John Hartigan
Encyclopedia
Detective John Hartigan is a major protagonist in the Sin City
series of graphic novel
s, 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.
, 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 himself as "stupid old man".
and rapist
who preys on prepubescent girls. He eventually discovers that the killer is 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) tells 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 doesn't 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. Disturbed by their meeting and by the mysterious letter, Hartigan confesses to raping Nancy at his next parole hearing, in an effort to gain freedom and seek out Nancy. 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 Junior. 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.
It is here that we are shown another example of Hartigan's superhuman strength, as he wills himself from death and departs after Junior and Nancy. He pursues them 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 the Blackhawk, narrating that this is the only way to protect Nancy from the Roark family.
in the 2005 film adaptation
. 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, he 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.
Sin City
Sin City is the title for a series of neo-noir comics by 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...
series of graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
s, written by Frank Miller
Frank Miller (comics)
Frank Miller is an American comic book artist, writer and film director best known for his dark, film noir-style comic book stories and graphic novels Ronin, Daredevil: Born Again, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City and 300...
. He is the central character in That Yellow Bastard
That Yellow Bastard
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...
, 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.
Appearance
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 a 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.Personality
A veteran police detective of Basin City, Hartigan is gruff, stoicSTOIC
STOIC was a variant of Forth.It started out at the MIT and Harvard Biomedical Engineering Centre in Boston, and was written in the mid 1970s by Jonathan Sachs...
, 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 himself as "stupid old man".
In That Yellow Bastard
Hartigan's last case prior to his retirement is the investigation of a serial killerSerial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
and rapist
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
who preys on prepubescent girls. He eventually discovers that the killer is Roark Junior, the son of Basin City's most powerful family
Roark family
The Roark family is a fictional dynasty from Frank Miller's graphic novel series Sin City.The family is made up of corrupt officials and landowners of Irish descent, who hold absolute power in Basin City. They are the main antagonists in the series, and are frequent catalysts to various plots and...
. 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
Nancy Callahan
Nancy Callahan is a fictional character from the graphic novel series Sin City, created by Frank Miller. She first appeared in The Hard Goodbye before becoming a more prominent character in later stories, most notably That Yellow Bastard....
. His partner Bob (who is secretly on the Roark family's payroll) tells 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 doesn't 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. Disturbed by their meeting and by the mysterious letter, Hartigan confesses to raping Nancy at his next parole hearing, in an effort to gain freedom and seek out Nancy. 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 Junior. 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
Noose
A noose is a loop at the end of a rope in which the knot slides to make the loop collapsible. Knots used for making nooses include the running bowline, the tarbuck knot, and the slip knot.-Use in hanging:...
to die.
It is here that we are shown another example of Hartigan's superhuman strength, as he wills himself from death and departs after Junior and Nancy. He pursues them 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 the Blackhawk, narrating that this is the only way to protect Nancy from the Roark family.
Film appearance
Hartigan is portrayed by Bruce WillisBruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
in the 2005 film adaptation
Sin City (film)
Sin City, also known as Frank Miller's Sin City, is a 2005 crime thriller film written, produced and directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez...
. According to many interviews, Willis, upon seeing one or two minutes of The Customer is Always Right short that Robert Rodriguez
Robert Rodriguez
Robert Anthony Rodríguez is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, editor and musician. He shoots and produces many of his films in his native Texas and Mexico. He has directed such films as Desperado, From Dusk till Dawn, The Faculty, Spy Kids, Sin City, Planet...
had brought with him as a proof of concept
Proof of concept
A proof of concept or a proof of principle is a realization of a certain method or idea to demonstrate its feasibility, or a demonstration in principle, whose purpose is to verify that some concept or theory that has the potential of being used...
tool to get actors and other talent (most notably Frank Miller) on board, he 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
Michael Douglas
Michael Kirk Douglas is an American actor and producer, primarily in movies and television. He has won three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards; first as producer of 1975's Best Picture, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and as Best Actor in 1987 for his role in Wall Street. Douglas received the...
was considered for the role before Willis came on board.