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Vertigo Crime
The Chill
2011 Anthony Award for Best Graphic Novel
A modern thriller set in New York City, THE CHILL is steeped in Irish mythology. A broken-down cop tracks a seductive killer who possesses the supernatural - and very deadly - power known as "The Chill." It's a power that provides her eternal life by absorbing the sexual energy of her victims. And he may be the next victim!
A modern thriller set in New York City, THE CHILL is steeped in Irish mythology. A broken-down cop tracks a seductive killer who possesses the supernatural - and very deadly - power known as "The Chill." It's a power that provides her eternal life by absorbing the sexual energy of her victims. And he may be the next victim!
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1998
1 person is currently reading
191 people want to read
About the author
Jason Starr
116 books244 followersJason Starr is the international bestselling author of many crime novels and thrillers, including Cold Caller, The Follower, The Pack and The Next Time I Die. He also writes comics for Marvel (Wolverine, The Punisher) and DC (Batman, The Avenger) and original graphic novels such as Red Border and Casual Fling. In addition, he writes film and TV tie-in novels including an official Ant-Man novel and the Gotham novels based on the hit TV show. His books have been published in sixteen languages and several of his novels are in development for film and TV. He has won the Anthony Award for mystery fiction twice, as well as a Barry Award. Starr lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
September 25, 2011
This is one of those comics that puts the ‘graphic’ in ‘graphic novel.
This hybrid of a crime and horror story features an Irish lass who uses sex to lead men to their doom. As a NYPD detective tries to make sense of the pile of body parts being found around the city, an old boyfriend of the Irish woman shows up with a bunch of crazy talk about connections to druid ritual sacrifices.
This was a solid piece of comic’s writing with some nice noir-ish black & white artwork. It could have used a little more work on the characters and explanation of the supernatural stuff. Overall, it was a fun tale with plenty of sex and violence. You know, for kids!
This hybrid of a crime and horror story features an Irish lass who uses sex to lead men to their doom. As a NYPD detective tries to make sense of the pile of body parts being found around the city, an old boyfriend of the Irish woman shows up with a bunch of crazy talk about connections to druid ritual sacrifices.
This was a solid piece of comic’s writing with some nice noir-ish black & white artwork. It could have used a little more work on the characters and explanation of the supernatural stuff. Overall, it was a fun tale with plenty of sex and violence. You know, for kids!
June 30, 2022
Did not enjoy this. The premise of the story sounded good from the back of the book but the execution was poor. Didn't like how the female characters were portrayed/treated. Characters were one dimensional and cliché. Just...there's gritty and then there's sexualised for the sake of it and this was the latter for me. Hated the end. Maybe this is a 1 star haha! Also, this book needs trigger warnings on the back. I picked this up at my local library and from the back I thought I was getting something WAY different. Not for me.
April 6, 2013
A fun and fast read. Expect violence and sex but it's tied into a tale relating to Celtic Mythology. Artwork was well done but it's in black and white for those who are turned off by such things.
WHEN READ: 10/04/2010; MY GRADE: B plus to A minus.
WHEN READ: 10/04/2010; MY GRADE: B plus to A minus.
March 29, 2021
La historia nos habla de Bill, un hombre que con el pasar de las páginas vemos que es un obsesionado con el trabajo, ya que considera que es lo único que le da sentido a su vida por ende es un gran golpe la situación laboral en la que se encuentra.
El inicio de la historia puede resultar algo "vago", sin embargo, va cogiendo impulso poco a poco y pasa de ser la historia de un hombre que se gana la vida haciendo ventas por llamada a algo más serio y hasta cierto punto oscuro.
No nos hablan mucho sobre Bill como tal o sobre su pareja, pero esto no le quita lo entretenido a la historia.
En lo personal me entretuvo la historia y tuvo su dosis de hacer desesperar al lector.
El inicio de la historia puede resultar algo "vago", sin embargo, va cogiendo impulso poco a poco y pasa de ser la historia de un hombre que se gana la vida haciendo ventas por llamada a algo más serio y hasta cierto punto oscuro.
No nos hablan mucho sobre Bill como tal o sobre su pareja, pero esto no le quita lo entretenido a la historia.
En lo personal me entretuvo la historia y tuvo su dosis de hacer desesperar al lector.
