Martin Simmonds

Nowhere near Hill's best work, but he does a good job of showing us a bitter ex-cop trying to make it as a comedian who's just not that funny. Don't go in expecting Hill to give this guy a hilarious comedy act. He's going for awkward, unfunny, and uncomfortable, and he succeeds.

Props for Martin Simmonds art, that has a toned-down, but still cool Bill Sienkiewicz feel to it. Is the first issue great? Hell no, but you could say that about A Basket Full of Heads, as well. Hill knows he has five issues to play with, and he's using them.… (mehr)

This review is going to be the same for issues 2 to 5.

I can't say this sucks. Joe Hill is a good enough writer that even his misfires—and he actually tends to misfire about as much as he hits the target, lately—are at least okay.

And that's the problem. For the guy that created Locke & Key, [b:Heart-Shaped Box|153025|Heart-Shaped Box|Joe Hill|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328043955l/153025._SY75_.jpg|1412280], and [b:NOS4A2|15729539|NOS4A2|Joe Hill|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1369591617l/15729539._SX50_.jpg|21408527], all just fantastic, this is just nowhere near good enough.

It takes a certain amount of balls to create a story that doesn't star a single redeeming character, or even one that remotely likeable. And the only way to make it succeed to to at least give the main unlikable character a task that allows him to either redeem himself somewhat, or to learn something about himself, or at least make the task something that is extraordinarily important.

Hill doesn't do any of that. This is very much a run-of-the-mill murder mystery where Syd "Shit Talk" Homes (possibly the worst bastardization of "Sherlock Holmes" I've ever run across) literally runs away from the law and runs toward various pieces of the puzzle.

And none of it is anywhere near engaging enough. If this didn't have Hill's name on it, I would have stopped reading by issue 2. Simmonds' art is good, but really doesn't add much to the story, or elevate it in any way.

Not good.… (mehr)

This review is going to be the same for issues 2 to 5.

I can't say this sucks. Joe Hill is a good enough writer that even his misfires—and he actually tends to misfire about as much as he hits the target, lately—are at least okay.

And that's the problem. For the guy that created Locke & Key, [b:Heart-Shaped Box|153025|Heart-Shaped Box|Joe Hill|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328043955l/153025._SY75_.jpg|1412280], and [b:NOS4A2|15729539|NOS4A2|Joe Hill|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1369591617l/15729539._SX50_.jpg|21408527], all just fantastic, this is just nowhere near good enough.

It takes a certain amount of balls to create a story that doesn't star a single redeeming character, or even one that remotely likeable. And the only way to make it succeed to to at least give the main unlikable character a task that allows him to either redeem himself somewhat, or to learn something about himself, or at least make the task something that is extraordinarily important.

Hill doesn't do any of that. This is very much a run-of-the-mill murder mystery where Syd "Shit Talk" Homes (possibly the worst bastardization of "Sherlock Holmes" I've ever run across) literally runs away from the law and runs toward various pieces of the puzzle.

And none of it is anywhere near engaging enough. If this didn't have Hill's name on it, I would have stopped reading by issue 2. Simmonds' art is good, but really doesn't add much to the story, or elevate it in any way.

Not good.… (mehr)