The Hunter by Richard Stark…….


pu_Parker_The_Hunter_009
Gritty.


No other book has ever tried to convey the tone of noir in frames and succeeded like this one. The art makes the comic better than the novel.  Not to mention the fact that the comic has purged out all the unnecessary things and that makes the hero much more brutal than the novel. The art is just another kick in the gut that helps the feeling to sink in.

pu_Parker_The_Hunter_006-007
And the color tone never fit the tone of the story better.
Just a look at that bluish tone along with the pulpy page color with the mention of the word crime
fiction noir makes your heart jump.  And the opening is just perfect. The first 30 or so pages is a kick ass example of how skill, tone and angles can capture a now cheesy description into pure awesomeness. The problem starts with the start of the dialogs. The story was written in 1962 and it becomes painfully apparent in some of the dialogs. The other problem comes from the story itself. Once Mal Resnick is dead, the hero (or rather, anti-hero) goes into an uncharacteristic overdrive with himself wondering why he does the things he does. The reasoning for the events in the last few pages seem forced and it seems as if Richard Stark aka Westland wrote it as an after thought and maybe for the heck of it. Which, needless to say, transgresses the nature of the character and the narration.

I did read the novel before the comics and to be frank, the novel drags more in the end. Cooke was intelligent enough to cut out the later parts and end the book with a slightly altered climax, but that doesn't help much either.
There is one minor problem which becomes slightly uncomfortable later in the book which pertains to the soulless, surly character of Parker. In the novel, Parker was a bad-ass but he had doubts and reservations which made some of the choices he made a bit believable. In the comics, he is stripped of all his doubts and reservations and is made a machine, cold blooded, calculating and unstoppable. Which is good, if only the story fit that alteration. The later part of the book suffers especially because of that. An example would be the Carter scene, which the Parker from the novel might do but not the steely Parker from the comics.

Grab the book and treat yourself to the fantastic visualization of Cooke. Crime fiction noir, via his pencil is pure gold.
The story though, hasn't fared well.
Rating: 3/5.

Comments

  1. To buy....

    http://www.amazon.com/Richard-Starks-Parker-Vol-Hunter/dp/1600104932/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1352500895&sr=8-2&keywords=the+hunter+richard+stark

    ReplyDelete
  2. Boss!
    intha english mozhi ya kandu pidichavan en kaila sikkattum vaichikkaren...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha ha...
      Can't help it. Ella murayum tamil leye potta unga kathi enna aavurathu? :)

      Delete
  3. hi,

    i have read all of ur movie reviews using flipcard view...(but i didnt put any comment...)

    http://illuminati8.blogspot.in/view/flipcard

    u can give its link in ur blog's sidebar...

    one question:

    how it is possible for you to write a essay in English fully? Are u living in abroad? if not tell me how did u learn to write in english this much easily...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know of the flipcard view and magazine view buddy. But I prefer the layout myself and hence didn't bother giving any links. Comments are not mandatory, is it? :)
      Let it go.
      I write to satisfy myself. I have and I will. Comments, likes, criticism doesn't matter. If I like it, I'll post it. What is one gonna gain by mere congratulations? If someone has a different view of things and is willing to explain it and enlighten, that is another matter. I'm more than welcome to that.

      My english? I read a lot. Especially in english. I started writing this blog in english first and then turned to tamil when friends asked me to. Should one be abroad for good english? :)
      Read a lot and practice. Don't hesitate to practice. That's important. Good luck.

      Delete
    2. And one question:
      If I have to be abroad to write in good english, where should I be for my tamil? :)

      Delete
    3. குறுக்கு வழி வேணும்னா, டெய்லி நாலு பிகர் கிட்ட இங்கிலீஷ்ல பேசுறேன்னு தமாசு பண்ணி செருப்படி வாங்கினா, நாலே மாசத்துல வந்திரும். என்ன வந்திரும்னு எல்லாம் கேக்கப்படாது. :)

      Delete
  4. Please nanbaray.,ungal padivu ini tamilil irukattum.nangal ellam english il palam thindru sakkiyai pottavargal.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ஹாஹா, ஆங்கிலத்தில் எழுத ஆரம்பித்தது தான் இந்த ப்ளாக்கே. அதுக்கு பின்ன தமிழுக்கே வந்திட்டாலும், அப்பப்ப என் ஆசைக்கு இங்கிலீஷ்ல எழுதுவேன். கண்டுக்காதீங்க.

      Delete
  5. thanks for reply.

    My sithi's son age is 10. I want to make him start reading comics in tamil.
    what tamil comic novel should i buy for him? it should be very easy to read with good pictures...if it is available online give its link....i will download or buy....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lion comics is the only tamil comics publisher active these days. This is the ebay link where you can get it online.

      http://www.ebay.in/sch/thecomicsstores2012/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686

      This is their blog.

      http://lion-muthucomics.blogspot.com/

      But, if you are keen on translation quality, look elsewhere. You can download a lot of english comics online. But.If this is for starters, then it might fit right in.

      Delete
  6. http://kanuvukalinkathalan.blogspot.in/2012/09/blog-post.html

    in this post and in some other posts kanavukalinkaathalan has given tamil novel pages...where did he get these tamil novel pages?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He translates them himself. Just like I did in the last post. If you want translation of that quality, try kombuk kuthirai scanlation by him.

      Delete
  7. http://duraithelegaleagle.blogspot.in/

    மலை அருவிகளில் சுற்றித்திரிபவன் ஒருவனின் blog...தமிழ்நாட்டிலேயே நீங்கள் பார்த்திடாத அழகிய மலை அருவிகள் எல்லாம் எத்தனை பாருங்கள்...

    for dynamic views

    http://duraithelegaleagle.blogspot.in/view/sidebar

    ReplyDelete

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