September 21, 2011
I read "The Chill" cover-to-cover in one sitting, even though I wasn't planning to. I just couldn't put it down. Jason Starr and Mick Bertilorenzi deliver a good book: it exceeded any expectations I had about it.
I'm not big on the supernatural, so before reading "The Chill" I wasn't sure about the whole «druids/ritual sacrifices/celtic lore» aspects of it, but these elements are skillfully woven into the story, and early on I was hooked. The story draws you in and you find yourself going along with the more fantastical aspects of it. Oh, and nice twist at the end! Didn't see that one coming.
Contrary to other² Vertigo Crime books, the art is clear, crisp and never confusing. That really made the entire reading experience more enjoyable.
I'd no idea who Jason Starr was prior to reading "The Chill". I'll check out his other work. Mick Bertilorenzi's art is easily one of the nicest to look at, from all the Vertigo Crime books released so far. Let's hope the next books from this imprint continue to deliver top-shelf art. 3 stars.
²: The Bronx Kill, Filthy Rich & Dark Entries
I'm not big on the supernatural, so before reading "The Chill" I wasn't sure about the whole «druids/ritual sacrifices/celtic lore» aspects of it, but these elements are skillfully woven into the story, and early on I was hooked. The story draws you in and you find yourself going along with the more fantastical aspects of it. Oh, and nice twist at the end! Didn't see that one coming.
Contrary to other² Vertigo Crime books, the art is clear, crisp and never confusing. That really made the entire reading experience more enjoyable.
I'd no idea who Jason Starr was prior to reading "The Chill". I'll check out his other work. Mick Bertilorenzi's art is easily one of the nicest to look at, from all the Vertigo Crime books released so far. Let's hope the next books from this imprint continue to deliver top-shelf art. 3 stars.
²: The Bronx Kill, Filthy Rich & Dark Entries
May 28, 2017
The book starts off quite interesting, artwork is suited to the plot and the characters seemed interesting. This is about the top of the mountain before everything spirals controllably crazy and nowhere of substance. I wanted to like this but it really doesn't go anywhere and by the final 100 pages it was tough going. I like writers attempting different genres or mediums and while this doesn't work in a coherent sense, it shows a lot of possible foundation to build from. Most writers suffer with depicting a screenplay because a director will build a completely different film. The feeling here is the writer had sacrificed a full in depth novel for a 198 pages of dialogue and messy story twists. The medium isn't for everyone and this proves to be another mismatched graphic novel that fails at every corner.
November 30, 2014
Of the Vertigo Crime graphic novels I've read so far, this one had the most supernatural elements to it. Normally I am a huge fan of supernatural horror, but I enjoy this line more for the realistic, noir type stories and not the supernatural stuff, so while I did enjoy it, I found it a bit out of place. That being said, it does have enough crime that it will probably appeal to fans of the other graphic novels in the series, and if you are more the paranormal crime reader, you would like this one more than the others most likely. This one especially deals with celtic mythology, so fans of such should seek this one out. Art is good but nothing out of the ordinary. Once again, good, but not great, like most of the books in this line.
November 27, 2018
Definitely not for children.Blood,gore,murder and Irish legends/folklore.Jason Starr is a worrisome writer.
May 7, 2022
It’s 2009 in New York City and a series of bizarre ritual killings has hit the city. The obvious suspect is a woman named Ariana who’s been seen with more than one of the victims, but no one can agree on a description of her beyond that she’s extremely attractive. Police Detective Pavano is approached by an Irish cop from Boston, Martin Cleary, who has met the killer before. Or so he says, but his wild tale about something called “the chill” is just too much to buy. Right?
This horror-tinged noir tale was part of the “Vertigo Crime” label for DC Comics. As such, it’s aimed at “mature” readers who enjoy hard edges in their illustrated crime stories.
It seems that Martin Cleary was Ariana Flaherty’s first victim back in the 1960s when they tried to have premarital sex in Ireland. Her ability to draw the heat out of a victim almost, but not quite killed him. Ariana’s father Cormac tried to finish the job with the Triscele, the Triple Death but Ariana hid his location. Cormac forced his daughter into a series of sacrificial killings to gain magical powers including not aging, changing appearance at will, and invisibility. Martin meanwhile emigrated to America.
