More of what made the first Sin City great, with a different hero, a different woman, and a different villain.

With Hartigan, Miller has created another Marv: a man so intent on doing what's right that he won't let his corrupted, broken-down city stop him, no matter the punishment. Everything I said about the first book still applies here, except for one weakness: the villain in That Yellow Bastard isn't as frightening as Kevin, mostly because the yellow bastard here actually says a few words.

But Miller more than makes up for a weaker villain with a more powerful story about love--the engine of this tale. Whereas Marv in the first book was in love with a fiction, there is something real and moving about Hartigan's love for Nancy, the little girl he rescues in the opening pages. Despite the gruesomeness and cruelty of the rest of the story, this central relationship grounds the book in something strong and wholesome, and it gives the conclusion of the story a poignancy that was only hinted at in Marv's story.

It's also a joy to see all the little links drawn up between this book and the rest of the Sin City series, from Nancy herself to a brief glimpse of Kevin (*shiver*) and Dwight, the hero of another book.

As a sidenote: I keep wondering whether Miller will ever one day write a Sin City tale that wipes the entire Roark family of the face of the earth. God knows they deserve it.

At any rate, That Yellow Bastard is another worthy addition to the Sin City universe, filled with the same sharp writing, beautiful black-and-white artwork, and passionate storytelling that makes the entire series one of comics' best.

Copyright © 2002 Steven Wu