Raymond Chandler's Trouble is My Business by Arvind Ethan David, Ilias Kyriazis and Cris Peter

 

Raymond Chandler is one of the first names that come to mind when you think of hard-boiled detectives and noir mysteries. I was excited to see one of his stories told as a graphic novel. Arvin Ethan David with the writing, Ilias Kyriazis with the pencils and ink, and Cris Peter with the colors did an amazing job! Just by looking at the cover, you can tell they are in tune with the mood, the period, and the attitude of this story.

Philip Marlowe is the epitome of the seen-it-all, nothing fazes him, I'm going to solve this mystery sort of detective. When approached by another detective looking to subcontract a job, he decides to take it. A woman who works for a gambler has her hooks in a rich kid's son, and Marlowe's job is to get her hooks out of him. 

Marlowe sizes up the girl and decides he likes her, even if he doesn't trust her. That makes his job just a little more difficult. His curiosity to learn what's really going on lands him in the path of a couple of fists and a couple of bullets. He solves the mystery eventually, but very few people end up happy.

This is a great story. It starts with great source material from Raymond Chandler, but David, Kryiazis and Peter translate it wonderfully into a graphic novel. Arvin David takes Chandler's prose and conveys it in the visual medium that allows pictures to tell the story while preserving the same snappy dialogue and inner monologues that make this work a classic. Kyriazis and Peter add the images that propel the story, conveying action, mood, and emotion through pictures and color. The lettering is extremely creative, not only with different fonts for each character, but also with the placement of the dialogue bubbles, which convey when dialogue is delivered rapidly back and forth and when it is delivered more languidly. 

This was a fun read and a great visual experience. It also reminded me of how much I enjoy Raymond Chandler's work and makes me want to reread his stories. A great adaptation of the story, one that should be enjoyed by both old and new fans alike.  

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.

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