Alan Moore's A Small Killing TP

At the time I write this review, A Small Killing has an overall customer rating of 2.5 stars - surprisingly low, both for an Alan Moore book and for a book that won the Eisner award in 1994 for best graphic novel. If I had to guess, I would say this has the lowest review for any Alan Moore book on Amazon. Presumably, the people who gave this a low review got something they were not expecting. If you're familiar with Alan Moore from his American-style action/adventure/superhero works (Watchmen, V for Vendetta, LXG, Tom Strong, etc.) be forewarned that this book is absolutely nothing like what you're expecting.A Small Killing is a completely psychological story told through metaphor and heavy-handed symbolism. It is an exploration of one man's inner guilt and feelings of failure told through memories dating to his childhood. There is almost no action, heroes or villains to speak of. Rather, it a journey backwards in time through the life an English-born 1980s Yuppie working in the advertising industry in NYC. Themes explored include loss of innocence, the malleability of memory, denial, and guilt. There is also some minor commentary on capitalism and consumer-culture. I was not a fan of the art, which looks to me like blurry watercolor paintings done by a child. However, it is adequate to tell the story.I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of European-style graphic novels, or some of the American adult-themed nonfiction books. The beginning is a little rough as you try to piece together the plot (which again, in many ways is told in reverse chronology.) However, about halfway through all the pieces fall into place and the book really picks up. By the end, I was turning the pages with anticipation as fast any action/superhero comic.

top notch underground alan moore. a strange, difficult, disconnected story. the grant morrison side of alan moore, a bit? minus the science fiction.

Not sure I get the bad reviews. Maybe they didn't read the whole thing? Hmm, wait a minute! I'm on to something. Honestly, when I read this for the first time, at about halfway through, I was not sure I wanted to go on. It was depressing, the lead was unlikeable. Then the last page. Wow. Killed me. I remember reading the last page, in the bathroom (lol), and I was just in tears. Something about that orange soda. Heavy stuff. It hits in the way that the Accidental Tourist hits, the final scene where Hurt finally does what he hasn't done in two hours: Smile. And then you just get it. That's what this work was for me. A hand reaches for a soda pop and you just get it. If you don't, I feel for you.

A Small Killing is definitely not one of Alan Moore's best stories, but it does contain some interesting literary ideas about memory and guilt. The art by Oscar Zarate did not really captivate me and I found myself actually speeding through the book rather than savoring the panels as I would a well-drawn comic or graphic novel. Not that Zarate does not draw well; it's just that his style does not appeal to me, with its wavy lines and scenes that could have been a bit more detailed. Alan Moore uses beautiful prose, but the story is ultimately boring and does not allow the reader to sympathize with the main character Timothy Hole during his brief encounters with his other self, which is basically what the entire book consists of. Overall, a disappointing read.

Alan Moore, A Small Killing (Avatar Press, 2003)Timothy Hole ("that's pronounced 'Holly', actually.") is a British ad man who's been marooned in America for years, but now finds himself behind what may be the biggest campaign of his career, marketing cola to the Russians. Just when he thinks his life is on track, though, he finds himself being stalked by a psychotic small child... yes, you've seen this storyline many, many times before (and you'll be able to suss out the ending after the first few pages). Because of this, the book lives or dies on how well Moore tells the story. You might expect a lot from the guy who brought us Watchmen, Lost Girls, and V for Vendetta. And you'd be right to, which makes A Small Killing that much more disappointing. The story is shot through with annoyances and distractions (every crowd scene is a chore). When Moore is on his game, he's one of the best in the business, but he seems to be on his game, well, not much of the time here. For the Moore completist only. **

This really seems more like something Alan Moore did when he had to work at being deep, like in high school. It has none of the layered complexity of anything else I've ever read by him, and whatever simple surprises there are in the story are easily figured out beforehand. Not much of anything happens in A Small Killing, and even by the late 80s (when the book was originally released) characters being stalked by demonic children was pretty stale.So I guess consider avoiding anything Alan Moore describes as "deeply personal". He's way more interesting dealing with superheroes and society at large. I'd have given it a rating of 1 if the art weren't kind of cool.

A very convoluted story that really never gives any suspense because the answer is the only obvious conclusion. Truly a "huh?".

It really starts with our main character. His inner dialogue and thoughts are a broken mess and I understand that’s the point. He’s suffering. But, it’s not fun to read page after page after page. He rarely has too many coherent thoughts strung together that it gets old fast. The actual story itself can sometimes be tough to follow and I feel like the writing in some panels didn’t need to be there. The writing gets in the way of the art and there are no quiet moments when there should be, but it’s Alan Moore, so expect an over abundance of it.I still enjoyed it for the most part and it might be worth a read to the die hard Moore fan, but overall I’d skip it.

looks, feels, and smells greatbut the story is dull and whatever point Moore is trying to make, will be lost on most individuals

Mejor precio que en cualquier otro lado, llegó de inmediato (1 día antes de lo esperado), aunque no venía envuelto en el plástico que siempre ocupan el producto se encontraba en perfectas condiciones.