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Kane
Kane Volume 1: Greetings From New Eden
Detective Kane returns to active duty with the New Eden Police Dept. following a six month suspension after he shot and killed his partner Dennis Harvey. His fellow police officers give Kane a welcome back gift - a couple of bullets with his name engraved on them. Partnered with a new detective, Kate Felix, Kane soon finds out nothing has changed in the city of New Eden. In his first two days back, Kane has to deal with a siege, a kidnapping and a bomb attack. And then there's the Crime Boss of New Eden, Oscar Darke...
127 pages, Paperback
First published March 3, 2004
About the author
Paul Grist
196 books20 followersPaul Grist is a British comic book creator, noted for his hard-boiled police series Kane and his unorthodox superhero series Jack Staff.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
November 11, 2023
This highly underrated indie comics series is a masterclass in the craft of sequential storytelling. "Kane" is a police serial that follows its eponymous hero, a police detective who is mistrusted and scorned by his fellow officers after he shoots his much-loved, but seemingly crooked partner. As you slowly get to know Kane and the other series regulars you begin to realize that nearly all the characters are haunted by violence and trauma from their pasts, and the plot takes the price of crime and corruption seriously. But Grist isn't afraid to get goofy either, bringing in ridiculous subplots such as the criminal rabbit Mister Flopsie Wopsie that are surprisingly satisfying in the ways they weave into and interact with the main narrative. Grist's visual style is unmistakably his own and he pulls out a million visual tricks throughout this book (and the rest of the series) playing wonderful games with light and shadow, repetition and timing, strange perspectives, and the interplay of black and white. These comics were amongst my very favorites back when they were being serialized (and Grist plays wonderfully with the serial comic book format, delivering extremely tight individual issues while also building a greater story in the process) and it's a delight to be revisiting them again now. If you've never gotten the chance to meet the denizens of New Eden, do yourself a favor and check these books out. Highly recommended.
Indie genre comics at their best.
Indie genre comics at their best.
February 16, 2012
This series is so amazing and I say that not just because I really, really love crime fiction and graphic novels and this is an amazing blending of both. I love the cinematic quality of Paul Grist's art style and all of the nods he makes to noir film conventions in the series. One of my favorite things about comics is how true masters of the medium can build narrative through the art and Grist's innovative layouts really propel you through the emotions and plots of his stories. He uses the stark black and white of the art and plays with negative space in a really great way. His stories are really intricate and worth reading through a second time to really catch all the details you may have missed during the first read through. And last but not least, I love the character of Kate Felix, who is such a strong, independent female character. If you love Powers and other Brian Michael Bendis joints, I really recommend checking out Kane.
May 28, 2020
#ThrowbackThursday - Back in the '90s, I used to write comic book reviews for the website of a now-defunct comic book retailer called Rockem Sockem Comics. From the February 1997 edition with a theme of "Crime fighters":
GOOD COP, BAD COPS
KANE #1-13 (Dancing Elephant)
While cop series are a staple of television, they are pretty rare nowadays in the world of comics. It just so happens, that one of the few cop books available is one of the best comics being published today.
The title character, Kane, is a detective in the New Eden Police Department. A pariah, he is hated by almost everyone in the department for killing his last partner while trying to arrest him for being corrupt. Kane has betrayed the brotherhood of cops by taking down one of his own. Also making him an outcast is the fact that he has a rigid sense of morals while most of the NEPD are either corrupt, morally bankrupt or ethically challenged. Embittered and aloof, Kane is slow to accept potential allies such as his new partner, the competent Kate Felix, and his captain, the fair and just John Dexter.
Kane has faced many challenges so far. Issue #1 has a kidnaping which turns into a hostage situation. Issues #2-3 have a mad bomber terrorizing the city. Mob surveillance at a restaurant is interrupted by an insane robber in #4. Issue #6 features a cool twist on RASHOMON: we get to watch each character intentionally lie to Internal Affairs about events that occurred during a drug bust where the money has gone missing. In #8, Kane has to talk the star of an old sixties super-hero TV show off the ledge of a tall building. The shooting of mob boss Oscar Darke and its consequences are covered in #9-12.
