A gritty, graphic pulp fiction about the temptation, damnation and redemption of Frank Grissel, an aging, hard-knuckled private eye--and a deeply c...
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reviews
Oct 18, 2010
Xxenvyxx
rated it: 
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Aug 30, 2010
Dave M.
rated it: 
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Oct 08, 2010
Tim
rated it:
This was an interesting graphic novel that takes the hard-boiled private eye story and moves it into some interesting and unexplored territory. Frank Grissel is a PI in San Francisco in the early 1950's. He hits all of the usual genre markers: he's a womanizer, habitual drinker, and has disrespect for authority figures, but there's a twist that separates Grissel from the normal PI, he's attracted to men and women, living with his female secretary while at the same time prowling for men in the ci
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Sep 26, 2010
Erik
rated it: 
Gabrych takes a cue from Raymond Chandler’s Phillip Marlowe and the City of Angels and spins a San Francisco version centered on the hard-boiled private dick Frank Grissel. As in all things crime noir, he includes many of the classic archetypes in the genre: the femme fatale, the corrupt businessman with a secret life, and plenty of sexual tension. However, Gabrych delivers some surprising twists that made this better than I originally thought. (And I admit that I thought it painfully derivative
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Nov 05, 2011
Matimate
rated it:
I am very fond of the hard-boiled detectives and stories with interesting twists. This particular one has all the story which is as slimy as spit on snail and the typical macho detective who has more issues then lady Diana. Frank Grissel is a PI in San Francisco in the early 1950's. He is typical PI of the genre (womanizer, habitual drinker, and has disrespect for authority figures) but there is something which did not fit the cliché and this is deeply closeted homosexual man with so many issues
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Sep 05, 2010
Sam
rated it:
Fogtown was an unusual read. While at a base level the book is a traditional noir-style detective story, the particulars of the book made it anything but "traditional." I can't say I've ever read a graphic novel quite like it.
The book is about a private detective in early 1950's San Francisco. What starts out as a story about a missing girl ends up being about much more. Money, drugs, human trafficking, homosexuality, religion, abandonment and more get thrown into this stra More...
The book is about a private detective in early 1950's San Francisco. What starts out as a story about a missing girl ends up being about much more. Money, drugs, human trafficking, homosexuality, religion, abandonment and more get thrown into this stra More...
Jan 19, 2011
Hippopottoman
rated it:
I was about 140 pages in - probably would've been done in 15 minutes - and I realized that the book was too terrible to continue with. The pile of clichés studded with laughably bad "plot twists" had finally accumulated to the point where I was driven away. I might've been able to stand it if even one character had even one redeeming quality, or if the artwork wasn't horrible, but sadly 'twas not to be.
Nov 09, 2011
Kasandra
rated it:
The art's great, but the story is totally unbelievable, full of too many coincidences even for a crappy pulp novel, which is what this is. In addition, even though this is presented as a "classic" noiry type of private-dick story, the level of misogyny and homophobia evidenced here really turned me off. Disappointing.
Aug 22, 2010
Dan
rated it:
The art is fantastic and I like Gabrych's take on the noir genre generally. Overall, the story was not all that different than most of the other crime fictions books out there. The big reveal was interesting, but nothing that hasn't been done before. Another good book from Vertigo Crime, but not its top offering.
Dec 08, 2010
Scott
rated it:
Intresting story with great dialogue and good pacing. The unusual plot twist was interesting, but felt strange and out of place. Seemed more like an attempt at shock value and ended up being more of a distraction, than a complement to the plot. Because of this i would probably not recommend it to friends.
Feb 02, 2012
Tobin
rated it:
This was a VERY fast read. It was drowning in noir themes of the loser P.I. who was constantly running from his choices and therefore himself. I can't suggest spending the $20 on it unless you're one for offering $10,000 bets.
I gave it 6.5/10 on my personal scale.
-tpl
I gave it 6.5/10 on my personal scale.
-tpl
Feb 22, 2011
Christian
rated it:
Nice. This is hard-boiled crime, San Francisco 1952. A washed-up PI and his girlfriend/secretary, heading nowhere fast until a woman comes by the office looking for her daughter. But there's more than meets the eye to Frank Grissel. An exciting thriller with unexpected twists.
Aug 30, 2010
ingenue
rated it:
The dialogue is crap (calling prostitutes "prosties?"), but I was pleasantly surprised by the twists in this one. Fun cheesy noir with an interesting take on the stereotypes of the genre.
May 21, 2011
Steve
rated it:
Noir tale of a PIt in Sf in the 1950s. More than a little cliche in style and plot at times, but with enough twists in characterization that it works.
Nov 04, 2010
Craig
rated it: 
Yech--poor artwork, a truly sordid story. Vertigo Crime has been a really poor imprint on the whole, but this is easily the worst of the bunch.
Oct 29, 2010
Armando
rated it: 
This graphic novel is great, it is a mystery with a lot of twists. The illustrations are great the black and white add to the story.
Sep 30, 2010
Adam
rated it:
For the first half I was thinking "this ain't as bad as people were saying", but then it became a real mess of a story. No ones motivations made any sense.
Oct 10, 2010
reed
rated it:
I liked this noir - quite competent within the tropes of the genre and an added gay element was also well done.
Jan 17, 2012
Dec 24, 2011
Dec 22, 2011
