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62nd out of 67 books
—
36 voters
Torso
Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spider-Man, Alias, Powers) teams up with Mark Andreyko to bring the story of a legendary crime fighter, a city gripped in fear, and a series of all-too-real murders to life.Based on actual events, this tale chronicles the notorious "torso" murders that took place in Cleveland during the Great Depression. As Public Safety Director, Eliot Ness...more
Paperback, 280 pages
Published
February 1st 2001
by Image Comics
(first published 2000)
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Jun 18, 2012
Dave
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fans of Bendis, fans of serial-killer stories, fans of detective stories and period pieces
Torso is a very cool black and white period piece about real life murders that happened in Cleveland, Ohio in the mid 1930's. the "Torso Killer" decapitated people and threw their body parts around Cleveland for people to stumble upon. Since this actually happened, we get the the semi-fictional story as it centers around the main protagonist, the famous Eliot Ness... a few years after his escapades in Chicago with the Untouchables, taking down Al Capone and crew. Ness is now a household name, an...more
Reason for Reading: I was posting my review for "Green River Killer" on one of my book sites and this was recommended for me. I immediately knew I had to read it.
I'm pretty savvy in this field but admit I didn't know anything about this case. I've heard the moniker "The Torso Killer" before but knew nothing of the details. Billed here as America's first serial killer, that is pure hype. The Torso Killer went on his spree in the mid-1930s and I can think of at least one earlier American serial k...more
I'm pretty savvy in this field but admit I didn't know anything about this case. I've heard the moniker "The Torso Killer" before but knew nothing of the details. Billed here as America's first serial killer, that is pure hype. The Torso Killer went on his spree in the mid-1930s and I can think of at least one earlier American serial k...more
Torso is the true story of the Torso killer of the 30's. It features the famous Eliot Ness, who had just taken down Capone so the public eye was really on him.
It's hard to talk about Torso without mentioning Alan Moore's From Hell. From Hell is the well researched trues story of Jack the Ripper. Torso would be what would happen if Brian Michael Bendis attempted it.
This isn't a story just about the serial killer. Mostly through the eyes of Ness, this story follows his struggles to get the publi...more
It's hard to talk about Torso without mentioning Alan Moore's From Hell. From Hell is the well researched trues story of Jack the Ripper. Torso would be what would happen if Brian Michael Bendis attempted it.
This isn't a story just about the serial killer. Mostly through the eyes of Ness, this story follows his struggles to get the publi...more
I went into this serial killer mystery in hope of enjoying a grand retelling of the Cleveland Torso killer. The graphic novel is a whirlwind of Eliot Ness arrival to Cleveland coinciding the serial murders of vagabonds residing in the makeshift shantytowns.
When Hollywood and greater Los Angeles were riveted and terrified of the Black Dahlia murder there was an even crazier killer on the loose in Cleveland. Bendis paces the graphic novel that rivals any nighttime tv syndicate show, but his well r...more
When Hollywood and greater Los Angeles were riveted and terrified of the Black Dahlia murder there was an even crazier killer on the loose in Cleveland. Bendis paces the graphic novel that rivals any nighttime tv syndicate show, but his well r...more
Wow.
I first heard about this book by reading Bendis' "Fortune and Glory," his autobiographical story about his attempts to turn his comics projects into films. His description of this true-crime tale about Eliot Ness and America's first serial killer in 1930s Cleveland piqued my interest, but I couldn't seem to find the book anywhere. In the meantime, I read his Goldfish, which had similar art and a similarly gritty (though fictional) story; it was good enough, but not really my thing.
This, thou...more
I first heard about this book by reading Bendis' "Fortune and Glory," his autobiographical story about his attempts to turn his comics projects into films. His description of this true-crime tale about Eliot Ness and America's first serial killer in 1930s Cleveland piqued my interest, but I couldn't seem to find the book anywhere. In the meantime, I read his Goldfish, which had similar art and a similarly gritty (though fictional) story; it was good enough, but not really my thing.
This, thou...more
view all 4 comments
I've only ever read one other Bendis book, and that was the first of the Powers series (vol 1, Who Killed Retro Girl?). I liked the writing in Powers, but not enough to buy vol 2, so I figured I'd give Torso a shot since it is a.) dark noir, b.) true crime and c.) was illustrated very interestingly.
