World Famous Comics: Hell and Back (Sin City, Book 7: Second Edition)
Hell and Back (Sin City, Book 7: Second Edition)
By: Frank Miller Publisher: Dark Horse Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Dark Horse Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 320 Publication Date: April 20, 2005
Amazon.com: Can anything be darker than noir? Try Frank Miller's Sin City series. The tasty Hell and Back features Wallace, a brooding artist with a decided talent for hurting people, and Esther, a stunningly beautiful actress accidentally mixed up in a slavery ring that extends far and deep enough to transcend the word conspiracy. The tale twists, turns, and backtracks, teasing the reader with hints of terror to come--until the explosive climax. Miller's art is exactly right for his words; he uses more black than white, and color only when appropriate. The chapter dealing with Wallace's drug hallucinations is beautiful, heartbreaking, and terrifying in turn. Readers interested in the human dark side should find out what fans of Sin City already know: Frank Miller has seen it and wants to share. --Rob Lightner
Product Description: In the Town Without Pity, good men are hard to find. Enter Wallace, a man of mystery. He's a nice guy who's very good at killing people. Out for an evening drive along the beach, he meets the woman of his dreams - and she's trying to kill herself. Why? And who are the shadowy cabal of power brokers who wrench her from his arms? When will all hell break loose? Comics legend Frank Miller, creator of the groundbreaking Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, pounds out his longest Sin City graphic novel to date - a bare-knuckle barrage of brutal action, dark secrets, and heroic sacrifice. What the hell - it's a love story! The most recent story in Miller's gritty crime saga, Hell and Back includes color sections and pinups by a who's who of comics luminaries.
The "odd" one This doesn't seem to integrate as nicely as the others. It starts slow but picks up the pace about 1/3 in. Still a great Sin City tale.
Strong end to a great series Sin City was a little weak in the middle, especially in Book 6, but with this volume Frank Miller finishes with a bang. The art is wonderful and the story intrigued me. There were also hilarious images referencing other famous comics in a scene in the middle of the book that made me laugh out loud. "Give 'em hell, boy!"
Graphic SF Reader A new character is introduced here. Wallace is a struggling artist, just trying to get along. He rescues a woman, and gets into a whole lot of trouble for it.
Finding himself in the middle of a conspiracy, his high level of talent at the killing thing holds him in good stead, as does his Vietnam war background.
Wonderful conclusion to a great series. Frank Miller's Sin City is always full of surprises, with its gritty dialogue and creative/graphic violence. Book 7 of 7, Hell & Back is a love story. This book is quite different then the others, some color is shown and you'll see what I mean if you read it. I hope you enjoy this book!
Neither a Bang Nor a Whimper The final book in the Sin City series, HELL AND BACK is a solid conclusion that neither reaches the heights of some of the earlier books though, thankfully, also does not reach some of the low points we have seen. Any reader who makes it through everything will not be disappointed.
HELL AND BACK's main character is new to the Sin City collection. Wallace is a war vet with fighting skills that rival those of Marv. Like Marv, he is motivated by an altruisitic, indeed tender, concern for others that he deems worthy of his troubles. The girl he just meets and saves, Esther, is worthy enough. When Esther is kidnapped, Wallace kills about...oh, exact numbers are hard to come by, but an awful lot of scum bags to get her back.
We once again encounter Delia, the beautiful yet deadly assassin introduced in Book 6, BOOZE, BROADS & BULLETS and we get a better understanding of exactly what kind of organization she works for. Let us just say, not many people will be busted up over the pile of bodies left in Wallace's wake. I do not know if there are any plans to make this book into a Sin City movie, but if there are, some of the more tender-hearted may experience some sleeping problems after seeing it.
Given that HELL AND BACK introduces new and interesting characters, it is hard to complain that the book is considerably bigger than the others in the series. (Who would do so anyway?) If Frank Miller ever writes more of these stories, picking up right here would be a-ok.