Category: Crime

Crime Comics: What are the All-Time Most Influential?

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Following up on yesterday’s list of 10 Essential Films from the American Neo-Noir Movement, it isn’t much of a stretch to turn our spotlight on crime comics.  Richard Keller at CBR compiled his list of The Most Influential Crime Comics Of All Time.  Keller’s list is a good one.  Before you click over, here are my thoughts on his selections and a few not on his list that are favorites of mine…

Dick Tracy:  As a kid I read Dick Tracy comic strips off and on.  As an adult I’ve read some Dick Tracy comics (notably those by Kyle Baker and Michael Avon Oeming), but Dick Tracy has never been a character I’ve held dear.  I wouldn’t mind someday reading some of the old Dick Tracy comic strips.

The Spirit:  Will Eisner’s The Spirit is considered one of the classic comics by nearly everyone.  Eisner’s work on The Spirit is cited as an influence by many, many great artists.  I’ve read and enjoyed a cross-section of The Spirit comics, but not nearly enough.  I need to remedy that. (Oh, and if all you know about Will Eisner’s The Spirit is the movie… you don’t know The Spirit.)

Crime Does Not Pay:  I’ve never read any of these comics as they were well before my time.  Perhaps I should try to find reprints.

True Crime Comics: Like Crime Does Not Pay, these comics were before my time and I’ve never read any.

Crime SuspenStories: Although also well before my time, I would like to read these EC comics.  I’ve toyed with getting the reprints but have never, uh, pulled the trigger.  I should.

Sin City: As most of you probably know, Frank Miller’s Sin City comics are my favorite series of all-time.  If you like film noir, Mickey Spillane, tough mugs and sexy dames, then these are the comic yarns for you!

Sam & Twitch:  I’ve never read any Sam & Twitch comics.  Reading Keller’s write-up, I need to change that. 

100 Bullets:  A classic crime comic where the story was a great as the art.  I loved that it was always scheduled for 100 issues and when the story was told, the comic ended… at 100 issues.

Powers:  Where the focus is on the cops in a world of super-heroes.  I’m a fan.

Stumptown:  I haven’t read the comics.  That needs to change.

Keller’s list provided me with some crime comics I need to track down.  Here are a few I’d recommend that didn’t make his list…

The Black Terror, Seduction of Deceit written by Charles Smith, Beau Dixon, with art by Daniel Brereton.  If you liked The Godfather and the tv series Wiseguy then this is for you!

Scalped written by Jason Aaron and illustrated by R. M. Guéra,  Scalped is a modern day western where organized crime has moved onto a fictional Indian Reservation.  

Gravedigger written by Christopher Mills with art by Rick Burchett.  Sadly there are only two Gravedigger tales, but they should be in every crime comic fan’s collection.  The stories are collected in the trade Gravedigger: Hot Women and Cold Cash.  

The Best American Neo-Noir Films!

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Swapnil Dhruv Bose put together a list of 10 Essential Films from the American Neo-Noir Movement.  The list is a good one.  Here are my thoughts on each of the films and a few others that would have made my list…

Point Blank (John Boorman – 1967):  I’m a Lee Marvin fan and I’ve liked Point Blank more with each viewing.  

The Long Goodbye (Robert Altman – 1973): While I’m a Raymond Chandler fan, I didn’t like this adaption of his novel. Part of the problem was that I didn’t think Elliot Gould was a good choice to play Chandler.  

Chinatown (Roman Polanski – 1974): Chinatown is a classic.

The Conversation (Francis Ford Coppola – I’ve never watched The Conversation which is a surprise even to me because it is held in such high regard and I’m a Coppola fan. Perhaps this will be the year I watch it.

Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese – 1976): I like Scorsese. I like Deniro. I didn’t like Taxi Driver. I thought it was slow and excessively violent. Perhaps another viewing is in order.

Blade Runner (Ridley Scott – 1982): I’ve enjoyed every version of Blade Runner. (Although I wasn’t a huge fan of the sequel.)

Blue Velvet (David Lynch – 1986): I didn’t care for Blue Velvet.

Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino – 1994): I loved Pulp Fiction. It remains one of Tarantino’s best films.

L.A. Confidential (Curtis Hanson – 1997): L.A. Confidential is perhaps the best film on this list. I love it.

The Big Lebowski (Coen Brothers – 1998): I’ve never seen it. I know, I know. I need to fix that.

Films that would have made my neo-noir list:

The Killers (1964 – Don Siegel)

Sin City (2005 – Robert Rodriguez & Frank Miller)

Blood Simple (1984 – Cohen Brothers)

Seven (1995 – David Fincher)

John Wick (2014 – Chad Stahelski, David Leitch)

Heat (1995 – Michael Mann)

Thief (1981 – Michael Mann)

“Indemnity” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I like both the poster and trailer for Indemnity which looks like a fun movie to catch on streaming.

