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mercurial's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Minor: Death of parent
shksprsis's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
ostrava's review against another edition
5.0
Another instant classic by the great Lemire. This man is incapable of writing a sad ending, he's all about parenting and hope after all.
His masterpiece is still Essex County, though I did enjoy Sweet Tooth all the way to the end, but this is no sleeper. You definitely need to give it a try.
His masterpiece is still Essex County, though I did enjoy Sweet Tooth all the way to the end, but this is no sleeper. You definitely need to give it a try.
some_okie_dude27's review against another edition
5.0
There are many comics that resemble past films or novels or television series' that we love. Koike's Lone Wolf and The Cub is reminiscent of Kurosawa's samurai epics, or Palmiotti and Grey's run on Jonah Hex reminding me of classic westerns in the vein of Leone or Ford, there's also the new Image series Ice Cream Man that is reminiscent of The Twilight Zone, but there is another book out there that also captures the tone and pace of Serling's masterpiece, and it's also written by one of comics' brightest stars today.
While Maxwell Prince catches the tone of The Twilight Zone well, it is Jeff Lemire who manages to master it with his hallucinogenic and dream-like exploration of fatherhood, loneliness, and grief. His writing and storytelling is tight and contained with a minimalistic elegance that makes works of his like Roughneck, Sweet Tooth, and Essex County work so well. We also see his art, which while not perfect, still illustrates his characters and the tone that he wants to go with beautifully, which makes the imperfections of his work seem perfect (as paradoxical as it seems). It is also a comic that is mature, without reducing to laughable morally ambiguous characters or uber-violence, it's mature in the way that it handles the tough subject matter that's talked about and gives his characters the dignity, humanity, and respect that they deserve.
There are many comics that often struggle with character development, in particular with independent comics. While with mainstream superhero runs you could get away with shoddy character development because we've known the characters in those universes for as long as we've existed (unless you're crazy enough to revitalize or redefine these characters), but that excuse isn't acceptable in independent comics. Far too often, I see independent comics struggle with flat characters or even shoddy storytelling, but Lemire, along with other indie giants as Kirkman or Vaughan, has managed to make character development his chief strength and has been his consistent strength since his start in the comics industry. His work with character in Underwater Welder has to be one of his best character driven works asides from Roughneck or Sweet Tooth. His characters in this book feel real and relatable and you grow to care about them, and like I mentioned earlier, doesn't sacrifice their dignity in its mature exploration of its themes.
There's also Lemire's interest in the surreal that is reminiscent of The Twilight Zone, like mentioned earlier (in fact, Damon Lindelof, in his introduction for the book, dubbed it 'The Twilight Zone episode that was never developed.') While the afore mentioned Prince captures The Twilight Zone's penchent for the darkness lurking about in the light, Lemire takes the more personal focus with this book, placing characters in odd situations but letting them come back out of the situations and being a better person for it or being given a much more bittersweet ending, but I'll keep what happens in the book tightly closed, as this book is a book to be experienced.
Jeff Lemire might possibly be one of comics' most versatile and prolific creators still working today, and if you're going to be a creator that I want to check out or even like, than those things are what I look for, as well as a capacity for good storytelling, and Lemire has proven himself to be a creator that is worth following.
While Maxwell Prince catches the tone of The Twilight Zone well, it is Jeff Lemire who manages to master it with his hallucinogenic and dream-like exploration of fatherhood, loneliness, and grief. His writing and storytelling is tight and contained with a minimalistic elegance that makes works of his like Roughneck, Sweet Tooth, and Essex County work so well. We also see his art, which while not perfect, still illustrates his characters and the tone that he wants to go with beautifully, which makes the imperfections of his work seem perfect (as paradoxical as it seems). It is also a comic that is mature, without reducing to laughable morally ambiguous characters or uber-violence, it's mature in the way that it handles the tough subject matter that's talked about and gives his characters the dignity, humanity, and respect that they deserve.
There are many comics that often struggle with character development, in particular with independent comics. While with mainstream superhero runs you could get away with shoddy character development because we've known the characters in those universes for as long as we've existed (unless you're crazy enough to revitalize or redefine these characters), but that excuse isn't acceptable in independent comics. Far too often, I see independent comics struggle with flat characters or even shoddy storytelling, but Lemire, along with other indie giants as Kirkman or Vaughan, has managed to make character development his chief strength and has been his consistent strength since his start in the comics industry. His work with character in Underwater Welder has to be one of his best character driven works asides from Roughneck or Sweet Tooth. His characters in this book feel real and relatable and you grow to care about them, and like I mentioned earlier, doesn't sacrifice their dignity in its mature exploration of its themes.
There's also Lemire's interest in the surreal that is reminiscent of The Twilight Zone, like mentioned earlier (in fact, Damon Lindelof, in his introduction for the book, dubbed it 'The Twilight Zone episode that was never developed.') While the afore mentioned Prince captures The Twilight Zone's penchent for the darkness lurking about in the light, Lemire takes the more personal focus with this book, placing characters in odd situations but letting them come back out of the situations and being a better person for it or being given a much more bittersweet ending, but I'll keep what happens in the book tightly closed, as this book is a book to be experienced.
Jeff Lemire might possibly be one of comics' most versatile and prolific creators still working today, and if you're going to be a creator that I want to check out or even like, than those things are what I look for, as well as a capacity for good storytelling, and Lemire has proven himself to be a creator that is worth following.
circularcubes's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this much more than I did the other Jeff Lemire work I've read, Trillium. It's starker, less shiny and thrilling, but more human. The story is a simple one and it spoke to me. As a side note, I loved Lemire's paneling - using multiple rows to depict a larger sequence, or the full pages dedicated to one image. I'm not the biggest fan of how Lemire does faces, but he does have a good story to tell with this one.
alyssab_marie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
rocketwave's review against another edition
5.0
Books like this one are the reason why Jeff is one of my favorite writers/artists.
It's a bittersweet story with the perfect pacing.
The artwork is what you can expect from a Lemire book.
I'm a sucker for this art style and the black ink combined with the subtle greys really fits the book.
A 5 star read, too bad I'll never be able to read it for the first time again.
It's a bittersweet story with the perfect pacing.
The artwork is what you can expect from a Lemire book.
I'm a sucker for this art style and the black ink combined with the subtle greys really fits the book.
A 5 star read, too bad I'll never be able to read it for the first time again.
nobody3am's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
librovert's review against another edition
4.0
The Underwater Welder is one part Twilight Zone and one part hard human emotion.
Jack Joseph lives in a maritime town in Nova Scotia with his wife who is 9 months pregnant. The pressure of impending fatherhood send Jack on a Twilight Zone adventure through his past and his relationship with his.
The art is very simple black and white, but I found it an appropriate reflection of the simplicity and monotony of Jack's life. The characters were real and the story itself is filled with great emotion. Well worth the read.
Jack Joseph lives in a maritime town in Nova Scotia with his wife who is 9 months pregnant. The pressure of impending fatherhood send Jack on a Twilight Zone adventure through his past and his relationship with his.
The art is very simple black and white, but I found it an appropriate reflection of the simplicity and monotony of Jack's life. The characters were real and the story itself is filled with great emotion. Well worth the read.
paulataua's review against another edition
5.0
As a welder diving off an oil rig, Jack Joseph is well accustomed to the underwater pressure at the bottom of the ocean. He is less able to deal with the pressure of being soon to become a father. His deep dives seem to be tied to escaping his problems, but then things begin to happen. I don’t usually get on with graphic novels, but this one was quite special with the words and art work combining to great effect. Well worth the time!