Scan barcode
momoxshi's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
3.0
Trigger warnings for this graphic novel: animal abuse/cruelty; p*dophilia. Minor warning for nudity.
Some of Gaiman's older works adapted into graphic novels are good; some are not. This belongs to the latter. Foreign Parts could have been good but had some parts that really did not add anything to the story. Closing Time was the best out of all of them in my opinion and kinda the reason why this rating wasn't as low as it originally have been.
If you're looking to read almost all of Gaiman's works, feel free to skip this one.
Some of Gaiman's older works adapted into graphic novels are good; some are not. This belongs to the latter. Foreign Parts could have been good but had some parts that really did not add anything to the story. Closing Time was the best out of all of them in my opinion and kinda the reason why this rating wasn't as low as it originally have been.
If you're looking to read almost all of Gaiman's works, feel free to skip this one.
erincataldi's review against another edition
3.0
I haven't been in love with all the Neil Gaiman graphic novels and this latest is no exception. The stories just aren't that riveting or exceptional. Likely Stories contains four short graphic stories; one on venereal disease, one on a weird raw meat eating neighbor, another on the world's most attractive nude model, and the last on a haunted playhouse. What connects the four stories; is a small out of the way after hours club, where stories are exchanged and people go to be seen or go to hide out. The illustrations are great and the stories themselves are OK, they're just not great. Only read if you're a real die hard Gaiman fan or have some time to kill.
kaylecorey's review against another edition
5.0
I think for someone who is completely uninitiated in these particular stories, this won't land. I, however, was thrilled to see some of my favorites illustrated.
the_one_and_only_maddie's review
2.0
Euughh there was so much text like the entire panel would be covered in text and then the art wasn't even that good and then there was just way too much female nudity and it came off wrong I didn't care for anything.
smblanc1793's review
adventurous
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
magnetgrrl's review
2.0
I don't know why I still buy pretty much everything Neil Gaiman puts out. This one is certainly not a stunner. Collection of shorts, illustrated to make them into "comics". In general, I hate that, because I prefer to see more actual use of comics language and exploration of the medium. Just publish your short stories if that's what they are! (Oh, wait, he already did! There's a short story collection called "Likely Stories" that are not comics, AND all of these stories were also previously published in other collections!)
The setup is a bit of a "Tavern at the end of the World" feel from Sandman; modern-day bar, the stories somewhat centered around, bookends centered at the bar locale, yadda yadda. I think there's meant to be a nice bow around the whole thing with the name of the bar, Diogenes, and honestly, and all these fantastical and hard-to-believe "likely stories" but, it's thin. The pace and feel are just dull versions of a lot of other (much better) Gaiman short pieces. A narrator tells you a story, there are bits held back and bits are selectively shown by the illustrations... it just feels worked out or tired this time around. It's likely this familiar voice that others love about this book and his other similar short comics of late, but I'm sick of that beat.
The first and the third shorts are fairly sex-obsessed in the way you'd expect an aging famous writer with a somewhat younger wife to write. The second one is grotesque and fairly cryptic at the end. Also, you would think Neil Gaiman hates cats given the number of times I've had to hear about or see them being killed in truly horrifying ways in his works. The last story and the epilogue are the same, which kinda ruins the epilogue idea - or rather I should just say the book has a prologue but no real epilogue.
I probably sound like I hated this, and I didn't, but for me, there's nothing to love here either. I feel like the entire purpose of this comic is to make money since the "comic" part of it adds nothing and the stories are readily available elsewhere. Wow writing that out really made me feel like more of a sucker, and kind of a hater, and I don't want to sound that way... but I think I will be a bit more careful before just buying his next work - especially if it's a comic - and also, I recommend if you're looking to read this author, research what's was a comic originally or a short story/novel originally and try to experience the original format first. In every single case - and I've read pretty much everything this guy has published - the original format is the best version.
The setup is a bit of a "Tavern at the end of the World" feel from Sandman; modern-day bar, the stories somewhat centered around, bookends centered at the bar locale, yadda yadda. I think there's meant to be a nice bow around the whole thing with the name of the bar, Diogenes, and honestly, and all these fantastical and hard-to-believe "likely stories" but, it's thin. The pace and feel are just dull versions of a lot of other (much better) Gaiman short pieces. A narrator tells you a story, there are bits held back and bits are selectively shown by the illustrations... it just feels worked out or tired this time around. It's likely this familiar voice that others love about this book and his other similar short comics of late, but I'm sick of that beat.
The first and the third shorts are fairly sex-obsessed in the way you'd expect an aging famous writer with a somewhat younger wife to write. The second one is grotesque and fairly cryptic at the end. Also, you would think Neil Gaiman hates cats given the number of times I've had to hear about or see them being killed in truly horrifying ways in his works. The last story and the epilogue are the same, which kinda ruins the epilogue idea - or rather I should just say the book has a prologue but no real epilogue.
I probably sound like I hated this, and I didn't, but for me, there's nothing to love here either. I feel like the entire purpose of this comic is to make money since the "comic" part of it adds nothing and the stories are readily available elsewhere. Wow writing that out really made me feel like more of a sucker, and kind of a hater, and I don't want to sound that way... but I think I will be a bit more careful before just buying his next work - especially if it's a comic - and also, I recommend if you're looking to read this author, research what's was a comic originally or a short story/novel originally and try to experience the original format first. In every single case - and I've read pretty much everything this guy has published - the original format is the best version.