Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Dark Horse (2002), Hardcover, 64 pages
Description
One of the most celebrated writers in the history of comics teams up once again with one of the industry's most accomplished artists! Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Russell once again venture into the world of myth and angels. Constructing and maintaining all of heaven and earth is an immense task, which God has divided up amongst the various ranks and stations of angels. As with any such huge effort, there are bound to be casualties. This unique passion play sheds light on the hands behind creation, as well as one lonely man in Los Angeles who gets to hear the whole story of a most unspeakable crime: a murder in paradise!.
User reviews
LibraryThing member xicanti
P. Craig Russell adapts Neil Gaiman's short story about a murder in heaven.
As I understand it, Russell works mainly on adaptations these days, and I consider him to be quite good at it. His strength is definitely his pacing; he really understands how to use the comics medium to best effect. His
Lovern Kindzierski's colours also deserve mention; they create great contrast between the dark L.A. of the human narrator and the angel's Silver City. I found that this really added to the overall feel of the book.
My one complaint lies with the human narrator's actions in L.A. This adaptation makes it clear just what the angel removed from his mind, but there doesn't seem to be a reason for it. I don't want to say too much for fear of giving spoilers, but I didn't really connect the beginning of the story with what we learn later on. Everything else was nicely laid out, though; the murder in heaven worked well and connected to the human narrator's world.
As I understand it, Russell works mainly on adaptations these days, and I consider him to be quite good at it. His strength is definitely his pacing; he really understands how to use the comics medium to best effect. His
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panel layouts create a good amount of tension; the atmosphere is perfect, and the reader is forced to stop and think in all the right places. I've read the short story a few times, but seeing it presented in a visual format brought several new things to my attention and made me think about the story in a whole new way.Lovern Kindzierski's colours also deserve mention; they create great contrast between the dark L.A. of the human narrator and the angel's Silver City. I found that this really added to the overall feel of the book.
My one complaint lies with the human narrator's actions in L.A. This adaptation makes it clear just what the angel removed from his mind, but there doesn't seem to be a reason for it. I don't want to say too much for fear of giving spoilers, but I didn't really connect the beginning of the story with what we learn later on. Everything else was nicely laid out, though; the murder in heaven worked well and connected to the human narrator's world.
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LibraryThing member AltheaAnn
I liked the story here very much. I don’t think I’ve actually read the prose version (which is a little surprising to me), but it has a very nice dual structure, with the main, internal story adding to and reflecting the more opaque ‘shell’ story. When I finished; I wanted to go back to the
On a deeper level, the story has some very thought provoking content regarding vengeance and forgiveness. I see it as a critique and exploration of the Christian belief that, simultaneously, an all-knowing god has created beings for his own purpose but yet holds them responsible for their own actions. It’s not quite as simple as that, though, and it’s oblique enough that you could come away from this with a good number of different opinions. That’s a good thing.
So – why only 3 stars? Well, I think I’d prefer the prose version. The artwork here just didn’t resonate with me. Nearly fully half of this book is taken up with a section that talks about the artwork, the artist, and the motivations behind why it was presented the way it was – so I can’t at all say that no thought went into it. Clearly Gaiman had input into it, as well. But I just didn’t love it – personal aesthetics.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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beginning and re-check all the foreshadowing… And of course, how can you go wrong with a psycho killer and angelic conflicts? The use of mythological elements and the way in which those are meshed with the sordid, modern world is very, very ‘Sandman.’ On a deeper level, the story has some very thought provoking content regarding vengeance and forgiveness. I see it as a critique and exploration of the Christian belief that, simultaneously, an all-knowing god has created beings for his own purpose but yet holds them responsible for their own actions. It’s not quite as simple as that, though, and it’s oblique enough that you could come away from this with a good number of different opinions. That’s a good thing.
So – why only 3 stars? Well, I think I’d prefer the prose version. The artwork here just didn’t resonate with me. Nearly fully half of this book is taken up with a section that talks about the artwork, the artist, and the motivations behind why it was presented the way it was – so I can’t at all say that no thought went into it. Clearly Gaiman had input into it, as well. But I just didn’t love it – personal aesthetics.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member elmyra
Re-read this last night/this morning, in my effort to continue feeding my Lucifer obsession. This story is probably *the* defining take on the Christian Lucifer myth for me. My first reading of it was the first time I actually engaged with the subject (being raised in an atheist country is a
I must admit I still don't entirely get the human plot of the story (I get the absolution, just not why he murdered them in the first place). And this reading (which probably my third or fourth) is the first time I twigged the traditional murder mystery structure. Colour me stupid - or just not terribly well versed in the crime genre. Oh, and you know that P. Craig Russell is Very Very Good, right?