I didn't think it was the best true crime, or the best graphic novel ever written but it was certainly very gripping and had me stationed on the couch for nearly an entire Saturday. I even took it to...more
I didn't think it was the best true crime, or the best graphic novel ever written but it was certainly very gripping and had me stationed on the couch for nearly an entire Saturday. I even took it to...more
In the comics/graphic medium that I love so much, I have always said that good art can save bad writing but bad art can ruin good writing,...well here is the exception. The art is not that bad to be fair,... in terms of pacing, layout ancdcomposition it is really pretty good for black and white, but one can see that it is just not masterful, what with so many really gifted artists out there, so when I first looked at the book flipping through the pages and seeing the art,.. I groaned, ...but it...more
For my money, this is the best Bendis ever did, back when he was still writing and illustrating his stuff. Sure, he's got an assist from Marc Andreyko, but there's no mistaking this is Bendis' baby.
While his characterisation is a bit thin, and he probably plays a bit fast-and-loose with the facts, AND the book sorely needs a better edit, this is still an engrossing and entertaining 'true crime' type of story. The 40s-era lingo gets a bit overused for my belief, but most times it's the only thing...more
While his characterisation is a bit thin, and he probably plays a bit fast-and-loose with the facts, AND the book sorely needs a better edit, this is still an engrossing and entertaining 'true crime' type of story. The 40s-era lingo gets a bit overused for my belief, but most times it's the only thing...more
As a graphic novel, Torso is an engaging and well-written story whose illustrations contribute strongly to its 1930s-noir tone. As a work of historical fiction, it contains some distracting anachronisms and inexplicable changes, though many of these are only apparent when the reader is already familiar with the story that it is based on. In particular, Eliot Ness’s relationships with several Cleveland politicians, including U.S. Rep. Martin L. Sweeney, whose cousin was and remains the lead suspe...more
"So first the good."
"The good?"
"Yeah, the good. The book certainly has some decent artistic choices: the art style is appropriately stark and moody, and the use of actual photos and news clippings from the crime ups it as well. Unfortunately, the artistic choices is also one of the problems."
"What do you mean it's a strong point and one of the problems?"
"Well, you know the comic Red Meat?"
"The clip-art one?"
"Yeah, the clip-art one. A lot of the book is like that: making use of a small handful of...more
"The good?"
"Yeah, the good. The book certainly has some decent artistic choices: the art style is appropriately stark and moody, and the use of actual photos and news clippings from the crime ups it as well. Unfortunately, the artistic choices is also one of the problems."
"What do you mean it's a strong point and one of the problems?"
"Well, you know the comic Red Meat?"
"The clip-art one?"
"Yeah, the clip-art one. A lot of the book is like that: making use of a small handful of...more
Wow, an absolutely stunning and disturbing graphic novel. I can't believe that Image has let this one go out of print because it is one of the best GNs I've read (and I read a lot). There is a lot of appeal here - for horror fans, true crime fans, indie GN fans, and mystery fans. Its an excellent book.
The art is very stark, but it really enhances the horror of random body parts showing up along the lake area. I found the story itself to be completely gripping and page turning, and I found mysel...more
The art is very stark, but it really enhances the horror of random body parts showing up along the lake area. I found the story itself to be completely gripping and page turning, and I found mysel...more
Very interesting and exciting book that I blazed through in one night. I couldn't put the book down and was floored throughout. Then I started to look into the case and all the pleasure I had swept away. Basically Bendis took the basic outline of the Torso Murders and decided it wasn't interesting enough so he invented characters, re-wrote real people, and then gave it a bullshit Hollywood ending that never even remotely happened in real life.
All of this wouldn't be so bad had the cover and the...more
All of this wouldn't be so bad had the cover and the...more
I think my expectations were a little too high for this true crime graphic novel - I was hoping for something along the lines of Alan Moore's classic Jack the Ripper tale "From Hell" (I sense a re-read of that one coming up). Here, the plot centres around a post "Untouchables" Elliot Ness hunting down a serial killer in mid-1930s era Cleveland. An intriging premise and some interesting period details couldn't save the book for me, though. Ultimately, the story just felt a little light and incons...more
Excelente graphic novel!
A mistura entre os desenhos e as fotos de época ficaram muito boas, combinando perfeitamente com a história. O estilo de narração e os desenhos também são únicos, criando uma atmosfera bem peculiar para a novel.