First Trailer for Travis Taute’s (Netflix’s BLOOD & WATER) feature debut INDEMNITY. South African action thriller to World Premiere as part of the Fantasia International Film Festival on August 11, 2021.

Starring SAFTA-award winner Jarrid Geduld (ELLEN: DIE STORIE VAN ELLEN PAKKIES), Nicole Fortuin (FLATLAND), Andre Jacobs (BLACK VENUS), Gail Mabalane (BLOOD & WATER), and Tshamano Sebe (THE SOUL COLLECTOR). The film is produced by Bradley Joshua and Benjamin Overmeyer for Gambit Films.

“Echoes of Violence” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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I like the trailer for Echoes of Violence more than the poster which is more interesting without the photos of the stars at the top.  I’m not 100% sold, but will be on the lookout for more info about the film.

“Echoes of Violence” tells the story of Marakya, found bloody in the Sedona deserts by real-estate agent Alex, and their journey to Los Angeles to find those who have recently wronged her. Alex agrees to help Marakya leave Sedona quickly as they are pursued by the man hired to kill her, Kellin. Kellin, an ex-marine turned driver for a dangerous sex trafficker masked as an immigration lawyer, Anthony, needs money to save his ailing father. To get the money needed for his father Kellin agrees to take a young girl who has been causing Anthony trouble to the desert and kill her. Marakya escapes, and travels back to Los Angeles to kill Anthony so she can be free, once and for all.

DIRECTED BY Nicholas Woods
STARRING Michaella Russell, Sam Anderson, Frank Oz, Heston Horwin, Chase Cargill

“The Gate Way” Starring Shea Whigham, Olivia Munn, Frank Grillo & Bruce Dern – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The Gateway looks good!  While the poster mostly goes with the big photoshopped heads of the stars, it does have a lower half of art.  The real joy though is the trailer.  It features a compelling story and what a cast!  Deal me in.

Shea Whigham (American Hustle), Olivia Munn (X-Men: Apocalypse) and Frank Grillo (The Grey) star in this edge of your seat, gritty crime thriller. Whigham is Parker, a down on his luck social worker who finds himself in over his head when he tries to protect his client from her recently paroled husband. Can Parker save the family from the violent threat of the maniacal drug dealer and his crew, desperate to reclaim their priceless stash at any cost?

THE GATEWAY – In select theaters September 3rd and on Blu-ray/DVD September 7th- Shea Whigham (Parker), Olivia Munn (Dahlia), Taryn Manning (Corey), Mark Boone Junior (Gary), Taegen Burns (Ashley) with Frank Grillo (Duke) and Bruce Dern (Marcus).

“Untold” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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The poster for Untold is okay, but the trailer makes me want to learn the rest of the stories.  Deal me in.

From the creators of WILD WILD COUNTRY, comes a five-part sports docuseries event that brings fresh eyes to some of the greatest stories in sports. From tennis to boxing to basketball, these stories aren’t the ones you’ve heard before, even if you think you have.

“The Card Counter” Written/Directed by Paul Schrader; Starring Oscar Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan and Willem Dafoe – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Wow!  I love the poster and trailer for The Card Counter.  Written and directed by Paul Schrader it stars Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan and Willem Dafoe.  Deal me in!

Redemption is the long game in Paul Schrader’s THE CARD COUNTER. Told with Schrader’s trademark cinematic intensity, the revenge thriller tells the story of an ex-military interrogator turned gambler haunted by the ghosts of his past decisions, and features riveting performances from stars Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan and Willem Dafoe.

Reckless: Destroy All Monsters by Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips Now Available for Pre-order.

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The next graphic novel in Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ Reckless series. Destroy All Monsters, is now available for pre-order.

Bestselling crime noir masters Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips bring us a new original graphic novel starring troublemaker-for-hire Ethan Reckless.

It’s 1988 and Ethan has been hired for his strangest case yet: finding the secrets of a Los Angeles real estate mogul. How hard could that be, right? Only what starts as a deep dive into the life of a stranger will soon take a deadly turn, and find Ethan risking everything that still matters to him.

Another smash hit from the award-winning creators of RECKLESS, PULP, MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN JUNKIES, CRIMINAL, and KILL OR BE KILLED — and a must-have for all Brubaker and Phillips fans!

I can’t wait to get my mitts on it.

“Army of Thieves” – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Here are the poster and trailer to Army of Thieves.  I look at the poster as more of a teaser.  The tagline More Safes Less Zombies is cute.  The trailer is pretty good and makes me want to see more.