When Martin saw the news about the killings, he realized from the trappings what was up and came to help. Detective Pavano isn’t convinced he wants this kind of help as most of Martin’s story sounds like something out of a bad fantasy novel. It also doesn’t help that the FBI has decided to get involved.
Martin tracks down experts on Celtic sacrifice, one of whom turns out to be far too close to the case. Cormac and Ariana continue their sacrifices as Cormac gets more desperate to kill off any possible threat to his plans.
Since this is noir, there’s a nasty twist at the end.
Most of the characters are some level of jerk or slimeball. Most of the murder victims and near-victims are way too ready to drop trousers, though it’s a plot point that Pavano is faithful to his wife.
The plot is uncomplicated; the protagonists and antagonists swiftly begin converging on each other, interrupted by the need to perform ritual killings or get exposition.
One nice bit thanks to Ariana’s powers is that the artist gets to draw multiple women who aren’t just redraws of the same look with different hairstyles. The tension rackets nicely over the course of the story.
Content note: Male and female nudity. Onscreen sex (no genitals), much of it rape by deception. Gore and mutilation. Animal death, briefly. A Catholic priest is revealed to be a pedophile. Cormac is emotionally and physically abusive of his wife and daughter. Rough language.
This one will work best for the people who like both gritty crime drama and dark fantasy.
This horror-tinged noir tale was part of the “Vertigo Crime” label for DC Comics. As such, it’s aimed at “mature” readers who enjoy hard edges in their illustrated crime stories.
It seems that Martin Cleary was Ariana Flaherty’s first victim back in the 1960s when they tried to have premarital sex in Ireland. Her ability to draw the heat out of a victim almost, but not quite killed him. Ariana’s father Cormac tried to finish the job with the Triscele, the Triple Death but Ariana hid his location. Cormac forced his daughter into a series of sacrificial killings to gain magical powers including not aging, changing appearance at will, and invisibility. Martin meanwhile emigrated to America.
When Martin saw the news about the killings, he realized from the trappings what was up and came to help. Detective Pavano isn’t convinced he wants this kind of help as most of Martin’s story sounds like something out of a bad fantasy novel. It also doesn’t help that the FBI has decided to get involved.
Martin tracks down experts on Celtic sacrifice, one of whom turns out to be far too close to the case. Cormac and Ariana continue their sacrifices as Cormac gets more desperate to kill off any possible threat to his plans.
Since this is noir, there’s a nasty twist at the end.
Most of the characters are some level of jerk or slimeball. Most of the murder victims and near-victims are way too ready to drop trousers, though it’s a plot point that Pavano is faithful to his wife.
The plot is uncomplicated; the protagonists and antagonists swiftly begin converging on each other, interrupted by the need to perform ritual killings or get exposition.
One nice bit thanks to Ariana’s powers is that the artist gets to draw multiple women who aren’t just redraws of the same look with different hairstyles. The tension rackets nicely over the course of the story.
Content note: Male and female nudity. Onscreen sex (no genitals), much of it rape by deception. Gore and mutilation. Animal death, briefly. A Catholic priest is revealed to be a pedophile. Cormac is emotionally and physically abusive of his wife and daughter. Rough language.
This one will work best for the people who like both gritty crime drama and dark fantasy.
March 4, 2021
Vertigo was already the mature imprint of DC Comics when they started Vertigo Crime back in 2009. The whole line used a smaller format than the usual comics and GNs published by DC, they were all in black and white and published as hardcovers. Most of the writers for the new line were not ones you would usually associate with comics - which made most of the stories stronger and different.
"The Chill" starts in Ireland where an old curse is awaken when a young woman has sex for the first time. A few decades later, people start dying in New York - and it looks ritualistic and weird. If one pays attention, they will realize that either the illustrator has messed up much earlier in New York or something else is indeed weird (nope, it is not the illustrator). The old curse had crossed the ocean and the woman and her father are now killing in the big city. And the only man who knows what is going on is the one who survived back in Ireland - and who seems to have enough problems to become a suspect when he finally shows up.
