John Hartigan | |
---|---|
Sin City character | |
First appearance | That Yellow Bastard |
Created by | Frank Miller |
Portrayed by | Bruce Willis |
Publisher | Dark Horse Comics |
In-universe information | |
Full name | John Hartigan |
Gender | Male |
Affiliation(s) | Nancy Callahan |
Residence | Basin City |
Detective John Hartigan is a major protagonist in the Sin City series of graphic novels, written by Frank Miller. He is the central character in That Yellow Bastard , and has a small cameo in Just Another Saturday Night . Miller has announced he will be the main character of another story, set before That Yellow Bastard.
At the start of That Yellow Bastard, Hartigan is "pushing 60." He has a distinguishing cross-shaped scar on his forehead. He is presented as a muscular and imposing man, capable of holding his own in almost any fight. He also suffers from angina, which consistently affects his work, despite his attempts to ignore and fight through it. He is almost always dressed professionally, most commonly wearing an oxford shirt, tie, and dress slacks, along with his signature trenchcoat.
A veteran police detective of Basin City, Hartigan is gruff, stoic, and cynical. He is also completely selfless; he cares little about his own well-being as long as he can protect his fellow citizens. He risks his own safety and reputation to achieve safety for those he cares about, but this dedication eventually destroys his life. Hartigan possesses a seemingly indomitable will, able to withstand multiple bullet wounds without collapsing, and most notably being capable of willing himself back to life after being hanged. Hartigan has a distinctive way of narrating: he often talks to himself in his head, referring to himself as "stupid old man".
Hartigan's last case prior to his retirement is the investigation of a serial killer and rapist who preys on prepubescent girls. He eventually discovers that the killer is in fact Roark Junior, the son of Basin City's most powerful family. Despite rampant corruption in the legal system and numerous attempts on his life by Senator Roark (the killer's father), he pursues the case.
On his last night on the job, Hartigan is called to rescue Junior's newest intended victim, 11-year-old Nancy Callahan. His partner Bob (who is secretly on the Roark family's payroll) begs him to let the case go, but Hartigan refuses, punching Bob out and proceeding to the crime scene alone. Once there, he dispatches Roark Junior's henchmen and brutally punishes Roark Junior, shooting off the rapist's left ear, right hand, and genitals. Before Hartigan can kill Junior, however, Bob arrives on the scene and shoots Hartigan in the back several times, and in the chest shortly thereafter.
That night, Senator Roark visits Hartigan in the hospital, telling Hartigan that he will be framed for raping Nancy, and threatens to kill anyone who knows the truth. He pays to cure Hartigan's angina to ensure the detective will suffer as long as possible. Hartigan never confesses to the crime during the trial, but he does not say a word concerning Junior's guilt and allows himself to be convicted as a child molester. Over the next eight years, everyone he loves abandons him — except for Nancy, who worships him and writes him a letter every week. Nancy becomes his only reason to live; he accepts his fate so long as he believes she is safe.
Eight years later, the letters stop coming. At first, Hartigan suspects Nancy has simply outgrown him. However, someone then sends him a letter containing a human finger, and a stranger with bright yellow skin and a horrible odor visits Hartigan in person. Afraid for Nancy's safety, Hartigan confesses to raping her at his next parole hearing so he can protect her. With Senator Roark's approval, Hartigan is granted parole. Hartigan then seeks out Nancy at her last known address, a strip club known as Kadie's Bar. Nancy rushes into his arms and kisses him upon his arrival, and after their brief reunion, Hartigan realizes that he has been tricked into revealing Nancy's location. He flees the bar with Nancy, hiding in a cheap motel to try to evade the Roarks. During their stay at the motel, Hartigan resists Nancy's advances, albeit reluctantly. The stranger from earlier then finds and kidnaps both of them, revealing himself to be none other than Junior, alive but horribly disfigured by the medical treatments he underwent to repair the damage Hartigan caused. He leaves Hartigan at the end of a noose to die.
Through sheer force of will, he escapes from the trap and pursues Junior and Nancy back to the Roark family farm, where he rescues Nancy and then re-castrates Junior (this time with his bare hands) before beating him to death. After sharing a kiss with Nancy, he instructs her to leave the farm, telling her he will expose the Roarks and clear his name. However, upon her departure, he commits suicide with his own gun, narrating that this is the only way to truly protect Nancy from the Roark family.
Hartigan is portrayed by Bruce Willis in the 2005 film adaptation of Sin City. [1] According to many interviews, Willis, upon seeing one or two minutes of The Customer is Always Right short that Robert Rodriguez had brought with him as a proof of concept tool to get actors and other talent (most notably Frank Miller) on board, paused the DVD, turned to Rodriguez and said that whatever he saw from that point onwards, he wanted to be part of the project. Michael Douglas was considered for the role before Willis came on board.