Cito o prefácio do Greg Rucka, sobre o estilo da novel: "Bendis and Andreyko do you what only the best writers can give you a story without spending words; they let the silences speaks for themselves. Creating characters in small moments, and making the moments ech...more
A mistura entre os desenhos e as fotos de época ficaram muito boas, combinando perfeitamente com a história. O estilo de narração e os desenhos também são únicos, criando uma atmosfera bem peculiar para a novel.
Cito o prefácio do Greg Rucka, sobre o estilo da novel: "Bendis and Andreyko do you what only the best writers can give you a story without spending words; they let the silences speaks for themselves. Creating characters in small moments, and making the moments ech...more
This is a true crime story fashioned beautifully by Bendis and artfully designed by Andreyko. In the art we get the noir black and white feel but also some hipper conceptualization. I liked the use of the dialogue balloons to reflect pacing... It is, as with Jack the Ripper tales, not completely satisfying because the killers in these tales went free, but as with Alan Moore's Ripper version, Bendis and Andreyko DO have a theory they put forth. The story feels a little sketchy in places, but it i...more
Whoadang! So, I ordered this from the library solely b/c it was by Brian Michael Bendis and having no idea that it was about . . . The Torso Killer! I don't usually don't go in for true crime stuff but this was all kinds of freaky awesome *plus* super cool Cleveland history. Most exciting thing I've picked up in a minute. Go read it!
Oh, also if you're at all in to abnormal psych / mind of the psychopath type stuff, Bendis absolutely nailed it- this is a must-read for you.
P.S. If you liked this,...more
Oh, also if you're at all in to abnormal psych / mind of the psychopath type stuff, Bendis absolutely nailed it- this is a must-read for you.
P.S. If you liked this,...more
The shabby art makes it hard to get into this account of the Cleveland Torso Murderer. Men's faces are hard to distinguish from one another, copy-pasting is rampant, and the use of actual photographs as backgrounds simply looks cheap. The story seems almost rushed. With a better illustrator and a longer run I think Torso could have really been something.
It's definitely no From Hell.
Edit: It lost a star for the terrible quality of the binding. My copy fell apart during the first reading.
It's definitely no From Hell.
Edit: It lost a star for the terrible quality of the binding. My copy fell apart during the first reading.
Dec 19, 2012
Ann Koo
added it
This graphic novel does a very dark and gritty approach into Ness's career after the events as portrayed in the movie, "The Untouchables." Not only did I not realize that he dealt with serial murders, but that it tanked his career. The subject matter is at times dealt with explicitly, but when it comes to setting the atmosphere and the hard cold era of that time - and the fact that it's a string of unsolved murders - it's necessary. The addition of the photographs from that case are particularly...more
Feb 13, 2010
Andrew
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
adult readers who like crime stories
Shelves:
graphic-novels-comic-books
Great read. I really enjoyed the gritty/noir vibe. The inclusion of real photos from the crime scenes was a great idea. And the dynamic use of dialogue balloons was really effective. This book is different. This book should be read by anyone who likes gritty crime novels.
The discussion about homosexuality by the two detectives was the one part of the book that felt really contrived. Their conversation was a modern one placed in the past. It not only felt unrealistic, but it was non-essential to...more
The discussion about homosexuality by the two detectives was the one part of the book that felt really contrived. Their conversation was a modern one placed in the past. It not only felt unrealistic, but it was non-essential to...more
Feb 08, 2013
Zedsdead
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommended to Zedsdead by:
Jennifer at 21st Century in E Lansing
Shelves:
graphic-novels
After his adventures with Al Capone, Eliot Ness is hired by the city of Cleveland to clean up the corrupt police department but winds up contending with a deranged serial killer.
Excellent tale, apparently based on a true story. Andreyko's black and white art rocks but is sometimes hard to follow. He uses Powers-style panel gymnastics and occasionally includes what appear to be actual photographs from the Depression-era Torso case.
The dialogue and characters come across as authentic and the stor...more
Excellent tale, apparently based on a true story. Andreyko's black and white art rocks but is sometimes hard to follow. He uses Powers-style panel gymnastics and occasionally includes what appear to be actual photographs from the Depression-era Torso case.
