Social Blunderer

A brave and wonderfully funny anthology of strips that accurately capture what a weird and painful experience that lockdown was. There are guffaw producing gags about cats and hygiene as well as more melancholy pieces about missing loved ones and being unable to get out of bed.

Racheal’s art is superb. It reminded me of Kate Beaton’s work in the way she has mastered comedic timing and knowing when how to use facial expressions to make her emotional points pack the most punch.

Rachel isn’t shy about sharing her mental health struggles which form a base for many of the comics. These struggles are used for both comedic and melancholic effect.

As a chronicle of Covid-19, this Quarantine Comix reveals much of what most of us were going through. How absurd and stressful the whole blasted thing was. Uplifting without being sugary sweet. Thank you, Racheal.

ARC courtesy of Netgally. Please consider using this link to buy the book.

Wahcommo is a staggeringly imaginative work of world-building that is utterly fearless, taking inspiration from Nordic, Native American, Japanese and Western cultures to create something on par with Tchaikovsky’s Echoes of the Fall or Avatar: Legend of Aang.

Kaya and Fox are flawed characters, young and brimming with confidence and self-importance. Despite the seriousness of the task given to them, the pair constantly bicker and undermine each other. Much of the book explores the burdens of tradition, why they are important to maintain and why it is essential for them to be challenged.

Wahcommo is an absorbing adventure story with plenty of thrillingly action sequences full of blood and magic. The slower contemplative moments where the sweeping vistas of the fantasy world where the story takes place allow you to catch your breath before our heroes go into the breach once more.

NCT’s art is stunning. Blending different fantasy elements influenced by different cultures is incredibly difficult to do smoothly. Here it just works. There are no awkward juxtapositions. The character designs are superb. You can tell a tremendous amount of research and work was taken in creating the look of everything in the world of Wahcommo. There is a tired and lived-in quality to everything on the page; nothing is shiny and new. It is a hard world full of hard people. The linework is rough, giving it a sketch-like quality where the colours adding a great deal of depth and richness to the illustrations.

The chase and battles scenes are up there with the very best. One chase sequence where our heroes are trying to escape capture by town guards that hard turning the pages faster than I could reasonably read and comprehend what was happening.

It is not without flaws. I have seen other reviews complaining that these sequences were difficult to follow, but I didn’t find that to be the case save for some pages towards the end of the book. The ending also felt somewhat rushed, which I think is a fair comment. The plot itself is also fairly basic, but who cares when it is propped up by art as gorgeous as this.

Wahcommo is a treatise on why civilisations rise and crumble disguised as a coming of age story. It is an exhilarating fantasy romp, and I really hope the NCT returns to the world they have created here with more adventures.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Please consider using this affliate link to buy the book.

I hadn’t heard of Primo Levi before reading this graphic novel. Levi was an Italian Jewish chemist, partisan, Holocaust survivor and writer. The narrative device used to frame Levi’s life story is Levi visiting a class of school children to speak to them about the Holocaust and his time in a concentration camp.

Arranging the story this way cleverly negates the clumsy exposition often found in a history book. It is natural for Levi to explain what happened to him and his family and why. Levi is portrayed as a charming and determined man who is steadfast in his mission that the past not repeat itself. Mastragostino decision to have the children ask questions of Levi as to why he did or did not do certain things is impactful, as are their reactions when Levi recounts the hardships he underwent.

Ranghiasci art is purposeful and fluid, capturing moments of grief and solace with equal adeptness. They have a knack for drawing highly expressive faces. Despite the grimness of the subject matter, it is a smooth graphic novel to read. The text never overshadows the monochrome illustrations. There are sections of the book that feature drawings of dead Holocaust victims that are difficult to look at.

Overall, Primo Levi is a striking written and enthrallingly illustrated biography of a remarkable man that went through so much. It is the sort of book that acts as a perfect jumping-off point for someone looking to learn more about the Jewish experience in Italy during WW2. Levi’s attempt to resist fascist forces by joining the partisans is something that I’ll definitely be doing further reading on.

What a delight this horror anthology is. All the stories are just about perfectly paced, each panel intensifying the tension, deftly guiding the reader along a creepy passage. Horror comics are exceedingly difficult to do well. It, therefore, is a real treat to read something that is as refined as this. What Howard does with Crossroads at Midnight is put sympathetic well-written characters at the centre of each of the stories. Horror has a terrible reputation for being exploitative yet this is anything but that. The tales range from the body horror of someone having their skin stolen to a chiller about feuding siblings.

The linework is fluid and some of the creature designs evoke Junji Ito and some David Clowes creepier stuff. You can almost see the scratch mark of the pencils, cleverly using crosshatching and shadows to give us enough light to the characters and creatures in the comic. The Boy at the beach is one of the most disturbing antagonists I have seen on a page in some time. While the monsters are sinister and weird I think most of the praise should be aimed at how Howard depicts the emotions that the more human characters are feeling. Howard is able to frame the realisations of characters understanding how much trouble they have got themselves and more action-heavy sequences with equal aplomb.

For those looking for their next horror fix, this is superior stuff. Exactly the sort of thing that needs to be read late at night under the bedsheets with a torch. Howard is a graphic novelist to keep an eye out for.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Please consider using this link to but the book.

A curious and deeply personal look at the effects of epilepsy on a young woman’s life. Using art as a way of coping with her condition and the subsequent treatments that she undergoes Elodie explores the fragility of memories, the difficulty of living with a condition that changes the way you think and process information, and how trauma can both devastate and bring families together.

The artwork is profound and emotive, veering from disturbingly abstract representations of illnesses to cartoony line drawings of Elodie’s interactions with the people in her life.

