin City, with a side dish of local and Irish mobsters. And that's all I'm going to say about the plot - it's better to discover the details in the book and not here in my review.
Here's a sample though of the style of presentation:
The cop shuts down his siren, not sure how to play it.
He knows he's not the law.
Not in Old Town.
The ladies are the law here, beautiful and merciless.
If you've got the cash and you play by the rules,
they'll make all your dreams come true.
But if you cross them, you're a corpse.
The whole plot is more straightforward and more open ended than "A Dame To Kill For" and "The Hard Goodbye", but it gets its inspiration from the same noir roots as its predecessors, and is supported just as well by Miller's monochrome, jagged, posterized artwork. Of particular interest to the author, according to interviews, is the section of the album set in the Tar Pits, a derelict theme park in Basin City that offers Miller the chance to try his hand at drawing scary dinosaurs. His penchant for big breasted and scantily clad women is also very much in evidence, with the sole exception of the petite ninja lady of night Miho, the deadliest waif in town.
conclusion: not as convincing as the first two albums, and the violence threatens to get out of hand, but I am still interested to see where Frank Miller will take the story next. I am interested in particular to learn more about the exotic dancer Nancy and about the cop played by Bruce Willis in the movie.
June 13, 2024
It would be a redundant thing to keep saying how good this piece of art is when reviewing each volume, so will slop the praise part.
Dwight leads this part, and looks like he's the lead role although it all started with Marv in vol 1, in this part tge gore is up a few notches and the story despite remaining truly captive, is a bit repetitive, a dame in distress leading to introduction of new villains (actually aren't all of them!) Who get eradicated by the last pages.
Still good though, and each volume is a sonewhat separate arc...
MiM
Dwight leads this part, and looks like he's the lead role although it all started with Marv in vol 1, in this part tge gore is up a few notches and the story despite remaining truly captive, is a bit repetitive, a dame in distress leading to introduction of new villains (actually aren't all of them!) Who get eradicated by the last pages.
Still good though, and each volume is a sonewhat separate arc...
MiM
June 30, 2012
The best of the series so far.
This time the curvy gals of Old Town have gone too far and killed the wrong man.
No. Let's rephrase that. They killed the right man, at the wrong time, and in definitely the wrong place. This guy will be missed.
Soon, cops and the mob will be swarming the place. Deals will be broken.
And let's face it...nobody wants to see that many 38DDs shot full of holes.
Now guess who's gotta clean up the mess before all hell breaks loose?
Will there be enough body bags in Sin City to hold all the carnage?
This time the curvy gals of Old Town have gone too far and killed the wrong man.
No. Let's rephrase that. They killed the right man, at the wrong time, and in definitely the wrong place. This guy will be missed.
Soon, cops and the mob will be swarming the place. Deals will be broken.
And let's face it...nobody wants to see that many 38DDs shot full of holes.
Now guess who's gotta clean up the mess before all hell breaks loose?
Will there be enough body bags in Sin City to hold all the carnage?
August 12, 2016
The events of this book were a chapter in the first Sin City movie.
https://youtu.be/LdggXkVl8gA
https://youtu.be/LdggXkVl8gA
May 21, 2016
This was my favorite from the series so far. The art was awesome as usual but I thought the story was much better.
February 11, 2018
Well this was the weakest by far for me.
So the storyline is just basically a big old "oh we fucked up let's cover it up" but of course no one can be trusted, everyone is a backstabber, and the ending ends in a "well everyone might be dead" but you know they aren't.
I just didn't enjoy this one as much. I didn't like any of the characters, the art makes it REALLY hard to enjoy the fight scenes, and there really needs to be women in this series who aren't whores. Like it's insane...
So the storyline is just basically a big old "oh we fucked up let's cover it up" but of course no one can be trusted, everyone is a backstabber, and the ending ends in a "well everyone might be dead" but you know they aren't.
I just didn't enjoy this one as much. I didn't like any of the characters, the art makes it REALLY hard to enjoy the fight scenes, and there really needs to be women in this series who aren't whores. Like it's insane...