The series is imbued with a wicked sense of humor to offset the serious aspects. Each issue generally has a comic relief sub-plot. The best ones feature Mister Floppsie Whoppsie, a street performer who wears a pink bunny costume. After one too many comparisons to Bugs Bunny he goes over the edge, declaring, "I'm my own rabbit." His hijinks include making a jailbreak, taking the mayor hostage, and being on the run from loan sharks. Issue #3 features a running gag about a commercial for an indestructible safe which the makers have allowed to be stolen. A hidden camera follows the thieves' attempts to break it open while another camera follows a spokesman to the police station to report the theft. The payoff is great! For SIN CITY fans, issue #7 is a parody of Marv and a tribute to Frank Miller.
The creator of KANE is Paul Grist. From England, Grist is probably not too well known here in the U.S.. He did the art on GRENDEL: THE DEVIL IN OUR MIDST. He collaborated with writer Grant Morrison on a little book called ST. SWITHINS DAY. He did a couple of books about another character he created called Burglar Bill, which was mostly light-hearted stuff. It is with KANE that Grist has become a major writer/artist in my gradebook. His dialogue is terse and witty. His art is cartoony enough to pull off the humorous bits, but is dark enough to match the overall tone of the series.
KANE makes use of many challenging storytelling techniques. Most issues feature two storylines. The first is a self-contained story set in the present and usually lasting only one or two issues. The other is an ongoing unravelling of the past events surrounding Kane's partner's death and its aftermath. Via a series of flashbacks interspersed throughout each issue, Grist keeps adding twists and turns to what at first seemed to be a straightforward event. The transition between the two storylines, as well as scenes within each storyline, can be difficult to track unless you pay close attention. (Grist has provided one visual cue to aid the reader: the pages featuring flashbacks have a wide black bar running vertically down them.) Mob boss Oscar Darke speaks in a slurred mumble which the reader is forced to decipher. While Grist makes each character distinctive, he does not always label or identify them directly in each issue. His characters are not in the habit of giving the awkward expository background speeches such as Chris Claremont used to spoonfeed the readers of UNCANNY X-MEN. Grist expects you to keep track of characters and plots from issue to issue. And he makes it well worth the effort.
His current issues are good ones with which to join the series, as they are each highlighting a different character from the series. For instance, issue #13 follows a veteran and a rookie through a typical night of graft and brutality. Grist puts an interesting spin on the story by fixing the point of view in the back seat of their squad car, allowing us to see mostly the back of their heads and the view through the windshield. It's a hard concept to pull off successfully, but Grist manages it easily.
Indeed, the same could be said of the entire series. Even on television, where there are more series featuring cops, the stories often aren't done very well. With the exception of "Hill Street Blues" and a few others, most simply result in a lost hour. Grist, meanwhile, regularly rewards the comic book reader with a very generous package: 30-32 pages of perfectly amazing story and art.
Grade: A
GOOD COP, BAD COPS
KANE #1-13 (Dancing Elephant)
While cop series are a staple of television, they are pretty rare nowadays in the world of comics. It just so happens, that one of the few cop books available is one of the best comics being published today.
The title character, Kane, is a detective in the New Eden Police Department. A pariah, he is hated by almost everyone in the department for killing his last partner while trying to arrest him for being corrupt. Kane has betrayed the brotherhood of cops by taking down one of his own. Also making him an outcast is the fact that he has a rigid sense of morals while most of the NEPD are either corrupt, morally bankrupt or ethically challenged. Embittered and aloof, Kane is slow to accept potential allies such as his new partner, the competent Kate Felix, and his captain, the fair and just John Dexter.
Kane has faced many challenges so far. Issue #1 has a kidnaping which turns into a hostage situation. Issues #2-3 have a mad bomber terrorizing the city. Mob surveillance at a restaurant is interrupted by an insane robber in #4. Issue #6 features a cool twist on RASHOMON: we get to watch each character intentionally lie to Internal Affairs about events that occurred during a drug bust where the money has gone missing. In #8, Kane has to talk the star of an old sixties super-hero TV show off the ledge of a tall building. The shooting of mob boss Oscar Darke and its consequences are covered in #9-12.
The series is imbued with a wicked sense of humor to offset the serious aspects. Each issue generally has a comic relief sub-plot. The best ones feature Mister Floppsie Whoppsie, a street performer who wears a pink bunny costume. After one too many comparisons to Bugs Bunny he goes over the edge, declaring, "I'm my own rabbit." His hijinks include making a jailbreak, taking the mayor hostage, and being on the run from loan sharks. Issue #3 features a running gag about a commercial for an indestructible safe which the makers have allowed to be stolen. A hidden camera follows the thieves' attempts to break it open while another camera follows a spokesman to the police station to report the theft. The payoff is great! For SIN CITY fans, issue #7 is a parody of Marv and a tribute to Frank Miller.