I’m not sure if enjoyable is the right word but I found it to be a well-constructed novel that I think rewards the reader with an ultimately uplifting experience.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Please consider using this link to but the book.

What Unites Us is a timely polemic from the veteran journalist. Dan Rather is as always highly eloquent and these graphic essays do a superb job of articulating his arguments about the values that he believes binds the citizens of the United States together. Often using moments from his life and career to demonstrate the point that he is making the essays touch on democracy, equality, and the environment. Rather is blunt about the challenges facing America and is clear about the fact that he does not have all the answers.

The novel often harkens back to a past imperfect with both a sweet sentimentality and a willingness to reassess often scathingly at the way things were.

Foley’s palette uses a mixture of blues and reds. He mixes these hues innovatively to punctuate a particular image or to evoke iconic moments like Obama’s hope posters. Which I think is apt as hope for a better future is something that permeates through much of Rather’s writing. He is keen on demonstrating how much progress has been made and that we should see this as an example of the progress we can make in the future. Foley does some clever stuff here, there is a lot of text in the book but it never overshadows the gorgeous illustrations.

The images that really remained with me were the sections about Martin Luther King and his criticism and praise of journalism’s role in the Iraq war.

Having not read the prose it’s difficult for me to gauge how faithful this adaptation is. However, on its own merits, this is a graphic novel well worth reading regardless of where you stand politically. Folley breathes new life into Ratner’s words which is a splendid achievement.

Thanks the Netgalley for the ARC.

Brain Drain is a riveting and humorous crime caper. It is very, very, very loosely inspired by the bizarre true story of what happened to Albert Einstein brain he died.

Our protagonist is Thomas Stoltz Harvey, a fed up pathologist who seizes the opportunity to steal Albert’s brain. His flimsy justification for this breach of the hypotactic oath is to make scientific discoveries about the nature of Einstein’s genius.

What follows is an exquisite and layered comedy caper. It is so funny. Gomont has a full bag of tricks from sight gags to snappy one liners. I particularly enjoyed the whimsical Walter Mitty-esque flights sequences that are skewered in the next panel by the awful reality of the situation Stoltz has put himself in.

What I really like about Brain Drain is that it is prepared to go weird which in my opinion really heightens the farcical tension.

From the moment that Stoltz steals the brain he is hiding or running away from the hospital administration, his family, Einstein’s executors, and the FBI. It’s rare for me to read a comic with my hands over my eyes due to cringe inducing panels.

The cast of characters in Brain Drain is delightful. My favourite the no-nonsense Otto who berates everyone within earshot. Stoltz despite all his flaws is a character that you root for. Reading how he gets himself and out of jams was just a joy. I really enjoyed Brain Drain. Can’t wait for part 2. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Raven book 1 is an entertaining adventure tale that has a sort of boisterous energy on every page. The action is brilliantly illustrated and the story itself has enough intrigue to keep you turning the page. There is a fair bit of violence and bloodshed so maybe not one for some younger readers that might be fans of The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

Unfortunately, the cast of characters are all a bit boilerplate. We have the stubborn nobleman Count de Montignac and his sweet daughter Anne. Kemba who is Raven’s wise and witty mentor. This is fine as there is enough nuance and smart dialogue to make you care about them (apart from Lady Darksee who as a villain is truly despicable).

For those that fancy a graphic novel full derring-do on the high seas or something a bit darker and violent than Pirates of the Caribbean, this is a real treat. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I am quite fond of London. There is not a lot of fiction about the Polish community in the UK, and it was refreshing to read a story about them. This is an offbeat and good-humoured look at the life of Mikolaj and Gosia as they struggle to make ends meet. Despite working long hours for little money and being far from home, Mikolaj grows to enjoy his life in London. There is an affecting conversation between Mikolaj and Gosia discussing when they are going to go home, with Mikolaj musing that he misses being in Poland when he is in London but misses London when he is in Poland. The themes of homesickness, racism, and poverty are all explored with an unsentimental eye. It is a character-driven slice of life drama. The non-linear structure might grate on some.

The black and white art has a contemporary feel to it. There are many gags in London and the sense of timing in their delivery in perfect. However, the panel layouts are occasionally too dense for my taste. Overall, Trejnis does an exemplary job of making the story feel authentic and delivers the story well.

There is no soft coating the difficulty of the lives that Mikolaj and Gosia live in London, making the climax of the book all the more touching. London is a properly entertaining and distinctive story about immigrant life.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

An enjoyable sci-fi romp with sublime art. I read this in one sitting. In terms of tone and art style, it is somewhere between Moebius and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. This French comic wears its manga influences on its sleeve and is all the better for it. The book’s pacing is impeccable. The layout composition, especially in the action sequences, lends frenetic energy to the pages. There is a dynamic nature to the draftsmanship that I enjoyed. The character and world designs are funky and inventive. It feels like a lived-in world where people are salvaging what they can, including clothes. Our main protagonists are likeable if someone cliche, Aster a gutsy heroine who is a bit of an outsider in her adopted community, and, Wallis the bookish son of a village elder, are charming. The dialogue, on the whole, was witty, and There is a great supporting cast of diverse characters. Merwan is excellent at facial expressions, and there are some neat visual gags. The story itself doesn’t break any new ground, but it seems churlish to criticise Aster of Pan in that regard. It goes to some ridiculous places like Rocky 4 levels of silliness. It is like watching a good action film. You kind of know how it will probably end, but you want to see how they get there. It says a great deal that I am eager to read more stories set in the world of Pan. Lovely stuff.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Please consider buying Aster of Pan with this affliate link.