The whole novel is steeped into Irish/Celtic legends, pulling pieces of them and rewriting them to fit the story and the narrative. Magic and immortality clash together into a time when noone believes in either; there is even an Irish priest who everyone respects (and who turns out to be anything but respectable). And somewhere under the gore and death, there is a love story. Because while the curse and the story demand sacrifices, love seems to be the only thing that can beat it all. Or at least to change it enough so the victims of it can live with it.
The twist at the end completes a circle - even if it seems like a tale of redemption for most of the novel for some of the characters, it is anything but. And the reversal of roles adds to that.
The novel is explicit - both in language and in its images and sex and gore are shown as matter of fact. Which is why Vertigo needed the new imprint after all. And the art by Bertilorenzi fits the story perfectly, almost too perfectly in places - as with all good GNs, the art carries the stories even further.
If you are looking for a deep tale about Celtic cults and what's not, look elsewhere - this is not it. The sex and the curse it unleashes (or the special power if you wish) are the point of the novel. And it executes them very well.
"The Chill" ended up winning Starr a second Anthony awards - after he won one in 2005 for Best paperback original, this one gave him the one for Best GN - in the first and only year in which the Anthony awards acknowledged the existence of the medium and used one of its wildcard spots to give it an award.
"The Chill" starts in Ireland where an old curse is awaken when a young woman has sex for the first time. A few decades later, people start dying in New York - and it looks ritualistic and weird. If one pays attention, they will realize that either the illustrator has messed up much earlier in New York or something else is indeed weird (nope, it is not the illustrator). The old curse had crossed the ocean and the woman and her father are now killing in the big city. And the only man who knows what is going on is the one who survived back in Ireland - and who seems to have enough problems to become a suspect when he finally shows up.
The whole novel is steeped into Irish/Celtic legends, pulling pieces of them and rewriting them to fit the story and the narrative. Magic and immortality clash together into a time when noone believes in either; there is even an Irish priest who everyone respects (and who turns out to be anything but respectable). And somewhere under the gore and death, there is a love story. Because while the curse and the story demand sacrifices, love seems to be the only thing that can beat it all. Or at least to change it enough so the victims of it can live with it.
The twist at the end completes a circle - even if it seems like a tale of redemption for most of the novel for some of the characters, it is anything but. And the reversal of roles adds to that.
The novel is explicit - both in language and in its images and sex and gore are shown as matter of fact. Which is why Vertigo needed the new imprint after all. And the art by Bertilorenzi fits the story perfectly, almost too perfectly in places - as with all good GNs, the art carries the stories even further.
If you are looking for a deep tale about Celtic cults and what's not, look elsewhere - this is not it. The sex and the curse it unleashes (or the special power if you wish) are the point of the novel. And it executes them very well.
"The Chill" ended up winning Starr a second Anthony awards - after he won one in 2005 for Best paperback original, this one gave him the one for Best GN - in the first and only year in which the Anthony awards acknowledged the existence of the medium and used one of its wildcard spots to give it an award.
March 30, 2021
“The Chill” is an entertaining pulp supernatural crime thriller graphic novel with plenty of gratuitous sex and violence to satisfy the most voracious whore- and gorehound. It’s extremely exploitative and completely politically incorrect in its treatment of the Irish and women, but if one can get past all that, it’s quite fun.
Written by Jason Starr and illustrated by Mick Bertilorenzi, “The Chill” is about an Irish father-daughter serial killer duo. The daughter lures unsuspecting men to bed, and, in the throes of orgasm, the men succumb to an icy chill that freezes them. It’s then that the father pops out to kill the defenseless victim, and the two drink the victim’s blood, which enables them to remain youthful and live forever.
I’m not sure if this is based on an actual Celtic legend or if Starr just made it up. Whatever. It’s weird and creepy, and it strangely works.
A New York homicide detective, with the help of an older Boston detective (and a survivor of the Irish killers), is determined to stop them, but it’s virtually impossible when the daughter can shape-shift into any type of woman (redhead, blonde, white, black, Asian, tall, short, etc.) and the father is literally invisible.
This has the feeling of an X-Files episode that never got made, perhaps due to all the gratuitous T & A (of which there is a-plenty), representations of the Irish culture which are egregiously cartoonish and offensive, and a *trigger warning* tasteless scene in which a priest is buggering a young man. Despite all that, it’s a quick read. Enjoyment may vary depending on one’s tolerance for graphic perversion.
