Eight Million Ways to Die

Snyder’s adaptation of Block’s novel makes for a skillfully realized graphic narrative. On the mean streets of 1982 New York City, former policeman Matthew Scudder works as a private investigator. His latest case connects him with Kim Dakkinen, a sex worker who wants out of “the life” but fears Chance, her cultured, art collecting pimp, so she hires Scudder to negotiate on her behalf. Chance agrees to let Kim go, but the following morning’s news reveals that she has been murdered. Chance proclaims his innocence and himself enlists Scudder to track down the real killer. What follows is an intense search for a serial killer as Scudder weaves through a labyrinth of informants, cops, petty criminals, and prostitutes while fighting his internal battle with a guilty conscience that he copes with via round the clock drinking. The artwork, with thick outlines and muted color splashes, recalls noir film stills as it grounds the story in gritty, period-accurate realism while evoking the kind of squalid urban purgatory depicted in period pieces such as Taxi Driver. This moody feast will appeal to fans of classic crime fiction. Literary Agent: Danny Baror, Baror International. [em](July) [/em]