Finally, re-reading this has prompted me to go look for the audio play version (Two Plays for Voices, which includes this and Snow, Glass, Apples), which has turned out to be nigh-on unobtainable in Europe. There has *got* to be a better content distribution/publishing system than this. I'm trying to legally purchase a piece of content. Why is it easier to download it illegall? (It's not actually in this case - I can't find the damn thing anywhere.) At this rate I'm going to have to find myself a US proxy and pretend to iTunes that I'm in the right place. Argh.
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double-edged sword), and it has to this day completely determined my understanding of that bit of Christianity. I'm not feeling terribly eloquent this morning, but the Lucifer myth means a lot to me because... free will, dude! ;-) So I have a real soft spot for this story. I am now trying to read Paradise Lost. Maybe my English is finally good enough.I must admit I still don't entirely get the human plot of the story (I get the absolution, just not why he murdered them in the first place). And this reading (which probably my third or fourth) is the first time I twigged the traditional murder mystery structure. Colour me stupid - or just not terribly well versed in the crime genre. Oh, and you know that P. Craig Russell is Very Very Good, right?
Finally, re-reading this has prompted me to go look for the audio play version (Two Plays for Voices, which includes this and Snow, Glass, Apples), which has turned out to be nigh-on unobtainable in Europe. There has *got* to be a better content distribution/publishing system than this. I'm trying to legally purchase a piece of content. Why is it easier to download it illegall? (It's not actually in this case - I can't find the damn thing anywhere.) At this rate I'm going to have to find myself a US proxy and pretend to iTunes that I'm in the right place. Argh.
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LibraryThing member TheBooknerd
I know I'm in the minority on this, but I found this book to be boring -- bordering on the edge of lame. The story was dull and transparent. The artistry was decidedly less-than-great. At no point did the book grab my interest, and I had to force myself into finishing it.
LibraryThing member dolfynnchick
This is quite possibly my favorite stand-alone graphic novel. I hugely admire Russell's artwork and the colors, particularly the views of the Silver City and shifting daylight surrounding it, are rich and beautiful.
The stories are a refreshing take on the old detective theme. I say stories because
The stories are a refreshing take on the old detective theme. I say stories because
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there are two stories going on: the story of the murder of the angel Carasel, and the story of the narrator that sort of book-ends it. Afterall, it's "Murder Mysteries" plural for a reason. I have always loved Gaiman's characterizations of Lucifer, and Murder Mysteries does not disappoint here either. This book could fit nicely into the Sandman universe as well. Show Less
LibraryThing member stewartfritz
Boy, that's a weird, creepy little one. Dark and kinda ugly, even for Gaiman.
LibraryThing member .Monkey.
P. Craig Russell's art and story-mapping ability are without a doubt some of the most amazing work in the graphic novel medium. His knack for being able to arrange focus and tension and shift eyes where they need to go next and... all of that oh-so-important stuff that we don't really think much
Much as I admire the art, I wasn't crazy about the story outside the story. The story within the story I liked quite a bit, Gaiman and Russell combined managed to make an excellent story of the Silver City and its goings-ons. But the outer story, it was too vague, everything too subtly hinted at, with not even the slightest notion of why. I didn't like that part at all. Raguel, though, I liked entirely.
The last third of the book is Russell explaining how he works, and specifically how this novel came into being, how he determined the layouts (with specific examples of prominent panels discussed), how he collaborated with Kindzierski on the coloring and getting it all just right, and so forth. Really interesting stuff.
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about while reading because it just works so naturally ...he's simply genius at what he does. The pages are a joy to look at, and your eye naturally drifts right where it is supposed to. Also, Lovern Kindzierski coloring is great.Much as I admire the art, I wasn't crazy about the story outside the story. The story within the story I liked quite a bit, Gaiman and Russell combined managed to make an excellent story of the Silver City and its goings-ons. But the outer story, it was too vague, everything too subtly hinted at, with not even the slightest notion of why. I didn't like that part at all. Raguel, though, I liked entirely.
The last third of the book is Russell explaining how he works, and specifically how this novel came into being, how he determined the layouts (with specific examples of prominent panels discussed), how he collaborated with Kindzierski on the coloring and getting it all just right, and so forth. Really interesting stuff.
