Honestly, I didn't expect to like this. And it's not that I make a habit of reading books that I expect to dislike, but I am trying to read more broadly. Sin City is a very famous example of its type, so... why not, essentially. And admittedly the opening didn't seem promising. Crapsack world, a woman murdered to provide motivation, other women who exist mostly to be tortured or naked, a man who likes to talk up how bad he is (alright, it might be true but it does come off at first as drama llama bragging, an attempt at edge tipped over into eye-rolling hyperbole). None of these things excite me in stories.

But despite myself I got interested. And found myself rooting for poor old Marv - despite myself, again. And the artwork is interesting, and the unrelenting grimness doesn't get forced aside for a happy ending, and that unhappy end is even a bit sorrow-tinged. So reading outside my comfort zone has paid off here - I don't love it, but the library has the rest of the series and I plan on reading them all now, simply because I want to, so that's something.