Willis reprised the role in 2014's Sin City: A Dame to Kill For , where he portrayed Hartigan's ghost. He continues to watch over Nancy, attempting to dissuade her from avenging his death. He ultimately saves her from her would-be murderer, Senator Roark, by distracting him just long enough for her to kill the Senator.
Sin City is a series of neo-noir comics by American comic book writer-artist Frank Miller. The first story originally appeared in Dark Horse Presents Fifth Anniversary Special, and continued in Dark Horse Presents #51–62 from May 1991 to June 1992, under the title of Sin City, serialized in thirteen parts. Several other stories of variable lengths have followed. The intertwining stories, with frequently recurring characters, take place in Basin City.
Sin City is a 2005 American neo-noir crime anthology film directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller based on Miller's comic book series of the same name.
That Yellow Bastard is a six-issue comic book limited series and the sixth in the Sin City series. It was published by Dark Horse Comics in February–July 1996. It follows the usual black and white noir style artistry of previous Sin City novels, with the exception of yellow on Roark Junior late in the story.
Roark may refer to:
"The Hard Goodbye" is the first story in the American Sin City Comics series. It was serialized, as "Sin City", in the comics anthology Dark Horse Presents by Dark Horse Comics and named "The Hard Goodbye" in the trade paperbacks. It was created by Frank Miller, and led to a metaseries that has been adapted into a movie.
Dwight McCarthy is one of the principal characters in Frank Miller's Sin City universe. He appears in A Dame to Kill For, The Big Fat Kill, Family Values, The Babe Wore Red and That Yellow Bastard. He is the character that appears the most in all the Sin City yarns. He was portrayed by Clive Owen in the 2005 film, and by Josh Brolin in the 2014 prequel.
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For is a 2014 American action crime anthology film and follow-up to the 2005 film Sin City. Directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller, the script is written by Miller and is primarily based on the second book in the Sin City series by Miller, A Dame to Kill For.
Nancy Callahan is a fictional character from the graphic novel series Sin City, created by Frank Miller, based on "Dirty" Harry Callahan by Harry Julian Fink and R. M. Fink. She first appeared in "The Hard Goodbye" before becoming a more prominent character in later stories, most notably That Yellow Bastard.
Marvin "Marv" is a fictional character in the graphic novel series Sin City, created by Frank Miller. In the 2005 film adaptation and its 2014 sequel, he is played by Mickey Rourke. He first appears in The Hard Goodbye and follows with appearances in A Dame to Kill For, Just Another Saturday Night, and Silent Night. He makes a brief cameo in Blue Eyes.
Dirty Harry is an American neo-noir action thriller film series featuring San Francisco Police Department Homicide Division Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan. There are five films: Dirty Harry (1971), Magnum Force (1973), The Enforcer (1976), Sudden Impact (1983) and The Dead Pool (1988). Clint Eastwood portrayed Callahan in all five films and directed Sudden Impact.
The Roark family is a fictional dynasty from Frank Miller's graphic novel series Sin City.
Ava Lord is a fictional character in Frank Miller's Sin City universe, the title character in the graphic novel A Dame to Kill For. An ex-lover of Dwight McCarthy, she manipulates men with her good looks and an innocent facade for her own personal gain or amusement. An expert liar, she is considered a goddess by Manute, her towering manservant, and a "manipulative bitch" by Dwight. She represents the classic femme fatale, acting as a foil to Dwight's hard-boiled antihero.
The Girls of Old Town are fictional characters in Frank Miller's Sin City. Within the universe of Sin City, they are a group of self-governing prostitutes.
Kevin is a fictional character in Frank Miller's graphic novel series Sin City, featured prominently in The Hard Goodbye. He is a mute, cannibalistic serial killer who preys on the titular city's prostitutes, The Girls of Old Town. He is protected by the powerful Cardinal Patrick Henry Roark, who also acts as his accomplice. Kevin lives at the Roark family farm, and uses the basement as an execution chamber for his victims; after he kills and eats them, he stuffs and mounts their heads on the walls like hunting trophies.
The Gray Man is a 2007 biographical thriller film based on the actual life and events of American serial killer, rapist and cannibal Albert Fish. It premiered at the Montreal World Film Festival on August 31, 2007, and was scheduled for a theatrical release sometime in 2007. It is directed by Scott Flynn and stars Belgian actor Patrick Bauchau as Albert Fish.
Goldie and Wendy are fictional identical twins in the graphic novel series Sin City, created by Frank Miller. In the 2005 film adaptation, they are played by Jaime King. They are blond, dark-eyed femmes fatale.
The Night Runner is a 1957 American film noir drama film directed by Abner Biberman, produced by Albert J.Cohen and starring Ray Danton and Colleen Miller. Its screenplay was written by Gene Levitt. The story focuses on a released mental patient who falls in love but cannot control his violent urges.
The Fly on the Wall is a 1971 political crime novel by Tony Hillerman. The story features journalist John Cotton and is set in the unnamed capital city of an unnamed Midwestern state.