Written by Jason Starr and illustrated by Mick Bertilorenzi, “The Chill” is about an Irish father-daughter serial killer duo. The daughter lures unsuspecting men to bed, and, in the throes of orgasm, the men succumb to an icy chill that freezes them. It’s then that the father pops out to kill the defenseless victim, and the two drink the victim’s blood, which enables them to remain youthful and live forever.
I’m not sure if this is based on an actual Celtic legend or if Starr just made it up. Whatever. It’s weird and creepy, and it strangely works.
A New York homicide detective, with the help of an older Boston detective (and a survivor of the Irish killers), is determined to stop them, but it’s virtually impossible when the daughter can shape-shift into any type of woman (redhead, blonde, white, black, Asian, tall, short, etc.) and the father is literally invisible.
This has the feeling of an X-Files episode that never got made, perhaps due to all the gratuitous T & A (of which there is a-plenty), representations of the Irish culture which are egregiously cartoonish and offensive, and a *trigger warning* tasteless scene in which a priest is buggering a young man. Despite all that, it’s a quick read. Enjoyment may vary depending on one’s tolerance for graphic perversion.
September 23, 2025
A very odd story. It's full of violence, gore, and sex, of course, as many such "adult" graphic novels are. The difference is the use of Ireland itself to start the story, and actual Irish lore, the stuff of legends, with some exaggeration, immortals, shapeshifters, and invisibility thrown it. Stunning artwork, almost photo-like. A quick read, but it sure takes your mind off of everything else while you read it.
Do not confuse this with a detective novel of the same title, The Chill by Ross Macdonald - that is a wholly different story by a master storyteller of morally complex, psycholgical crime, written over a forty-year period.
Do not confuse this with a detective novel of the same title, The Chill by Ross Macdonald - that is a wholly different story by a master storyteller of morally complex, psycholgical crime, written over a forty-year period.
March 28, 2020
All right, this Vertigo Crime series is kind of boiling my piss. It’s fun enough, and there are engaging characters—this one has a female druid who can freeze men by having sex with them, which sound like a Boomer Joke just waiting to happen—but everything is a little too paint-by-numbers. Not a lot of meat on the bone.
I liked the art, the pulpy elements of it and stuff, but it would have benefitted greatly from some color.
Lots of titties, a big spear, some hornball geeks getting killed for the sake of immortality. I don’t know. It was fine, but I’m done with this series.
I liked the art, the pulpy elements of it and stuff, but it would have benefitted greatly from some color.
Lots of titties, a big spear, some hornball geeks getting killed for the sake of immortality. I don’t know. It was fine, but I’m done with this series.
March 21, 2018
Bogotá,
19 de Marzo de 2018.
Es una novela gráfica que presenta una especie de mezcla entre ritos místicos celtas, asesinatos en serie y la respectiva investigación policiaca que lo anterior conlleva.
Las ilustraciones son de mucha calidad, la historia es bastante buena y a mi parecer original pero después de dosis moderadas de acción, la historia va en declive hacia el final, por lo cual creo que no perdí mi tiempo al leerla pero si siento que le falto más fuerza para llevarse todo mi afecto como lector.
Calificación: 3.0
19 de Marzo de 2018.
Es una novela gráfica que presenta una especie de mezcla entre ritos místicos celtas, asesinatos en serie y la respectiva investigación policiaca que lo anterior conlleva.
Las ilustraciones son de mucha calidad, la historia es bastante buena y a mi parecer original pero después de dosis moderadas de acción, la historia va en declive hacia el final, por lo cual creo que no perdí mi tiempo al leerla pero si siento que le falto más fuerza para llevarse todo mi afecto como lector.
Calificación: 3.0
November 6, 2020
i delighted in this overall. the extraordinary component is unquestionably a takeoff from the other stuff in this arrangement, yet i thought it functioned admirably enough.
it's unadulterated mash fiction, and as such it's a quick read with a tight plot. Indeed, it's hot, savage, and an impact. the winds toward the end is a genuine mash - over the top.
it's unadulterated mash fiction, and as such it's a quick read with a tight plot. Indeed, it's hot, savage, and an impact. the winds toward the end is a genuine mash - over the top.
