Sin City Vol. 1: The Hard Goodbye
Writer and Artist: Frank Miller
Crime fiction has never looked as beautiful as Sin City does…
Ranking: 4 stars
Since I read the astounding masterpiece that is BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, Frank Miller has become one of my favorite comic book writers. I also enjoyed his writing for on BATMAN: YEAR ONE, 300, and his artwork for his four issue WOLVERINE limited series with Chris Claremont. For a while I avoided what many consider to be his biggest contribution to the comics industry, SIN CITY. SIN CITY is a series of multiple stories that draw inspiration from multiple crime novels and films (Quentin Tarantino ring a bell anyone). To be honest, I’ve never been a fan of crime fiction or noir style storytelling, as the idea of focusing on criminal’s as protagonists never set well with me. However, I hold passion for Miller’s other works, so naturally I decided to take a look into the series. I won’t discuss the revolutionary impact this book is said to have had on noir-style fiction, as I’m unfamiliar with the crime genre, but the first of volume of the series, THE HARD GOODBYE, has something for everyone to appreciate in my opinion. The first in a series of crime comics, each of Miller’s SIN CITY tale’s focus on a different cast of characters, but are all located in the fictional Basin City (known by its citizens as “Sin City”). THE HARD GOODBYE opens with the character Marv (considered to be the infamous breakout character of the series), making love to a beautiful woman named Goldie in a sleazy hotel on a rainy night. Marv wakes up drunk the next morning to discover to find Goldie’s dead body next to him. What draws attention to Marv is that there is not a single mark on Goldie’s body, meaning that her murder was not perpetrated by the common killer. Before he can fully comprehend the situation, the building is cornered by the police, as the killer has framed Marv for the murder. Marv escapes the cops in a scene that reminds me of Rorschach’s fight against the police in WATCHMEN, culminating in a car chase before Marv retreats into the sewers. Seeking retribution for Goldie’s death, Marv begins a trek to hunt down the killer. After gathering information from several bars, as well as brutally interrogating dozens of thugs, Marv eventually he discovers that Goldie’s murder was only part of a larger conspiracy. Will Marv be able to discover the truth behind Goldie’s death and find her killer, or will he be beaten to the punch by the Sin City’s finest. SIN CITY: THE HARD GOODBYE in my opinion, is a comic that has something that everyone can find to appreciate. What stood out to me was the emphasis placed on the setting and tone of the story, the compelling detective-style plot, and the unique artwork. Setting is important to a story, as it acts as a backdrop for the characters and plot. The fictional Basin “Sin” City is a town dominated by crime and corruption, and to emphasize this, all actions take place at night, Marv primarily gathers his information from taverns, nightclubs and dark alleyways, and the streets are littered with prostitutes. Miller success in this area as his intense focus on the setting is connected to the characters and events they encounter, enhancing the noir tone of the story. The focus on setting also serves to provide further characterization for the cast, particularly for the main character Marv. An ex-convict, Marv is a man plagued by multiple scars. His face is battered and beaten from past fights, is infamous for his violent and irrational outbursts, and must rely on medication to suppress his mental illnesses. When Goldie is killed under his radar, he falls into deeper despair, as he feels that she was one of the few to show him kindness in his entire life. Despite the fact that he only knew her for one night, Marv is determined to avenge Goldie’s death because of the respect he received. Marv’s inner turmoil is further emphasized by the rain always pours down on the city. Touches of symbolism like that are great as they help to increase the power of the character’s dilemma, making their conflict more compelling and interesting. Another element of the writing that I was attracted to was the noir-style tone of the narration. Frank Miller is well known for his dark and gritty style of writing, but what really attracts me to works, is his unique form of first-person narration. What stands out about this form of narration, is that their not narrating in past tense, but rather in a first person point of view. Through this, we are not only able to see the what they are thinking, but also how they react and feel towards a situation, giving the reader the sense that they have entered the mind of the character. Miller condenses the character’s narration into short sentences, specifically conveying their reactions and emotions towards present events. This not only opens the character’s soul to the reader, but also prevents the story from being weighed down by overdrawn set-up, allowing us to jump right into the story. Miller’s form of narrative works especially well for SIN CITY, as the plot mainly revolves around Marv’s hunt for Goldie’s killer. Here’s an example of how this narration serves the tone of the story: “I’ll stare the b****** in the face as he screams to God, and I’ll laugh harder when he whimpers like a baby. And when his eyes go dead, the hell I send him to will seem like heaven after what I’ve done to him.” What’s unique about this choppy narration style is that it allows Miller to convey what Marv is doing, how he plans to carry it out, and what he feels while doing so all at once. By keeping the narration short and to the point, the reader isn’t bogged down by unnecessary exposition, and we can jump straight into the story. The final aspect that drew me to SIN CITY was the groundbreaking artwork that made this series famous. To create the feel of a noir film, the comic is not only black and white, but is also enhanced with heavy use of negative space. People or objects are dominated by either light or dark shading, which is further enhanced as they often lack hard crisp lines that separate them from the background, usually contrasting with the opposite element that is in the background. This helps aid in the emphasis that Miller places on the setting, as the black and white atmosphere and use of negative space make SIN CITY feel as if I were watching a noir “pulp” film, and not just reading an ordinary comic book (this art style was present in the film adaptation as well, making the entire movie feel like a comic book). So while I’m not a fan of crime or noir-style fiction, I can still appreciate SIN CITY for being a well written comic. The mystery and characters kept me interested, and this was made easier through the emphasis that Miller puts on the setting, the gritty narration, and the revolutionary art style. While I don’t consider SIN CITY to be my favorite comic written by Frank Miller (that will always be BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS), it is one that I definitely found had plenty to provide to its readers. “There are two kinds of people who sit around all day thinking about killing people...mystery writers and serial killers. I'm the kind that pays better.” ― Richard Castle