I’m a huge fan of Army of the Dead and look forward to the animated prequel more than this movie, but I do want to see Army of Thieves.  It is interesting that Army of the Dead was a horror/zombie film while Army of Thieves is a heist movie.  Has there ever been movie sequels/prequels in different genres that carried over one character to both?

In this prequel to Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead, small-town bank teller Dieter gets drawn into the adventure of a lifetime when a mysterious woman recruits him to join a crew of Interpol’s most wanted criminals, attempting to heist a sequence of legendary, impossible-to-crack safes across Europe.

Top 10 Hitmen from Movies, Novels & Comics!

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I was reading a discussion between Andy Rausch and Michael Gonzales titled HOW TO WRITE A MEMORABLE HIT MAN: A CONVERSATION AMONG CONNOISSEURS.  If you’re a crime fiction fan, especially the sub genre of hitmen, then you’d enjoy the post by Michael Gonzales.

At the end of the article Gonzales listed his Top Ten Hitman List from popular culture.  It’s a good list, so I decided to come up with one of my own (listed in alphabetical order):

  1. Arthur Bishop played by Charles Bronson in The Mechanic
  2. Jackie Coogan played by Brad Pitt in Killing Them Softly
  3. John Rain written by Barry Eisler from his Hitman Series
  4. John Wick played by Keanu Reeves in the John Wick movies
  5. Keller written by Lawrence Block from his Hitman Series
  6. Leon played by Jean Reno in Leon aka The Professional
  7. Luca Torelli from the Torpedo Graphic Novels written by Enrique Sánchez Abulí and drawn by Jordi Bernet
  8. Michael Sullivan played by Tom Hanks in Road to Perdition based on the graphic novel written by Max Allan Collins and drawn by Richard Piers Rayner
  9. Robert Rath played by Sly Stallone in Assassins
  10. Vincent played by Tom Cruise in Collateral

“Way of the Gun” – Any fans of this film? I am!

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This alt movie poster for Way of the Gun by Derek Zimmerman got me thinking about the movie.  I’m a big fan of it, yet Way of the Gun isn’t a movie you often hear discussed.  That’s a shame.

Way of the Gun was written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie lately best known for writing and directing the Mission Impossible mega-hits.  When Way of the Gun came out McQuarrie was best known as the writer of The Usual Suspects and that was enough to get me in the theater.  I wasn’t disappointed.

Way of the Gun also contains a amazing cast: Ryan Phillippe, Benico Del Toro, Juliette Lewis, Taye Diggs, Nicky Katt, Geoffrey Lewis, Scott Wilson, James Caan and Sarah Silverman.  

Here’s the synopsis:

Two criminal drifters without sympathy get more than they bargained for after kidnapping and holding for ransom the surrogate mother of a powerful and shady man.

I think perhaps the opening turned off some folks and they didn’t finish the movie.  I’ve watched Way of the Gun more than a couple of times and enjoyed it more with each revisit.  Perhaps it’s time for another viewing.

Charles Bronson is “The Mechanic” in Nikos Bogris’ Poster!

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I really like this poster for Charles Bronson in The Mechanic.  The artist who created it is Nikos Bogris.  You can see more of his work here.  

The original movie poster had the tagline: “The call him the Mechanic.  He has 100 ways to kill… and they all work.”  Bogris left off the tagline, so his poster doesn’t really tell/show you that Bronson is a hit man.  For all we know he is a womanizing auto mechanic.  I still prefer Bogris’ poster to the original.  I hope you like it as well. 

“Naked Singularity” starring John Boyega and Olivia Cooke – The Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Finally a poster that uses art instead of photos!  I like it and the trailer for Naked Singularity starring John Boyega and Olivia Cooke.  Deal me in.

Naked Singularity tells the story of Casi (John Boyega), a promising young NYC public defender whose idealism is beginning to crack under the daily injustices of the very justice system he’s trying to make right. Doubting all he has worked for and seeing signs of the universe collapsing all around him, he is pulled into a dangerous high-stakes drug heist by an unpredictable former client (Olivia Cooke) in an effort to beat the broken system at its own game.

Jordan Harper Talks Shop and Welcomes You to the Hammer Party!

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Jordan Harper has worked as a journalist, rock critic and television writer.  He was a writer on Gotham and the lead writer on The Mentalist.  Harper also writes crime fiction.

His crime novel She Rides Shotgun won multiple awards including being named the 2018 Edgar Award Winner for Best Debut Novel.  She Rides Shotgun gets my highest recommendation as well.  If you like crime fiction, then you owe it to yourself to take a look.

Eli Cranor interviewed Jordan Harper and it is well worth a read.  Hats off to Cranor for a fun, insightful interview.

Jordan Harper has a newsletter and occasionally posts on Twitter.