April 29, 2015
Ummmmm...no.
Dwight's the MC again, and I don't like him.
Also, I have some questions:
1.) Why didn't Dwight take care of the men BEFORE Shellie got beaten?
2.) Why didn't Shellie tell him Jackie-boy was a cop before? Like, way before?
3.) Why didn't Jackie-boy, when in Old Town, being threated/maimed by the whores, tell them he was a cop? It would have been a simple, quick solution to his problems and it's RIDICULOUS that he didn't mention it. I mean he was drunk, but not THAT drunk, and getting hurt/scared sobers you up quickly. So don't use that excuse, Miller!
4.) Now Miller's trying to tell me that Dwight has feelings for Gail, too? But they can't be together for some cockamamie reason? Like: The world has no place for us. Our fire burns too hot. Or some crap like that. WTF?
Dwight is the same kind of jerk who insults people who are helping him. The whores get him a car. As soon as he starts driving away, it's all, "Dumb, dizzy whores! Why didn't they fill the tank!" Miho saves his life. She frickin' saves his life and he's all like, "Thank you. But if you just got here a little earlier, we'd have what we needed and the bad guys would be dead!" Oh, there's gratitude for you. Ungrateful prick. I hate him. Miho should have let him die.
Not to mention - he's still a woman-beater. Yeah, nothing's changed from Volume 2 when he punched Ava in the face. In this one he backhands Gail when she gets in an argument with him. And of course, she loves it or it makes her respect him or something, and the next thing you know they're making out. Disgusting.
One good thing I can say about this book: The pictures are wonderful.
Dwight's the MC again, and I don't like him.
Also, I have some questions:
1.) Why didn't Dwight take care of the men BEFORE Shellie got beaten?
2.) Why didn't Shellie tell him Jackie-boy was a cop before? Like, way before?
3.) Why didn't Jackie-boy, when in Old Town, being threated/maimed by the whores, tell them he was a cop? It would have been a simple, quick solution to his problems and it's RIDICULOUS that he didn't mention it. I mean he was drunk, but not THAT drunk, and getting hurt/scared sobers you up quickly. So don't use that excuse, Miller!
4.) Now Miller's trying to tell me that Dwight has feelings for Gail, too? But they can't be together for some cockamamie reason? Like: The world has no place for us. Our fire burns too hot. Or some crap like that. WTF?
Dwight is the same kind of jerk who insults people who are helping him. The whores get him a car. As soon as he starts driving away, it's all, "Dumb, dizzy whores! Why didn't they fill the tank!" Miho saves his life. She frickin' saves his life and he's all like, "Thank you. But if you just got here a little earlier, we'd have what we needed and the bad guys would be dead!" Oh, there's gratitude for you. Ungrateful prick. I hate him. Miho should have let him die.
Not to mention - he's still a woman-beater. Yeah, nothing's changed from Volume 2 when he punched Ava in the face. In this one he backhands Gail when she gets in an argument with him. And of course, she loves it or it makes her respect him or something, and the next thing you know they're making out. Disgusting.
One good thing I can say about this book: The pictures are wonderful.
April 3, 2016
The Big Fat Kill: One of the most original Sin City stories
Originally posted at Fantasy Literature
The Big Fat Kill is the third volume in Frank Miller’s SIN CITY series, featuring Dwight McCarthy, Marv, and the ladies of Old Town delivering justice with extreme prejudice to some very deserving goons. It’s another celebration of violent revenge against some pretty reprehensible people, so it goes down fairly easily. It’s also the most creative storyline of the first three volumes, and is featured as the middle segment of the first Sin City movie.
The story begins with four drunken men banging on the door of Shellie (Brittanie Murphy), one of the waitresses at Kadie’s Bar, which Marv and Dwight frequent and Nancy Callahan dances at. One of these guys is her abusive ex-boyfriend Jackie-Boy (Benicio Del Toro), a particularly odious thug who demands that Shellie let he and his goons inside for a “good time”. Unbeknownst to him, Dwight is hiding in the shower of the bathroom, and when Jackie-Boy goes to the toilet, Dwight makes him pay for his mistreatment of Shellie.