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LibraryThing member krau0098
I got a copy of this book to review in e-book format from NetGalley. Thanks to Netgalley and Dark Horse for the chance to read this book. I am a huge Gaiman fan and was excited to read something new by him. While this definitely wasn’t the strongest book I have read by him, it was decent and made
This was an interesting and somewhat ambiguous tale about a man who loses time and ends up with the story of an angel of vengeance. Little does he know that he may have been the one the angel was seeking vengeance on and his blank times may not be as blank as he thinks.
This is one of those stories where you aren’t quite sure what is going on. For the first part of the story you are following around a young man who is visiting an old friend. The young man has blank spots where he can’t remember how he got places. He finds himself on a bench with an older man who wants to tell him a story. What follows is the story of the angel of vengeance created to find out who committed a murder in Heaven.
The whole thing is cleverly done and has that whole story in a story thing going on. There is a wonderful twist at the end, that is fairly predictable but still darkly ironic. I enjoyed the dark irony to the story.
The actual story portion of this was very brief maybe 70 pages, the rest was all the extras. There is a very detailed appendix where the authors talk about transitioning this from a radioplay to a graphic novel. There is also a section of sketches.
I thought the illustration was just so so. Some frames are beautifully illustrated, while others lacked detail. Many of the illustrations were lacking in facial detail. I wish that the flights of angels had actually been illustrated rather than shown as rectangular blocks in the distance. The illustration is very similar in style to the Sandman books, but I found it to be not quite as detailed and refined.
Overall this was a decent read. I enjoyed the irony behind the story and love the whole idea of stories in stories. It is a dark story with language and sex, so for adults only. The illustration was only so-so however, and the story portion was very short. Definitely not the best Gaiman graphic novel I have read, but interesting.
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you think.This was an interesting and somewhat ambiguous tale about a man who loses time and ends up with the story of an angel of vengeance. Little does he know that he may have been the one the angel was seeking vengeance on and his blank times may not be as blank as he thinks.
This is one of those stories where you aren’t quite sure what is going on. For the first part of the story you are following around a young man who is visiting an old friend. The young man has blank spots where he can’t remember how he got places. He finds himself on a bench with an older man who wants to tell him a story. What follows is the story of the angel of vengeance created to find out who committed a murder in Heaven.
The whole thing is cleverly done and has that whole story in a story thing going on. There is a wonderful twist at the end, that is fairly predictable but still darkly ironic. I enjoyed the dark irony to the story.
The actual story portion of this was very brief maybe 70 pages, the rest was all the extras. There is a very detailed appendix where the authors talk about transitioning this from a radioplay to a graphic novel. There is also a section of sketches.
I thought the illustration was just so so. Some frames are beautifully illustrated, while others lacked detail. Many of the illustrations were lacking in facial detail. I wish that the flights of angels had actually been illustrated rather than shown as rectangular blocks in the distance. The illustration is very similar in style to the Sandman books, but I found it to be not quite as detailed and refined.
Overall this was a decent read. I enjoyed the irony behind the story and love the whole idea of stories in stories. It is a dark story with language and sex, so for adults only. The illustration was only so-so however, and the story portion was very short. Definitely not the best Gaiman graphic novel I have read, but interesting.
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LibraryThing member lilysreads
I really liked this graphic novel. I don't generally read graphic novels, but the story idea sounded interesting, and the novel itself was really good. It was a nice take on such an interesting story. Give it a try. :)
I received an e-galley version of this book from NetGalley.
I received an e-galley version of this book from NetGalley.
LibraryThing member lostinalibrary
Murder Mysteries is two stories or, more accurately a story within a story, both taking place in a City of Angels. In the first story, a Brit remembers a stop-over in Los Angeles he made a decade ago. After reconnecting with an old friend and before returning to his hotel, he decides to sit down on
Murder Mysteries was originally one of the short stories from Neil Gaiman’s anthology, Smoke and Mirrors and was adapted for this Dark Horse graphic novel by P. Craig Russell. Every medium has an effect on the content and meaning of a story but Craig has done an excellent job of retaining the essence of the tale. His use of pastel colours in the original City of Angels to depict both the world and the angels is beautiful and, in Los Angeles, his use of bright colours to depict both the day and light and black and dark shades of grey for the night and the dark are excellent in showing not only times but emotions. This is especially important in a tale as oblique as this in which pictures as metaphors are sometimes the only hints we have to what is really going on.