The creator of KANE is Paul Grist. From England, Grist is probably not too well known here in the U.S.. He did the art on GRENDEL: THE DEVIL IN OUR MIDST. He collaborated with writer Grant Morrison on a little book called ST. SWITHINS DAY. He did a couple of books about another character he created called Burglar Bill, which was mostly light-hearted stuff. It is with KANE that Grist has become a major writer/artist in my gradebook. His dialogue is terse and witty. His art is cartoony enough to pull off the humorous bits, but is dark enough to match the overall tone of the series.
KANE makes use of many challenging storytelling techniques. Most issues feature two storylines. The first is a self-contained story set in the present and usually lasting only one or two issues. The other is an ongoing unravelling of the past events surrounding Kane's partner's death and its aftermath. Via a series of flashbacks interspersed throughout each issue, Grist keeps adding twists and turns to what at first seemed to be a straightforward event. The transition between the two storylines, as well as scenes within each storyline, can be difficult to track unless you pay close attention. (Grist has provided one visual cue to aid the reader: the pages featuring flashbacks have a wide black bar running vertically down them.) Mob boss Oscar Darke speaks in a slurred mumble which the reader is forced to decipher. While Grist makes each character distinctive, he does not always label or identify them directly in each issue. His characters are not in the habit of giving the awkward expository background speeches such as Chris Claremont used to spoonfeed the readers of UNCANNY X-MEN. Grist expects you to keep track of characters and plots from issue to issue. And he makes it well worth the effort.
His current issues are good ones with which to join the series, as they are each highlighting a different character from the series. For instance, issue #13 follows a veteran and a rookie through a typical night of graft and brutality. Grist puts an interesting spin on the story by fixing the point of view in the back seat of their squad car, allowing us to see mostly the back of their heads and the view through the windshield. It's a hard concept to pull off successfully, but Grist manages it easily.
Indeed, the same could be said of the entire series. Even on television, where there are more series featuring cops, the stories often aren't done very well. With the exception of "Hill Street Blues" and a few others, most simply result in a lost hour. Grist, meanwhile, regularly rewards the comic book reader with a very generous package: 30-32 pages of perfectly amazing story and art.
Grade: A
November 30, 2015
Paul Gristin "Kane Volume 1: Greetings From New Eden" (Image, 2004) on perusvarmaa poliisisarjakuvaa, jossa kovaksikeitetty poliisietsivä palaa takaisin töihin, ja kohtaa laitoksella niin kaunaa kantavia työkavereita kuin uuden naispuolisen työparin, sekä törmää kaduilla melko persoonallisiinkin rikollisiin.
Ei tämä huono sarjakuva missään tapauksessa ollut, ja kaksi tähteä tuntuu olevan liian vähän. Kovin omaperäinen stoori ei kuitenkaan ollut, ja piirrosjälkikin tuntui hetkittäin ottaneen vähän turhan paljon vaikutteita Frank Milleriltä. Sin City toimisi ehkä muutenkin vertailukohteena, tosin siinä meininki on huomattavasti karumpaa ja tylympää.
Ei tämä huono sarjakuva missään tapauksessa ollut, ja kaksi tähteä tuntuu olevan liian vähän. Kovin omaperäinen stoori ei kuitenkaan ollut, ja piirrosjälkikin tuntui hetkittäin ottaneen vähän turhan paljon vaikutteita Frank Milleriltä. Sin City toimisi ehkä muutenkin vertailukohteena, tosin siinä meininki on huomattavasti karumpaa ja tylympää.
September 10, 2026
I was really unimpressed by this book even though I had read great reviews that it was one of the best crime series in comics. The story was confusing and it always took some time to understand in which timeline we are in as there were only the slightest of cues. The artwork was not my cup of tea as it seemed to go for a stylistic Sin City style but delivered rather a cartoony knock-off of it.
I'll maybe still try the second volume to see if the series grows on me.
I'll maybe still try the second volume to see if the series grows on me.
July 1, 2021
The most excited I’ve been reading something in a while. I loved everything about this. Outside of the awesome, hard boiled detective story here we have a level of craft on display here that is visual eye candy. If I start writing anymore I’m going to write a lot more so I’ll say this. Kane has everything I look for in a comic.
