Torso

The artwork is so-so but the story is an interesting enough where my son can see why famous director, David Finches (“Seven”; “Panic Room”; “Zodiac”) would be so fascinated in turning this into a movie and trying to pull it out of development hell to get it made. It’s an intriguing film noir based on true events that feels made for a director to go wild with.

If you liked movies like Se7en, Zodiac, Manhunter, and Memories of Murder, you'll like this. This is probably the graphic novel I've enjoyed most other than the adaptation of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.

This is a beautiful and fun book, while also being a gritty and realistic noir story. The graphic panels are used very innovatingly to tell the story and set the tone of the scenes. I loved how much the city of Cleveland was incorporated into the story and used effectively to explain the nuances of the case. I wish they would take on more true crime stories.

Love this book! Growing up in Cleveland this case always fascinated me, and this is a great interpretation of the case! I honestly have no idea how more people don't know about these murders. It's not 100% factual, but it's great and I love the Garfield 1-23-23 reference also! (Those from Northeast Ohio will know what I'm talking about...lol)

Great art and a solid story. I would put it up with From Hell in terms of crime related graphic novels.

'Torso', a well-researched account of the investigation into the grisly crimes of one of America's first recorded serial killers, is an incredible read. Gritty and surreal, the art of Brian Bendis pushes the boundaries of the comic-book format, with lush, murky panels that swirl back and forth before the reader's eyes, imparting a dream-like motif to the story. Subtle use of actual photography and newsprint from the era remind you of the authenticity of the tale and serve to reinforce the feeling of having stepped into another time. Although this approach makes the sequence of panels and dialogue difficult to follow at times, the style adds weight to the material, and the plot unfolds much like a well-directed movie. This work is well deserving of the accolades it has received by both readers and critics alike (winning the prestigious Eisner award in 1999) and stands as a milestone achievement of the medium. However, the presentation of this marvelous comic is undeservedly marred by what is undoubtedly the worst binding I have ever seen in a trade paperback, or any paperback for that matter. I ordered this book brand new, and it literally fell apart in my hands as I read it, the pages pulling free of the glue lining the spine of the book. By the time I finished reading, I had an empty cover with the pages all fallen out. I have also seen new copies of 'Torso' at bookstores and I can assure you that this defect is not limited to my copy. This is unacceptable for such a towering work of this nature, and it puzzles me that Image comics would allow this. So until a better TPB is offered, or better yet, a hardcover version, I urge those who love comics to read it, but do not expect a collectible copy.

Clever blend of fact and imagination.

I don't know what it is about this volume, but I've had THREE different copies of this, all of which had the binding separate from it. I ordered two of them from Amazon only to find that the bad glue binding on the book had separated during transit. After returning the second one, I decided to just buy it from the local comic book store. After doing so, in the middle of reading it one night I turned the page and realized that the binding had become loose. A few days later I went to pick it up and the binding completely separated.The book itself was fantastic. Bendis being dark isn't something you get to see everyday, so this was a real treat. Torso is based on a true, twisted story of a series of unsolved murders. If you like mysteries or detective stories, this one is for you.Almost forgot to mention, a friend of mine picked up this book locally after I recommended that he read it. About a quarter into the book, his binding started to separated, as well.They need to seriously up their quality control because this is ridiculous.