This graphic novel starts out rough, and only gets worse until its very violent conclusion.

At the start of this story we see a partially clothed woman listening at a closed door. She is listening to a voice begging to be let in from the hall. The man on the other side wants in, and she's telling him to go home. As the conversation continues we learn that this is her boyfriend, and he is begging her weakly to come in, wanting another chance, and so on. Then we see that if this really is her boyfriend, there is going to be trouble because there is a man, also partially clothed, standing next to the woman.

This is Dwight, the character from "The Dame wore Red" which is a mini-series I'd like to review, but it isn't listed on Epinions for some reason. We met him in Frank Miller's previous Sin City spin-off called "The Dame Wore Red". Dwight is another tough character brought up on the bad side of Sin City. Dwight has nowhere the fighting capability of Marv, who's help he enlisted in "The Dame Wore Red". Yet, we know he can more than handle himself.

After hearing more pleading, he tells the woman to open the door, and he will handle it. The woman tells him that he doesn't understand the trouble he may be asking for. It is clear she isn't telling him exactly everything by what she means by that, but he doesn't care. He advises her that he can tell the man on the other side of the door is drunk, and he has four friends with him, all breathing heavy and sounding drunk as well. And that these guys aren't going to just go away, and eventually will just bust down the door.

As soon as Dwight hides in the bathroom, we hear the door opened and then a scream. Now that this guy is on the inside of the apartment his acting whipped is over. He wastes no time threatening and roughing up his 'girlfriend'. He wants her to arrange some company with his friends while he takes a leak. Dwight surprises him in the bathroom, dunking his head in the toilet before leaving through the window. The guy, too embarrassed to say what happened, tells his posse that it is time to go. Off they head to old town, which is the seediest part of Sin City where even cops won't enter. They could only be going for one thing, the hookers, and Dwight is worried about what these guys might do to women in their angered and drunk condition. Dwight follows thinking those guys are going to cause trouble with his friends there.

Once the men get to old town, we see that they are trying to convince a street walker into their car with them. We also see that they are being watched from the rooftops by Miho, a hooker who is also a deadly ninja. All the women are armed and can handle themselves, but we met Miho in "The Dame Wore Red", and she is a killer extrordinaire. As Dwight thinks he should stop this without any killing, he is told by one of the other hookers to stand back and let the woman of old town do what they do to guys looking for trouble in their neighborhood.

This is just part one of five!

Well, it turns out that the old town ninja guardian wants some practice, so she enjoys herself handling the five tough troublemakers. All the hookers are armed, and work as a team when trouble comes into town. Miho handles the situation in a very bloody manner. The problem is, it turns out the gentleman leading the men is a cop! And a decorated one as well.

This changes everything. A dead cop might mean the truce between the corrupt police force and the organized hookers is over. Now the fear is that the cops won't let the hookers run things their own way. This means the mob, which has always wanted to control the business, will have the ability to move in.

This is where the story becomes a thriller. Now they have to get rid of the bodies, and fast. Other cops saw the guys going into old town. Shortly, the mob has been alerted by a stoolie as to what happened, and that with the cop's body, they can own this business too.

The rest of the story involves some close calls with hiding the dead body, an assault by a mercenary team, and an eventual showdown between mobsters and hookers. This is rough stuff. Very mature, and very violent.

This is not Miller's finest black and white artwork, coming only shortly after "Sin City" and well before "Hell & Back". But there is some of his best work in the middle chapters, where Miller draws giant phony dinosaurs, at a tar pit exhibit, at night, during a raining thunderstorm. The lighting and atmosphere could never be as strong with color. Miller's editing works especially well with the lightning.

As far as the pacing and layout goes, Miller especially seems to enjoy shocking us. Every time a new scene is introduced, it is always in the middle of an action. There are a dozen major scenes here, and every time one starts, I can't help but feel that we have come just a little late to get what is going on. This works wonderfully, making us as tense as all the people in the story.

There are also some moments that are very reminiscent of Miller's work, both previous and forth coming from the time he wrote this. I am clearly reminded of the 2nd issue of "The Dark Knight Returns", where a character discusses how a certain level of specified violence is required to make sure that the message made is clear, and to keep further things from happening again. Also, a section of this story mentions the tale of the 300 Spartans, when planning an attack. Miller later wrote an adaptation of this Spartan story. I have reviewed both of these tales elsewhere on Epinions.

This story isn't as meaningful to the world of comics as is much of Miller's other work, but this is pure Miller, from start to finish. The women are stronger than any found in a James Cameron film. The characters are memorable, and live through their actions.

And as a final warning: The noir setting here is rougher than the people who coined that phrase ever thought it could be.


Recommended: Yes