The story, itself, is typical Gaiman if anything he writes can be called typical. On the surface, it is deceptively simple but dig just a little deeper and there are worlds of moral questions being raised, most of which remain unanswered or ambiguous, including questions about the nature of God, love and death, free will, good versus evil, and vengeance versus mercy. It is the kind of story that will make you think and, as often as you read it, you will come away with a different interpretation.
The tale is very short at only 70 pages long. The final third is a dialogue with Russell in which he explains the transformation of Murder Mysteries from short story to audio tale to graphic novel, how he and Gaiman decided what to keep, what to change, and how it was to be presented. He also explains some of his own interpretation of the story. There are also some pictures of the original storyboards showing how the novel evolved.
Neil Gaiman’s Murder Mysteries is an intelligent and beautifully drawn graphic novel and shows once again why graphic novels are really not for kids. Very nice jo
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a bench and enjoy a smoke. He is approached by a stranger who asks for a cigarette. The stranger then tells the man about the very first murder mystery, one that happened in the original City of Angels long before Cain and Abel. The angels are in the process of creating the world when one of them is found dead. A new angel, Ragual, is created to act as God’s Vengeance. At first glance, the death looks like an accident but Ragual knows it is murder and he must uncover the perpetrator. Ragual discovers that many of the angels have secrets, not least of all, Lucifer, the most beautiful of all God’s angels. The motive for the murder is not simple or straightforward and Lucifer feels that mercy should be granted. But Ragual exists for one purpose – vengeance is his and he will take it. And, with this one act, Lucifer’s Fall from Grace is assured. Murder Mysteries was originally one of the short stories from Neil Gaiman’s anthology, Smoke and Mirrors and was adapted for this Dark Horse graphic novel by P. Craig Russell. Every medium has an effect on the content and meaning of a story but Craig has done an excellent job of retaining the essence of the tale. His use of pastel colours in the original City of Angels to depict both the world and the angels is beautiful and, in Los Angeles, his use of bright colours to depict both the day and light and black and dark shades of grey for the night and the dark are excellent in showing not only times but emotions. This is especially important in a tale as oblique as this in which pictures as metaphors are sometimes the only hints we have to what is really going on.
The story, itself, is typical Gaiman if anything he writes can be called typical. On the surface, it is deceptively simple but dig just a little deeper and there are worlds of moral questions being raised, most of which remain unanswered or ambiguous, including questions about the nature of God, love and death, free will, good versus evil, and vengeance versus mercy. It is the kind of story that will make you think and, as often as you read it, you will come away with a different interpretation.
The tale is very short at only 70 pages long. The final third is a dialogue with Russell in which he explains the transformation of Murder Mysteries from short story to audio tale to graphic novel, how he and Gaiman decided what to keep, what to change, and how it was to be presented. He also explains some of his own interpretation of the story. There are also some pictures of the original storyboards showing how the novel evolved.
Neil Gaiman’s Murder Mysteries is an intelligent and beautifully drawn graphic novel and shows once again why graphic novels are really not for kids. Very nice jo
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LibraryThing member mschaefer
Unusual setting for a murder mystery: heaven. Entertaining reading. And viewing.
LibraryThing member catya77
While trapped on an unexpected extended layover in LA, our narrator exchanges cigarettes for a story one night after meeting up with an old girlfriend. Life may not always turn out as planned, but is that a bad thing?
Artfully, though mildly cartoony at times, graphics add depth to the characters
Overall, a beautiful read.
Artfully, though mildly cartoony at times, graphics add depth to the characters
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and narrative. A complex and winding narrative manages to combine the initial and internal story mysteries extremely well.Overall, a beautiful read.
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LibraryThing member zzshupinga
ARC provided by NetGalley
God created Heaven and the Angels within. They were perfect and each had their purpose to play in the world to come. But even Angels can experience heartbreak...and murder. A world away a young Brit is stranded in LA and meets a...lost Angel. A ragged drifter named Raguel,
Neil Gaiman is a master storyteller for a reason. Who else could birth the world of Dream and the Endless in Sandman? Or tell us the story of a young girl who has an other mother with buttons for eyes in Coraline? His short stories are just as powerful and this is one of this best. First presented to the world in 2002 in one of his award winning short story collections, Neil tells the story of the first ever murder...one committed in the city of Angels itself. He weaves a deft and masterful story that will challenge your preconceptions of what you know and leave you haunted afterwards.
Craig Russell’s watercolor illustrations perfectly complement the story and are hauntingly eerie. They capture the essence of my mystery and sorrow within the words of the story and remind me a great deal of some of the illustrations in Sandman. A common problem I’ve seen with adapted stories into comic/graphic novels, is that they struggle with pacing and it’s clear that they try to cram too much into the story. Russell though does not struggle with this at all and you would never know that this was an adapted story.