The dialogue and characters come across as authentic and the stor...more
This chilling, noir-inflected true American crime tale concerning Cleveland's so-called "Torso Murders" (because that's usually what was found) is presented here in gritty art crafted with black and white graphics, infused with actual crime scene photos in a simple layout and is almost on par with From Hell as far as "true crime" graphic novel story-telling goes.
For those who are unaware of what happened with Eliot Ness's career after Al Capone, Torso tells the story of the incredibly shocking a...more
Along with Frank Miller and David Lapham, Bendis spearheaded the crime comics movement of the 90s. Throughout the decade, he wrote and illustrated several now-classic thrillers including
Jinx
,
A.K.A. Goldfish
, and Torso. Based on the real life "Torso Murderer," a serial killer who terrorized Cleveland from 1934 to 1938, Torso unveils the last case of the post-Untouchables Elliot Ness. Bendis and co-writer Andreyko effectively convey the fear, frustrations, and chaos surrounding the notoriously...more
Brian Michael Bendis and Marc Andreyko, Torso (Image Entertainment, 1997)
Sometimes it seems like every city wants to claim a serial killer. Look at the number of municipalities who seem almost proud that Jeffrey Dahmer spent a portion of his upbringing in them; Akron, Ohio, just down the road from me, is one of them. A little closer to home and a little farther away in time, though, Cleveland was the home (and may still be...) of one of the most notorious serial killers active in the first half...more
Sometimes it seems like every city wants to claim a serial killer. Look at the number of municipalities who seem almost proud that Jeffrey Dahmer spent a portion of his upbringing in them; Akron, Ohio, just down the road from me, is one of them. A little closer to home and a little farther away in time, though, Cleveland was the home (and may still be...) of one of the most notorious serial killers active in the first half...more
The writing here is great, and delivers the gawking creepiness that the crimes deserve, but the art lacks motion. It's over-noired and put me in mind of Red Meat and the stock poses given to Space Ghost and friends on their tv shows (they had a certain repetoire). The gay thing seemed shoehorned in... and don't get me started on the typos - for example, hold for holed, and I think there was a wrong version of you're.
But if you're a fan of true crime, these things can be overlooked.
But if you're a fan of true crime, these things can be overlooked.
I enjoy the true crime view. I also enjoyed the use of actual photos incorporated into the book. I didn't like the artist. I couldn't keep track of who was who. The best part is in the later half of the book when the artist player more with the layout. The interrogation scene with the serial killer was fun to read for this reason. I like the vertical layout of the page and the 2-pager with the dialogue written like a play. Otherwise the art was too dark and murky.
Apparently, I just can't stop reading graphic novels. This one is a true crime story about the Cleveland Torso Murderer. Brilliantly written and executed. Unlike Azzarello's 100 Bullets: Vol. 1, I found the period dialogue endearing rather than off-putting.
While this was good, I wouldn't say this is stellar. In going for the dark noir vibe, Bendis seems to lose the narrative. This bounces back between a couple of protagonists in a way that's not very satisfying. Still, this was interesting enough to keep me reading. If I were looking for an intelligent fictionalization of a serial killer, I would look no further than to Alan Moore's From Hell, which is brilliant.
Aug 02, 2011
Cem
added it
This is an incredible piece of work. A truly wholesome graphic novel, from plot to lettering... Every element fits in with the overall spirit, the art holds the heart in a palm, the speech bubbles are placed so well that they guide one through the reading as well as provide the prose; the story is immaculately done. The fact that it was an actual occurence makes it even more effective...
Reprints Jinx: Torso #1-6. Eliot Ness leaves Chicago for Cleveland to clean up the crime and encounters a serial killer that threatens to destroy his name and career. Torso is an interesting graphic novel in that Bendis makes a good historical fiction case for the identity of the Torso while telling the compelling story of the destruction of an icon.
Give it a 2 for 2 reasons: 1.) the spine came unglued halfway through the book and hung by one piece at the top like a painful hang nail, and 2.) the recycled art throughout threw me off, not to mention I never really knew who was talking because the faces were never consistent. Oh, well. It was entertaining. It would make a better low-budget movie.
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A comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim (including five Eisner Awards) and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics. For over eight years Bendis’s books have consistently sat in the top five best sellers on the nationwide comic and graphic novel sales charts.
Though he started as a writer and artist of independent noir fiction series, he shot...more
More about Brian Michael Bendis...
Though he started as a writer and artist of independent noir fiction series, he shot...more
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