Here’s my advice to you, if you ever find yourself in the vicinity of Ball Peen Hammer, slowly back away and then when you are a safe distance run for your life. Don’t let this confusing, dreary, dreck suck you into it’s whirling vortex of confusion like I was. Let my pointless waste of time [...]
Posts Tagged: graphic novel
3
Feb 10
I love the Emo Family Robinson
When we last left The Umbrella Academy the gang were saving the world from their sister, The White Violin, run amok. Now the Emo Family Robinson is back in The Umbrella Academy: Dallas trying to recover from the fallout of their shattered family and saving the world, again. Damn world, why can’t it just stay [...]
21
Jan 10
Two resolutions: One for me & one for the Internet
I’m a little cranky because I just read an awful graphic novel and bad books make me angry. There might be extra vitriol in tonight’s rant when normally there would just be the regular amount of vitriol. You’ve been warned.
Actually, graphic novels have something to do with my resolution. Long about yesterday I decided I [...]
14
Jan 10
Like an unfunny episode of That 70s Show
When I finished reading all 368 pages of Charles Burns’ graphic novel Black Hole the first thing I thought was, well that three hours would have been better spent listening to Black Hole Sun on repeat.
One again one of the High Holies of the graphic novel realm has left me disappointed. The High Holies, [...]
29
Dec 09
I still can’t talk about Stitches without crying
It’s not a good idea to write a review of a book when your eyes are still wet with the tears it caused you to shed. So I waited an entire day to see if the raw emotion evoked by David Small’s graphic memoir Stitches would abate a little before I told you about this [...]
23
Nov 09
American Born Chinese
While reading American Born Chinese, by Gene Luen Yang, I had to consistently remind myself that it was graphic novel for young adults. Without that reminder I found myself growing a little weary of the premise — dealing with racism in America, trying to find your identity, etc.
But when I kept in mind that this [...]
16
Nov 09
Essex County
Last week I was talking with my writing teacher, Dale, about graphic novels. I was reading one before class started and he, pretty unfamiliar with the form, was curious what a lit snob like me thought of them.
I told him I was pretty new to the form myself, having only started reading graphic novels [...]
19
Oct 09
Asterios Polyp is probably smarter than I am
If you read about graphic novels at all, it’s hard to escape the accolades being heaped upon David Mazzuchelli’s Asterios Polyp. If you believe the hype this book is like the second-coming of Jesus here on Earth to show us the beauty and wonder of the graphic novel form.
Really, they (reviewers & readers) are [...]
19
Sep 09
Shortcomings, a totally accurate title
The good thing about reading a mediocre graphic novel like Shortcomings is that it only wastes an hour or so of your life. So really, you can’t get too hopped up about it.
The story here centers around 30-something Bay-area denizen, Ben Tanaka. He’s a cranky, self-absorbed buzzkill of a character who denies that he [...]
15
Aug 09
I Kill Giants
Barbara Thorson’s got a few problems. She’s a smart and smartass weirdo fifth grader with big glasses, problems at home, a fondness for funky head gear, mostly of the animal ear variety — bunny, mouse, fox, and a slew of imaginary fairy friends. She also has a strange hobby, killing giants.
This graphic novel, [...]
8
Aug 09
In the Shadow of No Towers
A few months ago my friend Wolfdogg loaned me a couple of post-9-11 anthologies that contained a bunch of short graphic (as in pictures and not extremely, grossly detailed) stories about the artist’s reactions to 9-11. I dove into one of the books and about half-way through put it down. I couldn’t continue.
It’s not that [...]
18
Jul 09
Giving up on Kingdom Come
Holy Shit, Batman! This is one incomprehensible, incredibly confusing, and ultimately boring comic book. After much heated debate (Kingdom Come vs. American Born Chinese), this craptastic superhero graphic novel became Rock & Roll Bookclub’s July pick (it won in a random drawing).
It’s been about two years since R&RBC picked a book so shitty I [...]
9
Jul 09
Finally pleased by one of the revered graphic novels of our time
Finally! Finally one of the High Holys of the graphic novel realm held up to the hype. After abandoning Watchmen and being disappointed by Sandman, I approached Maus with a bit of trepidation. Could it live up to the hype?
Hell yes.
I’ve read Anne Frank and Elie Wiesel. I’ve seen “Schindler’s List,” “Life is Beautiful,” and [...]
7
Jul 09
Rock & Roll June Book 4: Of little significance
By all laws of logic and mathematics, I should love Jeffrey Brown’s graphic memoir Little Things: A memoir in slices. We like the same music, we’re about the same age, we’re both writers, and this is the stuff that fills his book. Seriously, I should have a full-blown crush on this book right now.
And yet, [...]
5
Jul 09
The rise of high evil
When the Largehearted Boy proclaims that something is his all-time favorite ever, I run out and consume whatever that thing might be. That’s what fangirls do. I am still waiting for him to proclaim Michael Cera his all-time favorite Canadian ever, but that’s beside the point.
The point here is that LHB proclaimed that David B’s [...]
