The Mammoth Book of Best Crime Comics by Paul Gravett (ed.)
The Mammoth Book of Best Crime Comics is a compilation edited by Paul Gravett:
Paul Gravett edits and Peter Stanbury designs The Mammoth Book of Best Crime Comics. This is a 480-page collection of 24 mean, moody masterpieces, many painstakingly restored by Stanbury. They range from classic newspaper strips and notorious uncensored pre-Code comic books to the finest in American, British and European graphic novels.
The line-up includes: Dashiell Hammett & Alex Raymond, Will Eisner, Johnny Craig, Mickey Spillane, Bernie Krigstein, Alan Moore, Joe Simon & Jack Kirby, Neil Gaiman, Alex Toth, Jacques Tardi, Jordi Bernet, Paul Grist, Jack Cole, Charles Burns, Max Allan Collins, and José Muñoz & Carlos Sampayo. Highlights include the first comic book appearance by Mike Hammer’s prototype written by Spillane and shot from the original comic book artwork, and the never-before-reprinted last ever comic book by EC genius Bernie Krigstein, a bizarre 87th Precinct tie-in to Ed McBain’s famous characters.
The entire book (outside of the comic reprints, of course) uses two fonts for everything: Tarnation and Cooper Black. Even the legalese and barcode! The cover illustration is by Jordi Bernet and design is credited to Peter Stanbury.
