History ComicBook / HardBoiled

* BittersweetEnding / DownerEnding: [[spoiler: Nixon is ultimately defeated, rebuilt as Carl once more, and ends up right back where he started. Barbara's robot revolution fails, and she commits suicide by hooking up to a generator and overloading her own circuits.]] Whether it's Bittersweet or a Downer depends on whether or not you sympathize more with Nixon or [[spoiler: the robots (who were really just using him the same way Willeford was).]]

''Hard Boiled'' is a 1990 three-issue comic written by FrankMiller and illustrated by Creator/GeofDarrow. It follows Carl Seltz, a gun-toting, tougher-than-nails, kicking ass and taking names, hard as steel, cold as ice, ultra-deadly insurance investigator.

The first issue picks up [[InMediasRes during Carl's previous tenure as a municipal tax collector, who is on his latest pursuit of a tax evader]] through [[CrapsackWorld an urban hell]]. The mostly dialogue-free chase crashes through many of the city's environs, including a murder-themed sexporium. The sequence ends with Carl's apprehension of his target, though the physical demands of the hunt leave his life in the balance. [[spoiler: Fortunately, he's a cyborg, and his bosses at [[MegaCorp The Company]] [[WeCanRebuildHim can rebuild him.]]]]

As the story progresses, Carl's seemingly normal life starts looking less and less so--his family knocks him out when strange dreams disturb his sleep, and his memory seems to be so full of holes that he can't remember his own name, frequently referring to himself as "Nixon". Eventually, while (violently) pursuing a delinquent account, he is horribly injured (again) and discovers the truth: [[spoiler: He is actually more than a cyborg, he's a robot built by Willeford Home Appliances for use as an assassin, and his family are all paid handlers.]] The people he was chasing, [[spoiler: also robots]], attempt to recruit him into [[spoiler: their planned revolution against their human masters]], but all Carl/Nixon wants is to go back home after a long, hard day at work...

''[[ComicBook.HardBoiled Hard Boiled]]'' is a 1990 three-issue comic written by FrankMiller and illustrated by Creator/GeofDarrow. It follows Carl Seltz, a gun-toting, tougher-than-nails, kicking ass and taking names, hard as steel, cold as ice, ultra-deadly insurance investigator.

* CoversAlwaysLie: the hardback's cover shows the protagonist facing off against hordes of punks, suggesting a DeathWish-style plot; nothing to do with the actual story.

''[[ComicBook.HardBoiled Hard Boiled]]'' is a 1990 three-issue comic written by FrankMiller and illustrated by GeofDarrow. It follows Carl Seltz, a gun-toting, tougher-than-nails, kicking ass and taking names, hard as steel, cold as ice, ultra-deadly insurance investigator.

* RealSoonNow: Geof Darrow's art is ''obsessively'' detailed, which goes a long way to explaining why completing the series' three-issue run took three ''years''.

As the story progresses, Carl's seemingly normal life starts looking less and less so--his family knocks him out when strange dreams disturb his sleep, and his memory seems to be so full of holes that he can't remember his own name, frequently referring to himself as "Nixon". Eventually, while (violently) pursuing a delinquent account, he is horribly injured (again) and discovers the truth: [[spoiler: He is actually more than a cyborg, he's a robot built by Willeford Home Appliances for use as an assassin, and his family are all paid handlers.]] The people he was chasing, [[spoiler: also robots]], attempt to recruit him into their against [[spoiler: their human masters]], but all Carl/Nixon wants is to go back home after a long, hard day at work...

As the story progresses, Carl's seemingly normal life starts looking less and less so--his family knocks him out when strange dreams disturb his sleep, and his memory seems to be so full of holes that he can't remember his own name, frequently referring to himself as "Nixon". Eventually, while (violently) pursuing a delinquent account, he is horribly injured (again) and discovers the truth: [[spoiler: He is actually more than a cyborg, he's a robot built by Willeford Home Appliances for use as an assassin, and his family are all paid handlers.]] The people he was chasing, [[spoiler: also robots]], attempt to recruit him into their against [[their human masters]], But all Carl/Nixon wants is to go back home after a long, hard day at work...

* BittersweetEnding / DownerEnding: [[spoiler: Nixon is ultimately defeated, rebuilt as Carl once more, and ends up right back where he started. Barbara's robot revolution fails, and she commits suicide by hooking up to a generator and overloading her own circuits. Whether it's Bittersweet or a Downer depends on whether or not you sympathize more with Nixon or the robots (who were really just using him the same way Willeford was).]]

''[[ComicBook.HardBoiled Hard Boiled]]'' is a 1990 three-issue comic written by FrankMiller and illustrated by GeofDarrow. It follows Carl Selz, a gun-toting, tougher-than-nails, kicking ass and taking names, hard as steel, cold as ice, ultra-deadly insurance investigator.

The first issue picks up [[InMediasRes during Carl's previous tenure as a municipal tax collector, who is on his latest pursuit of a tax evader]] through [[CrapsackWorld an urban hell]]. The mostly dialogue-free chase crashes through many of the city's environs, including a murder-themed sexporium. The sequence ends with Carl's apprehension of his target, though the physical demands of the hunt leave his life in the balance. [[spoiler: Fortunately, he's a cyborg, and his bosses at [[MegaCorp The Company]] can rebuild him.]]

* BittersweetEnding / DownerEnding: [[spoiler: Nixon is ultimately defeated, rebuilt as Carl once more, and ends up right back where he started. Barbara's robot revolution fails and she commits suicide by hooking up to a generator and overloading her own circuits. Whether it's Bittersweet or a Downer depends on whether or not you sympathize more with Nixon or the robots (who were really just using him the same way Willeford was).]]

* PunchClockHero: At least in issue one, Carl's actions are all part of his 9-5 job.

* [[spoiler: BittersweetEnding / DownerEnding: Nixon is ultimately defeated, rebuilt as Carl once more, and ends up right back where he started. Barbara's robot revolution fails and she commits suicide by hooking up to a generator and overloading her own circuits. Whether it's Bittersweet or a Downer depends on whether or not you sympathize more with Nixon or the robots (who were really just using him the same way Willeford was).]]
* {{Determinator}}: Nixon, you can shoot him, beat him and ram your car into him but he’ll still insist to see all your paperwork. [[spoiler: However after being torn up something fierce by his boss he finally relents and says “Uncle”.]]

* MegaCorp: The Company that employs Carl.

* UsedFuture: Future Los Angelis is covered in graffiti and litter, something’s never change.

* FatBastard: Mr Willeford, head of Willeford Home Applainces.

!!''Hard Boiled features examples of:

* MegaCorp: TheCompany that employs Carl.

MegaCorp: TheCompany that employs Carl.
PunchClockHero: At least in issue one, Carl's actions are all part of his 9-5 job.

The first issue picks up [[InMediasRes during Carl's previous tenure as a municipal tax collector, who is on his latest pursuit of a tax evader]] through [[CrapsackWorld an urban hell]]. The mostly dialogue-free chase crashes through many of the city's environs, including a murder-themed sexporium. The sequence ends with Carl's apprehension of his target, though the physical demands of the hunt leave his life in the balance. [[spoiler: Fortunately, he's a cyborg, and his bosses at [[MegaCorp The Company]] can rebuild him.]]

[[caption-width-right:316:Pictured:[[PunchClockHero A guy just trying to make ends meet.]]]]

[[caption-width-right:316:[[PunchClockHero Pictured: A guy just trying to make ends meet.]]]]

[[caption-width-right:316:[[PunchClockHero Pictured: A guy just trying to make ends meet.]]