This sets in motion a very outlandish and visually-inventive adventure that revels in mayhem, bodily mutilation, severed heads and limbs, Irish mercenaries, dinosaurs, torture, beatings, and of course a Big Fat Kill finale. If you are someone who gets squeamish at such things, this is definitely not a comic book for you. But if you are able to suspend your moral compass and enjoy some mean and nasty action with a subversive sense of humor, I think this is one of the most enjoyable episodes of Sin City. It’s complete lack of restraint is refreshing if sometimes upsetting, but it really doesn’t take its subject matter too seriously. It’s a celebration of the darkest elements of crime noir conventions, with a modern spin. The artwork is really quite impressive, distinctive and over-the-top, yet restrained by its strictly black-and-white palette, which is funny because the morality of the characters is very much gray-toned. The villains are very bad, so killing them is basically a service to humanity, but our protagonists are pretty bloodthirsty about it. You wouldn’t want to hang out with such people in real life, but there is a vicarious thrill from seeing them wreak havoc in Sin City.
Movie Version (Sin City, 2005; directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller)
The Big Fat Kill makes up the middle segment of the 2005 film version, and is very memorable indeed. Clive Owens is the brooding Dwight, Brittany Murphy the waittress Shellie, Benicio Del Toro the sleazy Jackie-Boy, Mickey Rourke is the lovable but pathological lug Marv, Michael Clarke Duncan is the imposing Manute, and Rosario Dawson is the fishnet-stocking wearing amazon with the uzi who rules the ladies of Old Town including deadly little Miho played by Devon Aoki. All the actors here really delved into their ultra-pulp characters and delivered their hard-boiled dialogue with relish.
It’s the kind of story where you have to buy into the excess, and if you can do that it will be a lot of fun. The mayhem and violence are not dialed down a bit, so I had to wait until my daughter went out before watching this film. The black-and-white medium somewhat mutes the violence screen images, but not really. Often times viewers may say that movie violence is comic book-like or over the top –here the comic has been transferred to the screen with total fidelity. This film made quite a sensation when it first debuted – it was a completely new visual medium, and the splashes of color were used very judiciously to accentuate the story without spoiling the perfect black-and-white noir look, with endless thunder, pouring rain, machine guns blazing, and cigarettes glowing. It’s a bravura piece of film-making that cannot be ignored.
Originally posted at Fantasy Literature
The Big Fat Kill is the third volume in Frank Miller’s SIN CITY series, featuring Dwight McCarthy, Marv, and the ladies of Old Town delivering justice with extreme prejudice to some very deserving goons. It’s another celebration of violent revenge against some pretty reprehensible people, so it goes down fairly easily. It’s also the most creative storyline of the first three volumes, and is featured as the middle segment of the first Sin City movie.
The story begins with four drunken men banging on the door of Shellie (Brittanie Murphy), one of the waitresses at Kadie’s Bar, which Marv and Dwight frequent and Nancy Callahan dances at. One of these guys is her abusive ex-boyfriend Jackie-Boy (Benicio Del Toro), a particularly odious thug who demands that Shellie let he and his goons inside for a “good time”. Unbeknownst to him, Dwight is hiding in the shower of the bathroom, and when Jackie-Boy goes to the toilet, Dwight makes him pay for his mistreatment of Shellie.
This sets in motion a very outlandish and visually-inventive adventure that revels in mayhem, bodily mutilation, severed heads and limbs, Irish mercenaries, dinosaurs, torture, beatings, and of course a Big Fat Kill finale. If you are someone who gets squeamish at such things, this is definitely not a comic book for you. But if you are able to suspend your moral compass and enjoy some mean and nasty action with a subversive sense of humor, I think this is one of the most enjoyable episodes of Sin City. It’s complete lack of restraint is refreshing if sometimes upsetting, but it really doesn’t take its subject matter too seriously. It’s a celebration of the darkest elements of crime noir conventions, with a modern spin. The artwork is really quite impressive, distinctive and over-the-top, yet restrained by its strictly black-and-white palette, which is funny because the morality of the characters is very much gray-toned. The villains are very bad, so killing them is basically a service to humanity, but our protagonists are pretty bloodthirsty about it. You wouldn’t want to hang out with such people in real life, but there is a vicarious thrill from seeing them wreak havoc in Sin City.
