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nolansmock's review
2.0
A miserable MC and some basic psychedelic noodling doesn't save some admittedly transcendent artistic flourishes or even really make it worth reading at all. Also like the third comic I've read in a row by a Gen X dude that creeps on high school girls. Get a life guys
unladylike's review against another edition
4.0
I came across this randomly at the library. The "NSFW" tag and the statement on the cover from the author of Asterios Polyp that this represents the future of comics convinced me to check it out, and I wasn't disappointed. The content reminded me of Charles Burns' Black Hole, while the art style and eccentric use of mapping reminded me of Asterios Polyp. Through and through, this was a non-stop enjoyable read.
meghan111's review against another edition
3.0
Are you a drug addict botanist with above-average writing ability? Get paid to travel the world trying to get high off of new botanical species and reporting on their effects. This is an experimental graphic novel, with character shape-shifting and interesting visual effects, as the author tries to impart the experience of a new drug, a leaf, that causes a person to feel the memories and bodily sensations of other people in their immediate physical proximity. This new kind of leaf has been found in Boney Borough, a boring suburb where high school students can't wait to leave for New York City, even though in the book's somewhat post-apocalyptic future, everywhere except Boney Borough is unsafe.
saidtheraina's review against another edition
3.0
Crazy crazy, literally trippy book.
For one thing, it's challenging to read this book. The content is sideways, so that the spine is at the top of the pages. Also, you have to fold out a flap at the top (and bottom?) of the book with a map of the community where the events take place.
It's about a small planned community in a futuristic world. A ne'er-do-well comes to town and does research on a new plant found in the woods there. The plant causes consciousness and identities of people to merge. And much body sharing ensues. Plus some nontraditional sexual relationships.
Crazy, but relatively easy to follow, and definitely engaging and innovative.
For one thing, it's challenging to read this book. The content is sideways, so that the spine is at the top of the pages. Also, you have to fold out a flap at the top (and bottom?) of the book with a map of the community where the events take place.
It's about a small planned community in a futuristic world. A ne'er-do-well comes to town and does research on a new plant found in the woods there. The plant causes consciousness and identities of people to merge. And much body sharing ensues. Plus some nontraditional sexual relationships.
Crazy, but relatively easy to follow, and definitely engaging and innovative.
chadstep's review
4.0
Not bad, the art is great and the story borders on many areas of sci-fi/future societies and illicit drug use. I'm more excited by the crazy LSD/dope-inspired art, as it seems pretty controlled compared to others I've read in the past. It can be shocking but in a just-graduated-from-high-school way.
sizrobe's review
5.0
This isn't just my favorite graphic novel or even book, but my favorite work of fiction in any format. I actually have a signed hardback copy from when I met the author in person at the Small Press Expo.
The story follows Professor Paulie Panther, whose job is tracking down and experimenting with newly discovered hallucinogenic plants to add their effects to an encyclopedia of drugs. To be honest he's a bit of a shitty person. He travels to Boney Borough to experiment with smoking a plant that turns out to grant sort of telepathic abilities, where the people who take the drug can send and receive not only thoughts, but also somatic sensations and emotions. In addition, people connected by the drug permanently have facets of their personalities etched on each other, like a scar.
The art conveys these telepathic interactions in fantastic, experimental ways that at the same time avoid traditional psychedelic cliches. Without spoiling anything, the story comes to a satisfying crescendo that plays with the idea of super-organisms as the effects of the new drug proliferate among the citizens of Boney Borough. Definitely a must read. Whenever people ask what graphic novels they should read, this is always at the top of my list.
My only complaint is nothing else Dash Shaw has written even remotely resembles this masterwork. His first graphic novel, Bottomless Bellybutton is good and stands on its own merits, but doesn't explore any similar themes.
The story follows Professor Paulie Panther, whose job is tracking down and experimenting with newly discovered hallucinogenic plants to add their effects to an encyclopedia of drugs. To be honest he's a bit of a shitty person. He travels to Boney Borough to experiment with smoking a plant that turns out to grant sort of telepathic abilities, where the people who take the drug can send and receive not only thoughts, but also somatic sensations and emotions. In addition, people connected by the drug permanently have facets of their personalities etched on each other, like a scar.
The art conveys these telepathic interactions in fantastic, experimental ways that at the same time avoid traditional psychedelic cliches. Without spoiling anything, the story comes to a satisfying crescendo that plays with the idea of super-organisms as the effects of the new drug proliferate among the citizens of Boney Borough. Definitely a must read. Whenever people ask what graphic novels they should read, this is always at the top of my list.
My only complaint is nothing else Dash Shaw has written even remotely resembles this masterwork. His first graphic novel, Bottomless Bellybutton is good and stands on its own merits, but doesn't explore any similar themes.
clarkness's review
3.0
This work took a long time to get going and never really put together a consistent narrative of merit. Initially the art was too formulaic and felt stilted, but by the end there was some really beautiful work that overflowed the page and conveyed more in a few pages than anything else in the book put together. I think there's definitely promise here, but this work isn't quite there.
chelseamartinez's review against another edition
3.0
I guess I've read this twice... I did have some deja vu as I was reading it. But I guess I gave it 4 stars the first time around, and I didn't like it as much this second time. Would I feel this way about most books if I reread them?
Anyhow, this is a futuristic drug book about swapping brains with people in your proximity when you are high. I wish the futuristic part was explored more... it's supposed to be rural virginia in the future, which is supposed to contrast with a trash world out in the urban areas, but that contrast doesn't quite get drawn till some wordless art at the end. I liked that part! I also liked thinking about the idea that in 2060 a device that records a voicemail and transcribes it to a Word document will still be a cool thing!
Anyhow, this is a futuristic drug book about swapping brains with people in your proximity when you are high. I wish the futuristic part was explored more... it's supposed to be rural virginia in the future, which is supposed to contrast with a trash world out in the urban areas, but that contrast doesn't quite get drawn till some wordless art at the end. I liked that part! I also liked thinking about the idea that in 2060 a device that records a voicemail and transcribes it to a Word document will still be a cool thing!
bluenicorn's review
4.0
This was good- but not if you're the sort of person who is going to get hung up on the major portion of the storyline involving hallucinogenic drug use. Beautiful illustrations- they really capture the eventual complexity of the storyline as it progresses. And while I have never smoked the imaginary plant that is the subject of this story, the writing is so vivid and well-partnered with the graphics that you really feel what he's experiencing.
mhall's review against another edition
3.0
Are you a drug addict botanist with above-average writing ability? Get paid to travel the world trying to get high off of new botanical species and reporting on their effects. This is an experimental graphic novel, with character shape-shifting and interesting visual effects, as the author tries to impart the experience of a new drug, a leaf, that causes a person to feel the memories and bodily sensations of other people in their immediate physical proximity. This new kind of leaf has been found in Boney Borough, a boring suburb where high school students can't wait to leave for New York City, even though in the book's somewhat post-apocalyptic future, everywhere except Boney Borough is unsafe.