If you’re a fan of Gaiman or Sandman or just of good stories then this is the book for you. Great for teen + readers and I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
God created Heaven and the Angels within. They were perfect and each had their purpose to play in the world to come. But even Angels can experience heartbreak...and murder. A world away a young Brit is stranded in LA and meets a...lost Angel. A ragged drifter named Raguel,
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who once served as the agent of God’s vengeance. And he tells the story of seeking justice and the killer hidden among the Angels. But the truth that he reveals, maybe more than he, or the young Brit can endure. And the world will forever be changed by what is revealed. Neil Gaiman is a master storyteller for a reason. Who else could birth the world of Dream and the Endless in Sandman? Or tell us the story of a young girl who has an other mother with buttons for eyes in Coraline? His short stories are just as powerful and this is one of this best. First presented to the world in 2002 in one of his award winning short story collections, Neil tells the story of the first ever murder...one committed in the city of Angels itself. He weaves a deft and masterful story that will challenge your preconceptions of what you know and leave you haunted afterwards.
Craig Russell’s watercolor illustrations perfectly complement the story and are hauntingly eerie. They capture the essence of my mystery and sorrow within the words of the story and remind me a great deal of some of the illustrations in Sandman. A common problem I’ve seen with adapted stories into comic/graphic novels, is that they struggle with pacing and it’s clear that they try to cram too much into the story. Russell though does not struggle with this at all and you would never know that this was an adapted story.
If you’re a fan of Gaiman or Sandman or just of good stories then this is the book for you. Great for teen + readers and I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
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LibraryThing member ozzieslim
This has become one of my all time favorites. The story of love and the fall is amazing. I now want to read the prose version in Neil Gaiman's Angels and Visitations.
I really enjoyed the graphic treatment although it was the prose that moved me more than the illustrations. I enjoyed the narration
There was something about this book that moved me very deeply. O have often taken time out to sit and think about this book.
I really enjoyed the graphic treatment although it was the prose that moved me more than the illustrations. I enjoyed the narration
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and the gift the narrator provided. There was something about this book that moved me very deeply. O have often taken time out to sit and think about this book.
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LibraryThing member joeydag
graphic novel of a tale within a tale. Angel murders Angel, Lord's vengeance, God's plan versus Los Angeles, Jack the Ripper, amnesia. Connecting link? Lord's mercy?
LibraryThing member hopeevey
I picked this up while trawling the library shelves for books my nephew might enjoy. I knew I had read it, but couldn't remember anything about it. It had been a long time since I'd read it.
Very soon after opening this volume I realized two things: I wasn't going to put it down until I'd finished,
Very soon after opening this volume I realized two things: I wasn't going to put it down until I'd finished,
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and this is amazingly not young reader appropriate. I look forward to sharing this with my nephew when he's older; it is an outstanding story, well told in this format. Show Less
LibraryThing member Linyarai
I didn't fully understand the ending, but I did enjoy the in-depth look at the different angels.
LibraryThing member thoroughlyme
An excellent radio adaptation of one of my favorite Neil Gaiman short stories. He always tackles various mythologies with such an ease and grace. And this whodunnit involving the first murder in Heaven is no different.
LibraryThing member Glennis.LeBlanc
This is a reissue of a graphic novel that I hadn't read before. With the story split between LA and Heaven and deals with murder. An angel in disguise barters a story for a cigarette. What unfolds is the story of the first murder in heaven. The story is good and the art is amazing. I didn't care
Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley
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for the ending that much but it is a good story. About a third of the book covers creating the comic and the decisions that went into so much of the art. A nice edition to have if you haven't picked it up before. Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley
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LibraryThing member ritaer
Read this in larger collection. The first murder occurs in the Silver City, not on earth, which has not been created yet. The angel set to solve it tells the tale centuries later to an Englishman visiting LA.
Subjects
Awards
Gaylactic Spectrum Award (Shortlist — 2003)
Language
Original publication date
2002
Physical description
64 p.; 10.47 inches
ISBN
156971634X / 9781569716342
Local notes
In this graphic novel adaptation of a Gaiman short story, angelic hosts labor to create the world when they find that one of their number has been killed by one of their own, which prompts Lucifer to dispatch Ragual, Angel of Vengeance, to find the culprit.
Rather more violent than I was expecting, and a little confusing.
Rather more violent than I was expecting, and a little confusing.