{{Infobox comic book title | image = Sam noir first issue cover.jpg | caption = ''Sam Noir'' issue #1 | schedule = | format = Limited series | publisher = ShadowLine, Image Comics | date = September 2006— | issues = | main_char_team = | writers = Eric A Anderson<br />Manny Trembley | artists = Manny Trembley | pencillers = | inkers = | colorists = | creative_team_month = | creative_team_year = | creators = }}
'''''Sam Noir''''' is a comic book mini-series written by Eric A. Anderson/Manny Trembley and illustrated by Manny Trembley, first published in September 2006.
Rendered in grayscale, the comic is a fusion of hardboiled noir fiction and a samurai adventure tale. While originally a three-issue mini-series, the comic's popularity and critical acclaim caused it to continue, with another 3-issue "Ronin holiday" mini-series getting published by Image's ShadowLine imprint (the last page indicates another mini to be published in June 2007 but as of early 2009 no new series has been announced).<ref name=ign>{{cite web | url=http://comics.ign.com/articles/749/749706p1.html | title=The Samurai Detective Goes On Vacation | work=IGN | accessdate=December 7, 2006 }}</ref>
==Plot==
Sam Noir, a ronin detective, is paid to track a young woman named Jasmine, and after watching her for a while begins to fall in love with her. After Jasmine's murder by ninjas, Sam starts to look for "Master Fuyu", the man who ordered her assassination.
==Reception== Comics Bulletin calls ''Sam Noir''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s art "fantastic", but the story "more than a little derivative".<ref name=comicsbulletin>{{cite web|url=http://www.comicsbulletin.com/news/story.php?a=2577 |title=''Sam Noir: Samurai Detective'' #1 Review |work=Comics Bulletin |accessdate=December 7, 2006 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527220055/http://www.comicsbulletin.com/news/story.php?a=2577 |archivedate=May 27, 2014 }}</ref> Broken Frontier stated that "Anderson knows his hard-boiled style ... [making] the reading itself compelling—not to mention witty at times," while the art's "lyrical framing, evocative panel constructions, light and shadow effects [are] so well executed they’re like characters in the story".<ref name=broken>{{cite web | url=http://www.brokenfrontier.com/reviews/details.php?id=1013 | title=''Sam Noir: Samurai Detective'' #1 | work=Broken Frontier | accessdate=December 7, 2006 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20061112153537/http://www.brokenfrontier.com/reviews/details.php?id=1013 <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = November 12, 2006}}</ref>
Conversely, The X-Axis found the series "frustrating", stating that "it feels like there are two completely different, and better, comics struggling to get out - one which is much more funny, and one which takes [itself] entirely seriously".<ref name=xaxis>{{cite web | url=http://www.thexaxis.com/misc/samuraidetective1.htm | title=''Sam Noir: Samurai Detective'' #1 Review | work=The X-Axis | accessdate=December 7, 2006 }}</ref>
==Collected editions== * ''Sam Noir: Volume 1''. Image Comics 2007-06-13. {{ISBN|1-58240-758-4}} {{ISBN|978-1582407586}}
==Notes== {{Reflist}}
==References== {{Refbegin}} *{{comicbookdb|type=title|id=9608|title=''Sam Noir: Samurai Detective''}} {{Refend}}
== See also ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090327082031/http://www.trailerspy.com/trailer/3071/Sam-Noir--Trailer Video trailer:]
==External links== *[http://www.imagecomics.com/iconline.php?title=samnoir_001&page=cover Full Issue: ''Sam Noir: Samurai Detective'' #1], Image Comics *[http://www.pandaxpress.com/ PandaXpress!] Anderson and Trembley's ongoing webcomic
Category:Shadowline titles Category:Neo-noir comics Category:Image Comics limited series