Fogtown (Vertigo Crime) - Softcover

Gabrych, Andersen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1401229506 ISBN 13: 9781401229504

Publisher: Vertigo, 2011

Synopsis

A gritty, graphic pulp fiction about the temptation, damnation and redemption of aging private eye Frank Grissel.

Frank Grissel is a hard-knuckled private eye – and a deeply closeted homosexual, set in the very real world of 1953 San Francisco. Aided by his long-suffering secretary (and sometime live-in lover) Loretta, Grissel’s search for a runaway girl winds up with him becoming a suspect in a string of gruesome murders. The case takes twists and turns through the Golden Gate’s greasy underbelly: the beguiling arms of Chinese shipping heiress (and smuggler); an unexpected reunion with the daughter he abandoned long ago; the loss of Loretta to the sadistic clutches of the high-powered “Colonel;” and finally the horrifying, gender-bending truth.

About this title

About the Author:

Andresen Gabrych has written Batman, Detective Comic, Batgirl, Catwoman and The Omega Men. He is a regular contributor to LA Confidential Magazine. Brad Roder provided artwork for Batman: Gothman Adventures, and was the Emmy Award-winning animation director on hit cartoon shows Spawn: The Animated Series and Batman: The Animated Series.

From School Library Journal:

Gr 12 Up–The book opens on a foggy, summer night in San Francisco, 1953. Grizzled, tough-talking Frank Grissel is a boozer and a private investigator by trade. Searching for a missing girl, he stumbles upon possible connections with the murders of local prostitutes, an evangelistic millionaire, the Chinatown drug trade, and his own haunted past. Gabrych crafts a well-written, well-paced piece of noir. Grissel's wry, cynical internal monologue appears in lettering reminiscent of a typewriter, adding to the period mood. The story is full of interesting characters and surprising twists and turns, and readers will be compelled to reread passages to see hints of the dark secrets hiding in the shadows, literally and figuratively. Emulating the comic-book art of the 1950s, Rader's black-and-white pen-and-inks finished in graytones create bleak, mesmerizing images. With its skillful use of light, shadow, and fog, the illustrations are extremely effective and easy to follow. The language reflects its time period with racial slurs and derogatory names for homosexuals and women. Artwork includes nudity, eviscerated bodies, and suggestive scenes of sodomy. Fogtown is a gritty excursion into the dark underbelly of San Francisco. The gripping crime mystery unfolds in stark panels of eye-catching artwork. This is for mature, older teens looking for a hard-boiled, hard-hitting read.–June Shimonishi, Torrance Public Library, CAα(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

About this edition

• Publisher: Vertigo
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1401229506
• ISBN 13: 9781401229504
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 176
• Illustrator: Rader Brad