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ian_se's review
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
kurtwombat's review
2.0
Dorothy Gale at the beginning of THE WIZARD OF OZ movie, is trapped in a black and white world she sees as so devoid of hope that she feels she must run away. As we realize later in the movie, all around her are the components of a world she fails to appreciate. It just hasn’t clicked for her yet. That’s how I felt about reading Michael Deforge’s A BODY BENEATH. A collection of his early works, I could see his talent but the material just wasn’t where I wanted it to be yet. There is evident growth as an artist and story teller as the collection progresses—the best stories (Recent Hires & Living Outdoors) were at the very end—but overall this is just not a good book. Having previously enjoyed—almost loved—Deforge’s later work ANT COLONY, this was particularly disappointing. Opening ANT COLONY again after reading A BODY BENEATH was like when Dorothy opened her door to see the Land of Oz for the first time. Not only is it quite literally moving from black and white to color, but ANT COLONY explodes with ideas and imagination lacking in Deforge’s earlier work. This reminded me of when I read Thomas Pynchon’s magnificent V and followed it up by reading a collection of his early short stories called SLOW LEARNER. Very disappointing but I could see that he had to work his way through the hum drum before reaching the magnificent. If you want to reach OZ, read ANT COLONY instead. If you have read ANT COLONY and still want to read this, go into it as an act of literary anthropology.
billybookmark's review
3.0
reading this again. excellent example of deforge's evolution as an artist. living outdoors is a personal favourite
jemmania's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.25
600bars's review
5.0
I have loved reading 1 comic each morning. They are so weird, so sad, sometimes funny, usually depressing. They always end so abruptly and jarringly, and you would think I would get used to the sudden endings but they still surprise me! The sugar glider dad story put me in a sadness funk the rest of the day. I loved the bdsm virus spikey syndrome story. Lots of good stuff
lindsayb's review
3.0
I really liked the later issues, but some of the earlier stuff seemed to drag on a bit. Still, reliably confoundingly weird. Woot!
staciesbooks's review
5.0
Michael DeForge will always be an illustrator that viscerally impacts my state of being. His art is dark, twisted, and unsettling, all in the most creative and trippy ways as possible. There is an incredible amount of thought going on behind these comics. The psychology of this collection alone is deeply and hauntingly fascinating. I'm going to channel a bit of Alex DeLarge and say that this is a real horrorshow.
hollowspine's review
4.0
Lose /looz/
verb
1. be deprived of or cease to have or retain (something).
2. become unable to find (something or someone.)
3. fail to win (a game or contest).
4. earn less (money) than one is spending or has spent.
A Body Beneath collects DeForge's series of short comics, Lose #2-5. As one might expect many of the comics explore themes of loss. All with Deforge's...and here I pause once again. I was going to say grotesque, but then felt it couldn't encompass what I meant, since although I was disturbed, I was also drawn into the artwork. So I went back to the dictionary and found a wikipedia entry that helpfully said, "grotesque may also refer to something that simultaneously invokes in an audience a feeling of uncomfortable bizarreness as well as empathic pity."
So, it turns out grotesque is the right term, in fact it conveys how I feel very well. As much as as I was disturbed by the events of Dogs 2070, I also empathized with and pitied the characters, even now I recall the feelings of peace during the gliding scene, only to be struck down in the midst of reverie by the cruel indignities of life. Or to suggest one's weird brother is a psycho only the receive a face fungus in return and even later discover that one's new best friend only wants to lay eggs in one's face and take over the world. Sigh.
I also really enjoyed the portrait of Canadian Royals. Sometimes I too feel as if I'm wearing a huge constrictive outfit which I cannot, under strict rules, take off. I'm sure we all feel that way at times.
When I looked up the meaning of the word "Lose" I was reminded of the things I lost, the times I failed and the drain of resources and time I can never get back. Luckily, A Body Beneath, though occasionally echoing those thoughts was not a loss, but a gain.
verb
1. be deprived of or cease to have or retain (something).
2. become unable to find (something or someone.)
3. fail to win (a game or contest).
4. earn less (money) than one is spending or has spent.
A Body Beneath collects DeForge's series of short comics, Lose #2-5. As one might expect many of the comics explore themes of loss. All with Deforge's...and here I pause once again. I was going to say grotesque, but then felt it couldn't encompass what I meant, since although I was disturbed, I was also drawn into the artwork. So I went back to the dictionary and found a wikipedia entry that helpfully said, "grotesque may also refer to something that simultaneously invokes in an audience a feeling of uncomfortable bizarreness as well as empathic pity."
So, it turns out grotesque is the right term, in fact it conveys how I feel very well. As much as as I was disturbed by the events of Dogs 2070, I also empathized with and pitied the characters, even now I recall the feelings of peace during the gliding scene, only to be struck down in the midst of reverie by the cruel indignities of life. Or to suggest one's weird brother is a psycho only the receive a face fungus in return and even later discover that one's new best friend only wants to lay eggs in one's face and take over the world. Sigh.
I also really enjoyed the portrait of Canadian Royals. Sometimes I too feel as if I'm wearing a huge constrictive outfit which I cannot, under strict rules, take off. I'm sure we all feel that way at times.
When I looked up the meaning of the word "Lose" I was reminded of the things I lost, the times I failed and the drain of resources and time I can never get back. Luckily, A Body Beneath, though occasionally echoing those thoughts was not a loss, but a gain.