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rocketbebop's review against another edition
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
johnnymacaroni's review against another edition
3.0
Wilson is an unlikable guy but also poignant. I found myself chuckling quite a bit and also shaking my head. I like how the artwork changes for different vignettes.
thisisstephenbetts's review against another edition
2.0
I'm not biggest Clowes fan anyway, but this seemed particularly pointlessly misanthropic. Each page is a single chapter, paced as a longer gag strip -something between a traditional US Sunday strip à la Peanuts or Calvin & Hobbes, and a one-page UK kids comic strip (a form with no tradition?). But, inevitably, each punchline is a gob of misanthropic bile, not a bon mot. The art style changes on each page, mostly rotating between a few standard styles - I wasn't quite sure why he did this.
There's definitely some good work here, it's just that I didn't find it enjoyable. And I say that as someone who generally gravitates toward downbeat and miserabilist art. I guess I want a bit more empathy with the character. As it is, it kinda feels like Clowes wants to create a dislikable character purely so that people can dislike him.
There's definitely some good work here, it's just that I didn't find it enjoyable. And I say that as someone who generally gravitates toward downbeat and miserabilist art. I guess I want a bit more empathy with the character. As it is, it kinda feels like Clowes wants to create a dislikable character purely so that people can dislike him.
ericfheiman's review against another edition
4.0
While Cranbrook's Graphic Design program chair, Elliott Earls, may blame Daniel Clowes for all the problems with today's youth (whatever, dude), I see Clowes' latest opus as a cautionary tale for all of us cultural snobs who might be turning us into cynical curmudgeons. The character of Wilson is repellent, yet Clowes renders him with enough humanity and realism that a small part of me sympathized with him, too, if only because we all—with a few wrong turns and lack of self-awareness—could turn into Wilson ourselves.
richbarrett's review against another edition
4.0
Another great book my one of my favorite cartoonists. It didn't seem that would be the case as I was reading the first 10 or so pages which was page after page of the most unlikable character to ever appear in comics griping about life in a repetitive gag strip format. But as you go on, you begin to see that all of it is going somewhere and it all works brilliantly together.
kaymarieplz's review against another edition
4.0
Dang that was A downer but I also laughed at times because he's a terrible person. Two things that struck a chord- owning a dog and how precious they are to you, and the regret of not having a child..i fear very much I will regret not having a child but struggle that shouldn't be my reason to have a kid. I get you wilson.
dantastic's review against another edition
3.0
Wilson is the tale of an oblivious idiot who bumbles through life saying and sometimes doing horrible things. Socially horrible, not murder or anything.
This tale of existential angst is not my favorite Dan Clowes book but it's still pretty good. Clowes shows us a glimpse of the life of a man very nearly divorced from self awareness. Wilson goes looking for his ex-wife, mails his former in-laws a box of shit, finds out he has a daughter, and winds up in prison for six years for kidnapping her, all the while never seeing how his actions affect other people.
The story is broken up into one page segments. Art styles change dramatically between pages. I'm not sure what this is supposed to signify. Each page ends in a punchline, either hilarious or putting an exclamation point on what a dumb ass Wilson is.
If you already like Clowes, you'll want to read this but this shouldn't be anyone's first Clowes book. I like it just enough that I'm going to hold on to it for another read at some nebulous time down the road rather than haul it to Half Price Books.
This tale of existential angst is not my favorite Dan Clowes book but it's still pretty good. Clowes shows us a glimpse of the life of a man very nearly divorced from self awareness. Wilson goes looking for his ex-wife, mails his former in-laws a box of shit, finds out he has a daughter, and winds up in prison for six years for kidnapping her, all the while never seeing how his actions affect other people.
The story is broken up into one page segments. Art styles change dramatically between pages. I'm not sure what this is supposed to signify. Each page ends in a punchline, either hilarious or putting an exclamation point on what a dumb ass Wilson is.
If you already like Clowes, you'll want to read this but this shouldn't be anyone's first Clowes book. I like it just enough that I'm going to hold on to it for another read at some nebulous time down the road rather than haul it to Half Price Books.