Movie Version (Sin City, 2005; directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller)
The Big Fat Kill makes up the middle segment of the 2005 film version, and is very memorable indeed. Clive Owens is the brooding Dwight, Brittany Murphy the waittress Shellie, Benicio Del Toro the sleazy Jackie-Boy, Mickey Rourke is the lovable but pathological lug Marv, Michael Clarke Duncan is the imposing Manute, and Rosario Dawson is the fishnet-stocking wearing amazon with the uzi who rules the ladies of Old Town including deadly little Miho played by Devon Aoki. All the actors here really delved into their ultra-pulp characters and delivered their hard-boiled dialogue with relish.
It’s the kind of story where you have to buy into the excess, and if you can do that it will be a lot of fun. The mayhem and violence are not dialed down a bit, so I had to wait until my daughter went out before watching this film. The black-and-white medium somewhat mutes the violence screen images, but not really. Often times viewers may say that movie violence is comic book-like or over the top –here the comic has been transferred to the screen with total fidelity. This film made quite a sensation when it first debuted – it was a completely new visual medium, and the splashes of color were used very judiciously to accentuate the story without spoiling the perfect black-and-white noir look, with endless thunder, pouring rain, machine guns blazing, and cigarettes glowing. It’s a bravura piece of film-making that cannot be ignored.
February 26, 2021
Not as fantastic as the first two books in the series. This has the same hard-boiled dialogue and mood but ultimately reads as a little sillier as we focus on the colorful ladies of Old Town taking the law into their own hands.
A returning Dwight McCarthy (with a fresh new face) makes a big mistake with his usual good intentions and brings trouble onto their turf. This book is complete with Irish mercenaries, a severed MacGuffin-head, and plenty of uzis and fishnets.
A returning Dwight McCarthy (with a fresh new face) makes a big mistake with his usual good intentions and brings trouble onto their turf. This book is complete with Irish mercenaries, a severed MacGuffin-head, and plenty of uzis and fishnets.
“The fire, baby. It’ll burn us both. It’ll kill us both. There’s no place in this world for our fire. Always and never. If I have to die for you tonight, I will.”
September 21, 2017
My review for volume. 2: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Sharp, awesome artwork in simple black and white! Crime-noir with a lot of action scenes and gun fights! Breathtaking gang wars! Hardass hookers and a crazy male lead! Tons of quotable lines! Sassy dialogues and a dark sense of humor! Deadly little Miho doing her super-cool ninja thingy! What more can I ask for?
The girls all know the score. No escape. No surrender. No mercy. We got to kill every last rat bastard one of them, every last one. Not for revenge. Not because they deserve it. not because it'll make the world a better place.
Sharp, awesome artwork in simple black and white! Crime-noir with a lot of action scenes and gun fights! Breathtaking gang wars! Hardass hookers and a crazy male lead! Tons of quotable lines! Sassy dialogues and a dark sense of humor! Deadly little Miho doing her super-cool ninja thingy! What more can I ask for?
Miho. You're an angel. You're a saint. You're a blessing from above. You're Mother Theresa. You're God.
August 28, 2018
That...was...EPIC!
The story of this volume was amazing! Thrilling and full of badass action!
So far, my favorite volume!
Of course, the artwork is mesmerising, as always!
The story of this volume was amazing! Thrilling and full of badass action!
So far, my favorite volume!
Of course, the artwork is mesmerising, as always!
February 11, 2023
I feel like something is missing since the first volume of Sin City. It's the same order in the film and I felt the same reading it as I did watching it. The further we go into this series the less interesting the characters become, and I don't think it's because the novelty of the world environment and lore has worn off.