April 8, 2021
So first off, this is NOT going to be for everyone. It mixes genres and is bizarre. It reminded me a little of the Greg Isles book “Sleep No More.” It was a little ridiculous at times but I actually really enjoyed it and it kept me intrigued. Definitely want to check out more Vertigo graphic novels. And I’m a big fan when novelists write graphic novels and Vice versa.
June 11, 2019
Celtic magic leads a young man to seek revenge and his lost love for decades. A father and his daughter use the sacrifice of men drawn to her to allow them eternal life and magical powers.
A series of grisly murders in NYC may be connected to a Boston police officer and his search.
A series of grisly murders in NYC may be connected to a Boston police officer and his search.
August 7, 2019
Just great - hope to write a full review later. But in short, standard Vertigo Crime tale, aka A and Five Stars, though this one has a bit of a supernatural element to it as well.
But in any case, I highly recommend it!
But in any case, I highly recommend it!
December 31, 2022
This was weid This had too much of the supernatural element and by the end it made 0 sense to me I was expecting more of a crime thriller this was not that at all really there were elements of that but by the end this gets confusing and ruined by the supernatural element of the story
June 23, 2017
3.5 really. It's pure pulp fiction, and as such it's a fast read with a taut plot. Yes, it's sexy, violent, and a blast. The twist at the end is true pulp--over the top.
March 10, 2019
I enjoyed this on a whole. The supernatural element is definitely a departure from the other stuff in this series, but I thought it worked well enough.
September 23, 2019
Would give zero stars if I could.
April 11, 2020
Good art, crime mystery with a good dose of Irish mythology thrown in. It's about ten years old, but still fresh. Some of the cops are stereotypical, but other than that, it's a good read.
May 23, 2020
Great suspenseful entry in the short lived Vertigo Crime series about a serial killer with a ritual connection
October 30, 2020
This was an interesting little noir book. Nothing special.
May 30, 2021
Flojito
March 18, 2023
Good as any other Vertigo Crime novel that I read so far. Unusual plot, rich in Irish mythology. Great drawing, too. To be read.
November 2, 2023
Interesting for a bit with some delving into Irish mythology, but the lame, weak ending ruined it.
January 16, 2025
terrible
July 20, 2016
To be honest, I haven’t read all that many “graphic novels.” That’s not for lack of trying. I read trade paperback collections of monthly or quarterly series all the time – like Eric Powells’s The Goon or Dave Sim’s Cerebus. And I enjoy any of them, or I wouldn’t keep reading them.
But actual “novels” in graphic form? Stories that sustain themselves over the course of a book and then end? Not so many. There are the legit literary ones – Will Eisner, Art Spiegelman, and Gene Luen Yang – but this is genre, a noir story boiled down to pictures and just a handful of words.
And this really works. It ties bloodied up Celtic myths with a police procedural and a generational love story. It reveals its background mystery quickly where others might make a gimmick out of it, but it keeps up its energy as the climax ramps up.
As much as any graphic novel I can think of, this feels like reading a movie. The illustrations are clean and sharp, and they carry the story in important ways. As just one example, a character has the capacity to appear differently to different people. The illustrations show that before we get the explanation, but not too much before.
I’ve heard good things about Starr, and I read an earlier book that he wrote with Ken Bruen. On the evidence of these two, he’s someone to keep reading. He gets what the genre is about, and he delivers it without nonsense.
Definitely worth checking out.
But actual “novels” in graphic form? Stories that sustain themselves over the course of a book and then end? Not so many. There are the legit literary ones – Will Eisner, Art Spiegelman, and Gene Luen Yang – but this is genre, a noir story boiled down to pictures and just a handful of words.
And this really works. It ties bloodied up Celtic myths with a police procedural and a generational love story. It reveals its background mystery quickly where others might make a gimmick out of it, but it keeps up its energy as the climax ramps up.
As much as any graphic novel I can think of, this feels like reading a movie. The illustrations are clean and sharp, and they carry the story in important ways. As just one example, a character has the capacity to appear differently to different people. The illustrations show that before we get the explanation, but not too much before.
I’ve heard good things about Starr, and I read an earlier book that he wrote with Ken Bruen. On the evidence of these two, he’s someone to keep reading. He gets what the genre is about, and he delivers it without nonsense.
Definitely worth checking out.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews