Hmmm…. Yes and no. Yes, to the sexy dame that's accompanying the anti-hero here. Yes to some of the puzzling scenario, concerning a family riven with dark secrets. But no to some other things – the hokum involved, the unlikely and frankly unnecessary Australian setting, and so on. Some images and frames here will certainly stick in the memory, but alongside those will be the odd decision of these French creators to choose such an unusual location for playing their story out. It does ultimately feel they went for something they thought would add maximum distinction to a relatively ordinary story. Well, their bluff is called – and this remains relatively ordinary.

First of all that cover is really good. But i can't say that i am that into the story. It is definitely dark but something was missing. I wish there was more of the story.

This was a fine, if not especially twisty, noir that was especially entertaining because of its interesting, colorful and authentic Australia setting. The hero had an imaginary companion in his head, and she tormented him in an amusingly dark fashion. The drawing was crisp and effective and enhanced but didn't overwhelm the story telling.

Ventisette anni, sessantasette coltellate: sono i numeri che separano Greg dall'afosa, opprimente cittadina dell'outback australiano in cui è cresciuto, e in cui è stata uccisa Lee, sua moglie.

Nascosto nelle vaste praterie, dedito all'allevamento di pecore, con l'unica compagnia del suo fedele cane e dell'immagine provocante di Lee, Greg viene riportato al mondo dei vivi dalla confessione di suo fratello Ike: morente, giura di aver ucciso lui la cognata, facendo ritrovare insieme l'arma del delitto.

Ma il senso di colpa, la gelosia, e ventisette anni di lontananza permetteranno a Greg di riappropriarsi di una vita che non è più la sua? E, sopratutto: la verità, è davvero, finalmente, esposta alla luce del sole?  

Un discreto noir, apprezzabile sopratutto per l'ambientazione inusuale, che però scava poco nella psicologia dei personaggi, limitandosi solo a suggerire  motivazioni e retroscena.

This is one of the most bizarre story I’ve read in a long time. The beginning I had a hard time getting into until I finished the book. Then I reread it. My feeling is that it was intentionally designed for men reading it because it comes across cold and bloody. I had a hard time sympathizing the main character . However the illustrations are beautiful and colorful!
This isn’t my type, though. I received this ARC in an exchange for my honest review.

Great art and a gripping story!

On his death bed Ike Hopper confesses to a 27 year old murder. His brother who was originally accused of the crime has been hiding for all those years and now he can come home free of suspicion, but there is much more to this death bed confession than meets the eye and there is also a dead wife who is still very much around.

The colouring and artwork are excellent and they manage to convey the grittiness of the story. The story is set in Australia and conveys that small town, outback feel. The impact of both the murder and the confession are brilliantly conveyed through the artwork.

It is a short graphic novel but with incredible punch! Well worth reading!

Copy provided by Europe Comics via Netgalleg in exchange for an unbiased review.

I found this really disappointing. The premise seemed so interesting but the execution of it was just poor. I gave up 75% of the way through as i did not connect with the characters or care too much about the story. I think the thing that stopped me from getting too invested in the story was the art style as i just didn't like it.

3.5 Stars. The artwork in A Hell of an Innocent is gorgeous and has a vintage noir look. The panels I enjoyed the most were the buildings and a kitchen scene. Just stunning. I enjoyed the artwork much more than I did the story. I look forward to seeing more from this author in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an unbiased review.

We don't see quite enough Australian Noir and certainly not in the graphic novel form. Featuring bright brilliant artwork, a blonde temptress femme fatale who keeps returning Sixth Sense style, a violent murder, small town gossip, family loyalty, jealousy, and self-imposed exile. The theme is dark, but not the art. Great stuff!