Marv in vol.1 had a personal reason to fight and a complex character, Dwight in vol.3 seems to be fighting people for the sake of it. Each protagonist does more wrong for less of a reason. Maybe that is the point. I just wish the series had taken the complete opposite direction. It would end up showing people who were almost like us living in this place, because the series is getting further away from something I can care about or find meaning in.
Marv in vol.1 had a personal reason to fight and a complex character, Dwight in vol.3 seems to be fighting people for the sake of it. Each protagonist does more wrong for less of a reason. Maybe that is the point. I just wish the series had taken the complete opposite direction. It would end up showing people who were almost like us living in this place, because the series is getting further away from something I can care about or find meaning in.
August 18, 2019
While “Sin City: The Big Fat Kill” is a good graphic novel, it is overshadowed by its excellent predecessors. As a fan of the first two, it's disappointing, but not enough to prevent me from reading further.
The appeal of Sin City, for me at least, has been its focused stories that explore its shattered main characters, mirrored by a revolting town, and drawn in a style that shows the black and white nature of the created world. In the “Big Fat Kill” Sin City is still as interesting a setting as ever. The town reeks of corruption and bleeding secrets and the more noble sins are the saints in such a Gomorrah.
We follow Dwight again, but unlike in his first appearance, where we watch his character’s descent into a chaotic void of murder, he changes less here. We do find him where the last narrative left him, but it is starting to feel strained. In fact, in most of the fights, he does little or needs to be saved, and the whole issue at the heart of this story is his fault. It lessens his autonomy as a character, where in the first novel he made some hard, but great, choices. It also detracts from the story since its main voice feels like a side character.
The story also suffers from a glut of explanation. The first two Sin Citys had just enough text. Multiple pages could be taken up with a few striking images and then a side scroll of text. Here, the side scroll comes every few pages instead of every chapter and the framing and art are not as engaging. There are still fantastic images throughout this piece, but none of them are as haunting or memorable as some in the first two. The panels and framing are still on par and the contrast still mesmerizing, but instead of pushing the style even further, this feels like a step back
Perhaps the biggest issue lies with the story. The first two were pulpy examinations of damaged psyches. Here the events are interesting but hold little depth. A problem occurs that the cast has to solve, and that is the extent of it. There is no look into the heart of darkness that is the world or how a person can shatter like a window. It is a straightforward adventure. Nothing more.
If you liked the first two Sin Citys or love the style, give this a shot. The style is still there and the action panels are kinetic. Unlike the first forays into Sin City I can not recommend this to casual comic fans. There is just too little here if you’re not already invested.
The appeal of Sin City, for me at least, has been its focused stories that explore its shattered main characters, mirrored by a revolting town, and drawn in a style that shows the black and white nature of the created world. In the “Big Fat Kill” Sin City is still as interesting a setting as ever. The town reeks of corruption and bleeding secrets and the more noble sins are the saints in such a Gomorrah.
We follow Dwight again, but unlike in his first appearance, where we watch his character’s descent into a chaotic void of murder, he changes less here. We do find him where the last narrative left him, but it is starting to feel strained. In fact, in most of the fights, he does little or needs to be saved, and the whole issue at the heart of this story is his fault. It lessens his autonomy as a character, where in the first novel he made some hard, but great, choices. It also detracts from the story since its main voice feels like a side character.
The story also suffers from a glut of explanation. The first two Sin Citys had just enough text. Multiple pages could be taken up with a few striking images and then a side scroll of text. Here, the side scroll comes every few pages instead of every chapter and the framing and art are not as engaging. There are still fantastic images throughout this piece, but none of them are as haunting or memorable as some in the first two. The panels and framing are still on par and the contrast still mesmerizing, but instead of pushing the style even further, this feels like a step back
Perhaps the biggest issue lies with the story. The first two were pulpy examinations of damaged psyches. Here the events are interesting but hold little depth. A problem occurs that the cast has to solve, and that is the extent of it. There is no look into the heart of darkness that is the world or how a person can shatter like a window. It is a straightforward adventure. Nothing more.