March 12, 2020
Grist's storytelling is just too good.
August 9, 2022
Recreate this for the umpteenth time. Still great.
Love the art. But also story structure gets great fast. By issue 3 I loved this book.
Love the art. But also story structure gets great fast. By issue 3 I loved this book.
February 21, 2025
Yuck, all the energy I am willing to spend on this drek.
April 13, 2024
Damn the visuals are incredible. The page balance is so cool. Some panels and pages mirror others from previous scenes. the pure black and white is golden. Some clever homour throughout. Would be 5 stars but cops suck rocks 👎
March 2, 2017
This is earlier in Grist's career than Jack Staff. There is still a flair for some unusual storytelling, but the plot is not as inventive as later stories and the art is still from his formative stages.
February 4, 2016
Nos vamos a los 90s con un clásico del comic policial. Kane es la primer obra importante de Paul Grist. Fue una historieta independiente que tomó parte de los elementos gráficos del Sim City de Frank Miller y elementos que recuerdan al Cerebus de Dave Sim.
Dentro del típicas runflas entre policías, mafiosos y ladrones de turna, hay pinceladas de humor bastante acertadas, que nunca desentonan. Y personajes con personalidades bien marcadas a desarrollar.
Es una obra que tarda en arrancar y busca escapar a los lineamientos de la narrativa tradicional de formas bastante ingeniosas. Es envidiable la capacidad y variedad a lo largo de los capítulos que aparecen en este volumen. Mi tomo tiene dos volúmenes, por lo que termino hasta acá.
Dentro del típicas runflas entre policías, mafiosos y ladrones de turna, hay pinceladas de humor bastante acertadas, que nunca desentonan. Y personajes con personalidades bien marcadas a desarrollar.
Es una obra que tarda en arrancar y busca escapar a los lineamientos de la narrativa tradicional de formas bastante ingeniosas. Es envidiable la capacidad y variedad a lo largo de los capítulos que aparecen en este volumen. Mi tomo tiene dos volúmenes, por lo que termino hasta acá.
February 6, 2009
The beginning of the story of Kane, a New Eden police detective, who's back on the job six months after shooting his corrupt partner. The story is told with plenty of flashbacks (which are a bit confusing until you recognize the visual device the author uses to indicate flashbacks). There are a lot characters who are introduced, and sometimes, Grist's sparse style works against him, making the characters a bit hard to tell apart. Otherwise, his very simple, clear style works well. The tone of the stories are undermined a bit by Grist's occasional parody and jokes. They sometimes work, but sometimes lead to an odd mix of noir and slapstick.
December 22, 2024
I have no idea how I missed this gem from the 90s! Is it really such an underrated series? Surrealism in a very serious setting which makes it even more surreal, funny and absurd. Paul Grist proves he is a master of sequential storytelling and the cinematic flow of the story had me immersed in the world of Eden and reading the comic in one sitting without pause. I had already ordered the next issues before I even finished the first one.
I highly recommend it even if crime fiction is not my genre!
I highly recommend it even if crime fiction is not my genre!
November 26, 2014
I've always wanted to like Paul Grist's work more than I do. It's got a sense of humor that I really enjoy, but his art style confuses me. Too many people look alike, and he moves between scenes without transitions, which can be a bit much. Not a bad book, but it could be better.
January 4, 2017
Always been a big fan of Grist's super direct and clear storytelling. Reading Kane is like having your eyes slide around on lube. But even with storytelling this clear, he still manages to come up with some wierd and cool page designs
October 12, 2008
Not really my thing.
July 13, 2010
Not bad - a lot of stage setting, though, and overall pretty standard cop stuff. I might pick up other volumes if I see them around, but probably not something I'd seek out.
August 25, 2010
A waste of time, really.
A 70's tv-cop show plot, with poor art, shoddily handled flashback scenes, and almost zero character development.
Disappointing.
A 70's tv-cop show plot, with poor art, shoddily handled flashback scenes, and almost zero character development.
Disappointing.
November 30, 2011
A bit tired and clichéd. Heavily influenced by Frank Miller on the visuals. Not bad, but not memorable either...
December 31, 2014
Art is great. Story is good.
September 21, 2015
Kovaksikeitettyä dekkarisarjakuvaa.
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