Reviews

Curses by Kevin Huizenga

loujoseph's review

4.0

Solid stuff here, feels like he's taking the melancholy of chris ware in a different, less mis-anthroppic directions. Amazing drawing in here too.

shea_proulx's review

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

cfw100's review

I like the artwork but read the first few tales and found them quite strange and confusing.

zukythebookbum's review against another edition

I really liked the art style in this collection, kind of perfectly represents what I would picture if someone said “comic” to me (the non-super hero type at least) & I also like how they were mostly connected, even if it was just a character appearing more than once, but I’m not sure how I felt about all these stories tbh… kind of indifferent I guess?

rebus's review against another edition

4.75

An astonishing series of explorations of the existential arena of philosophy and religion, told from the perspective of a deeply serious and quiet young adult who is also exploring relationships and the world in which he lives. A review published near the end of this new edition suggested that Glenn is an everyman in the mold of Donald Duck and that the art resembles that of Popeye or TinTin, but the truth is that the art is closer to newspaper strips like OC and Stiggs or the equally meditative and wonderfully cartoonish Shary Flenniken (the problem with most modern comics is that they are too cartoony in an effort to cover up violence, as in Harley Quinn, failing to capture as this one does the whimsical elements of life and soul searching). Thematically, we see elements of Poe, Crumb, Dennis Eichorn and Peter Bagge, though Huizenga seems to lean way to the left of fascists like Crumb and Bagge. It's just about perfect, except for one discursive piece near the end.

meghan111's review

3.0

An uneven collection of comics featuring the protagonist Glenn Ganges, I liked best the pieces where Glenn's thoughts and ramblings weren't the focus. In the last piece, by far the best in the collection, the narrative shifts to an acquaintance and the shift in perspective gives it a drive and interest lacking in some of the other stories.

nssutton's review

5.0

i love his work. if you're not familiar, this is the best start: http://www.usscatastrophe.com/kh/

saidtheraina's review

3.0

I really enjoy Huizenga's illustration style.

There's a neatness and simplicity to it.

I REALLY enjoyed the Glenn Ganges story included in [b:The Best American Comics 2009|3427455|The Best American Comics 2008|Lynda Barry|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1433983853s/3427455.jpg|3468318] (on gaming after work at a .com). This collection isn't quite as strong to me as that story. There isn't the humor. Some of the selections feel like essays in comic form (very text reliant). This is more thought-provoking than the gaming selection.

I especially liked the illustrated text of adoption documentation. I sense that much of the content is barely-fictionalized autobiography.

But I want more from this sequential artist. Looking forward to the next stuff he publishes.

rumbledethumps's review

3.0

My first experience with Huizenga, and some of the stories were great. But some also kind of missed the mark for me.

mhall's review

3.0

An uneven collection of comics featuring the protagonist Glenn Ganges, I liked best the pieces where Glenn's thoughts and ramblings weren't the focus. In the last piece, by far the best in the collection, the narrative shifts to an acquaintance and the shift in perspective gives it a drive and interest lacking in some of the other stories.