If you liked the first two Sin Citys or love the style, give this a shot. The style is still there and the action panels are kinetic. Unlike the first forays into Sin City I can not recommend this to casual comic fans. There is just too little here if you’re not already invested.
April 11, 2019
Hindsight can be something of a “mutha.” Some look back in anger. Others prefer those rosy tinged glasses tinting everything with saccharine nostalgia. Swooning one way or another, the Frank Miller canon should include a heavy dose of both. And his seminal Sin City, is no exception.
The virulently stark pencil-work remains phenomenally unique as it is painfully effective, to readers and those within the story alike. Piercing those within and without, the chosen duo-chromaticism actually works to its favor, bringing evoking the intrinsic details that awash a deceptively complex tale demanding the eyes to linger. Drinking in all aspects of the seen, the visuals do, as they certainly will continue to, stun decades down the road.
The story (for better and for worse) is of a far more jumbly level of excellence. It’s fiercely level vision focuses on something relatively straightforward with teases toward a far more complex context. However, sweet the baits my seems, their ephemeratic happenstances become run over by a story that roars with a speed that never revs up enough tension to make it last. Not content to simmer, an unceasing litany of BOOMS and BLAMS drive the story, perforating friends and foes alike. To busy busy with its blasting, the breakneck speed can certainly work against a more “classic” noir appeal.
Which to be fair is to be expected from something as ostensibly lowbrow as a comic. Distilling the essence of its predecessors, the action lever becomes cranked to maximum, while its other more high-brown and thoughtful related analogue is throttled to a far lower level. So even when the middle ground between which hits a decent medium, it quickly loses its balance in favor of a ClockWork styled approach to (ultra)violence.
All in all here, there’s still some great shit. Just keep in mind this is a shot glass type of affair, in lie of something more cerebral and sophisticated.
Bottoms up!
The virulently stark pencil-work remains phenomenally unique as it is painfully effective, to readers and those within the story alike. Piercing those within and without, the chosen duo-chromaticism actually works to its favor, bringing evoking the intrinsic details that awash a deceptively complex tale demanding the eyes to linger. Drinking in all aspects of the seen, the visuals do, as they certainly will continue to, stun decades down the road.
The story (for better and for worse) is of a far more jumbly level of excellence. It’s fiercely level vision focuses on something relatively straightforward with teases toward a far more complex context. However, sweet the baits my seems, their ephemeratic happenstances become run over by a story that roars with a speed that never revs up enough tension to make it last. Not content to simmer, an unceasing litany of BOOMS and BLAMS drive the story, perforating friends and foes alike. To busy busy with its blasting, the breakneck speed can certainly work against a more “classic” noir appeal.
Which to be fair is to be expected from something as ostensibly lowbrow as a comic. Distilling the essence of its predecessors, the action lever becomes cranked to maximum, while its other more high-brown and thoughtful related analogue is throttled to a far lower level. So even when the middle ground between which hits a decent medium, it quickly loses its balance in favor of a ClockWork styled approach to (ultra)violence.
All in all here, there’s still some great shit. Just keep in mind this is a shot glass type of affair, in lie of something more cerebral and sophisticated.
Bottoms up!
November 25, 2013
Surpreendentemente fabuloso. É, "Sin City"!!!
Este volume de "Sin City" é qualquer coisa de espectacular. Vi-me mergulhado no gosto pelo perigoso; mortalmente envolvido pelas vicissitudes da vida criminosa.
"Temos que matar até ao último destes cabrões. Até ao último.
Não por vingança.
Não porque eles merecem.
Não porque vai tornar o mundo num local melhor.
Não há nada de justo ou de nobre nisto.
Temos que os matar, porque precisamos deles bem mortos." (in Sin City, pp. 61 & 62)
É assim, em Sin City não se escolhe: ou se morre assassinado ou vive-se assassinando. É a cidade em que o amor à própria vida arrasta consigo o sabor do crime e da morte.
September 13, 2022
Too short, and my least favorite...of the movie, as well.
February 4, 2018
Sin City volume 3 is as dark, bleak, and violent as the Sin City series can be. Despite the few color pages in the front, the darkness of the black and white art permeates it. Noir as a graphic novel.
April 10, 2019
This volume 3 presents another story about dames, but, this time with more action.
The story is set in a period after Marv's death. Dwight, the male protagonist, is dating Shellie, a bartender. Inside Shellie's apartment, Dwight, is comforting her dear dame while an acquaintance of Shelly, the drunken Jackie Boy, bangs on the door. Jackie boy enters into the apartment with his fellow drunken fellas, and tries to convince Shellie to join them in a pub crawl run. Shellie refuses and Jack hits her. Jackie goes to the bathroom and sees himself ambushed from behind by Dwight. Jackie is demanded by Dwight to stop harassing Shellie and has his head plunged in the toilet.
Afterwards, an angry Jackie, heads with his fellows towards old town. Dwight follows them to stop Jack from causing more trouble. In Old town, Jackie and his mates will have a deadly end by the command of Gail (Old Town's most experienced hooker and guardian), Miho (the ninja prostitute), and the rest of the female gang. It turns out, Jackie was a cop. Hence, old town and its audacious inhabitants might suffer an attack by the Police and the Mob. Something has to be done, and Dwight, alongside his female gang must think of a plan to get rid of the deceased cop. But... things ain't that easy...
Dwight and his old town gang
Miller's story centers around the female gang of Old town and a supposed war between them and the Police, due to Jackie's death. In this volume, the outcome of events caused a battle between the female gang and the Irish gang of ex-IRA members, as well as the rest of the mob.
Miller's tale gives Dwight a higher role in this story (compared to Vol. 2), where his narrative brings personal and, emotional issues.
"The Big fat kill" conveys with more details the famous female gang of Old town, depicting interesting characters, like Miho.
“She doesn't quite chop his head off. She makes a Pez dispenser out of him.”
Miho, my favorite female character of this story: Bold, bad ass and cold
Black Humour is an important feature in Sin city!
The plotline was overall interesting, but, not the best compared to the previous volumes.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
The story is set in a period after Marv's death. Dwight, the male protagonist, is dating Shellie, a bartender. Inside Shellie's apartment, Dwight, is comforting her dear dame while an acquaintance of Shelly, the drunken Jackie Boy, bangs on the door. Jackie boy enters into the apartment with his fellow drunken fellas, and tries to convince Shellie to join them in a pub crawl run. Shellie refuses and Jack hits her. Jackie goes to the bathroom and sees himself ambushed from behind by Dwight. Jackie is demanded by Dwight to stop harassing Shellie and has his head plunged in the toilet.
Afterwards, an angry Jackie, heads with his fellows towards old town. Dwight follows them to stop Jack from causing more trouble. In Old town, Jackie and his mates will have a deadly end by the command of Gail (Old Town's most experienced hooker and guardian), Miho (the ninja prostitute), and the rest of the female gang. It turns out, Jackie was a cop. Hence, old town and its audacious inhabitants might suffer an attack by the Police and the Mob. Something has to be done, and Dwight, alongside his female gang must think of a plan to get rid of the deceased cop. But... things ain't that easy...
Dwight and his old town gang
Miller's story centers around the female gang of Old town and a supposed war between them and the Police, due to Jackie's death. In this volume, the outcome of events caused a battle between the female gang and the Irish gang of ex-IRA members, as well as the rest of the mob.
Miller's tale gives Dwight a higher role in this story (compared to Vol. 2), where his narrative brings personal and, emotional issues.
"The Big fat kill" conveys with more details the famous female gang of Old town, depicting interesting characters, like Miho.
“She doesn't quite chop his head off. She makes a Pez dispenser out of him.”
Miho, my favorite female character of this story: Bold, bad ass and cold
Black Humour is an important feature in Sin city!
The plotline was overall interesting, but, not the best compared to the previous volumes.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
February 1, 2017
This graphic novel has all the grit and darkness expected from a Miller Sin City book, but for me, it has an extra level that wasn't in the first 2 volumes.
In the previous stories, the protagonist has influenced how much I liked the volume, and the story is almost solely focused on their plight. In The Big Fat Kill, I feel like the dynamics and politics of Old Town, the prostitutes, the mob, the police, are at the forefront and make for a fascinating dimension to the otherwise stellar graphic novel.
I really need to actually buy the other volumes, I am going to struggle without them.
In the previous stories, the protagonist has influenced how much I liked the volume, and the story is almost solely focused on their plight. In The Big Fat Kill, I feel like the dynamics and politics of Old Town, the prostitutes, the mob, the police, are at the forefront and make for a fascinating dimension to the otherwise stellar graphic novel.
I really need to actually buy the other volumes, I am going to struggle without them.
October 27, 2010
More of the same...I'll probably finish the series just to satisfy my inner completionist, but Frank Miller's style can grow tired after a couple of these. His characters aren't complex or rich enough to make this series something special.
October 7, 2014
While I do enjoy this volume, it seems less focused on the characters and more on the action filled plot. Where as the last two were focused on the character's state of mind, this one seems merely content to let the action push them forward.
That isn't to say it isn't a good part, the best moments come when there is no action and merely reflection on the events that are taking place.
3.5
That isn't to say it isn't a good part, the best moments come when there is no action and merely reflection on the events that are taking place.
3.5
August 7, 2017
I already new part of the story from the Sin City movie but it was still really interesting. I was missing a bit of backup information. But I have to admit I don't now much about the series and it is a while ago that I read the first two books. All in all it was again a really entertaining story with awesome pictures and a lot of violence and good written texts.
January 26, 2014
The Sin City movie made me want to check the original graphic novels. I found this lone Sin City hardcover at a dealer table at a discount and I just got to have it. I like the story but I found myself preferring the movie over the book.
May 2, 2022
The third entry in the SIN CITY series lacks the deeper characterization of the earlier works but makes up for it with a fast-paced, extremely violent, foul-mouthed knock-out story. This one does not take the foot off the accelerator for even a few minutes.
Testosterone-enflamed drunken intruders enter the red-light district of Old Town and run into a bevy of gun-toting prostitutes plus Mijo, a bad ass ninja warrior. However, they've unknowingly killed a respected cop. If news of this gets out, it will break a long-standing truce between the Old Town neighborhood and Sin City law enforcement.
Dwight McCarthy is back, stuck in the middle, and wanting to help his friend Gail and the whores avoid detection by covering up the crime. Things don't go so well. This gets more violent as the pages turn.
Still an essential read in the series, as it gives new background details on the world of Sin City. This can also be enjoyed without having read the previous volumes. Not quite the FIve-Star ranking of the first two books, but worth Four And One-Half Stars for sure.
Testosterone-enflamed drunken intruders enter the red-light district of Old Town and run into a bevy of gun-toting prostitutes plus Mijo, a bad ass ninja warrior. However, they've unknowingly killed a respected cop. If news of this gets out, it will break a long-standing truce between the Old Town neighborhood and Sin City law enforcement.
Dwight McCarthy is back, stuck in the middle, and wanting to help his friend Gail and the whores avoid detection by covering up the crime. Things don't go so well. This gets more violent as the pages turn.
Still an essential read in the series, as it gives new background details on the world of Sin City. This can also be enjoyed without having read the previous volumes. Not quite the FIve-Star ranking of the first two books, but worth Four And One-Half Stars for sure.
January 31, 2021
Okay the art is still cool, Miho is still my favorite badass, but this one really just didn't click with me.
May 10, 2022
Still fun but no real plot to speak of and Miller is becoming very self-conscious of what he’s doing
May 5, 2020
Reread from high school. Dwight is a much better hero in this book than the last one. Lots of women kicking ass as well. Dark comic relief thrown in. Great read.
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