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geekwayne's review
4.0
'Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency: A Spoon Too Short' by Arvind Ethan David with art by Ilias Kyriazis continues the adventures of the world's strangest detective.
This time around (amid flashbacks of Dirk as a child), Dirk meets a family who have strangely lost their voice. In order to solve the case, and because everything is apparently connected, Dirk follows a random stranger. This random stranger turns out to be a client looking to hire Dirk to investigate a tribe of people living in Africa who apparently have no voice. This leads Dirk to Africa and the world of rhino poaching. How does all of this and an orchestra have anything to do with the poor voiceless family?
I won't divulge that, but if you sense that wacky humor abounds, then you would be correct. Even a bit of humor on the ribald side this time around. The story is fun as is the art. I love the "young Dirk" art as well. It looks like grainy old comics. Another fun romp by Dirk Gently.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from IDW Publishing, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
This time around (amid flashbacks of Dirk as a child), Dirk meets a family who have strangely lost their voice. In order to solve the case, and because everything is apparently connected, Dirk follows a random stranger. This random stranger turns out to be a client looking to hire Dirk to investigate a tribe of people living in Africa who apparently have no voice. This leads Dirk to Africa and the world of rhino poaching. How does all of this and an orchestra have anything to do with the poor voiceless family?
I won't divulge that, but if you sense that wacky humor abounds, then you would be correct. Even a bit of humor on the ribald side this time around. The story is fun as is the art. I love the "young Dirk" art as well. It looks like grainy old comics. Another fun romp by Dirk Gently.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from IDW Publishing, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
earlybirdie94's review
2.0
Didn't care for Dirk, he rambles too much and I don't like how he treats people.
inkstained's review
5.0
I adored this. I don't really know anything about the other versions of Dirk but I want to read all the comics now. Diiiiirk ❤❤❤
carroq's review
3.0
Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I remember reading a couple of the Dirk Gently books by Douglas Adams. They were enjoyable. Not quite the same level as the Hitchhiker books, but still pretty good. This graphic novel is based on and follows the spirit of the character.
As a holistic detective, Dirk Gently deals with supernatural phenomena. The story is driven by the idea that everything is connected, and it touches on predestination at times. Dirk admits to running the other way when weird things happen to try to avoid them. So the weird event that holds sway in this book is a family that has lost all means of communication. During his investigation, Dirk picks up an assistant and travels to Africa.
The thing about Dirk Gently is that it is meant to be humorous. Anyone that has read a Douglas Adams book should have an idea of what to expect. The humor in this book is pretty dry, which isn't particularly enjoyable for me. Though I did find myself chuckling more as I read further into the book. Maybe it was just a matter of adjusting to the writing style.
What stuck out for me is the art. It ranged from bugging me to being amazing. One of the things that bugged me was the depiction of Dirk. His hair is ridiculous, which just struck me as being over the top. This didn't match what I visualized from reading the books and it may have contributed to keeping me from getting into the book.
On the other hand, there are moments where the illustrations complement the events of the story superbly. At one point the drawing on the page spirals to match what is happening to Dirk. Later, there is an adult situation and the art frames it really well. There is creativity and playfulness here that makes the book worth picking up. Some of the elements didn't appeal to me though.
I remember reading a couple of the Dirk Gently books by Douglas Adams. They were enjoyable. Not quite the same level as the Hitchhiker books, but still pretty good. This graphic novel is based on and follows the spirit of the character.
As a holistic detective, Dirk Gently deals with supernatural phenomena. The story is driven by the idea that everything is connected, and it touches on predestination at times. Dirk admits to running the other way when weird things happen to try to avoid them. So the weird event that holds sway in this book is a family that has lost all means of communication. During his investigation, Dirk picks up an assistant and travels to Africa.
The thing about Dirk Gently is that it is meant to be humorous. Anyone that has read a Douglas Adams book should have an idea of what to expect. The humor in this book is pretty dry, which isn't particularly enjoyable for me. Though I did find myself chuckling more as I read further into the book. Maybe it was just a matter of adjusting to the writing style.
What stuck out for me is the art. It ranged from bugging me to being amazing. One of the things that bugged me was the depiction of Dirk. His hair is ridiculous, which just struck me as being over the top. This didn't match what I visualized from reading the books and it may have contributed to keeping me from getting into the book.
On the other hand, there are moments where the illustrations complement the events of the story superbly. At one point the drawing on the page spirals to match what is happening to Dirk. Later, there is an adult situation and the art frames it really well. There is creativity and playfulness here that makes the book worth picking up. Some of the elements didn't appeal to me though.
summerose's review
2.0
Didn't care for Dirk, he rambles too much and I don't like how he treats people.
hobbes199's review
3.0
Really enjoyed this. The fun storyline combined well with the cartoonish graphics. Although not written by Adams, David does a good job of re-creating his left-field humour, without coming across as too try-hard.
The same story arc is continued across five chapters and interweaves Dirk's present case with brief glances into his childhood, and the mysterious experiments he was subjected too. While his main case his wrapped up nicely in this book, the story of his past is tantalisingly left on a cliffhanger, nicely waiting for volume two.
Timed to coincide with the TV show adaptation of the character coming in October, I'm hoping his past is left to the graphic novel and not explored elsewhere, as this medium is far more suited to his backstory.
Resembling the great Skottie Young, the artwork is bright, and stylised. My only quibble is that there seems to be a bit of an issue with women's faces - almost all of them look like they're sucking lemons.
All-in-all, this isn't a bad way to pass half an hour. Would recommend borrowing it, or loaning from a library though, as re-read value is minimal. Giving me something to revisit would have definitely garnered this 4 *
The same story arc is continued across five chapters and interweaves Dirk's present case with brief glances into his childhood, and the mysterious experiments he was subjected too. While his main case his wrapped up nicely in this book, the story of his past is tantalisingly left on a cliffhanger, nicely waiting for volume two.
Timed to coincide with the TV show adaptation of the character coming in October, I'm hoping his past is left to the graphic novel and not explored elsewhere, as this medium is far more suited to his backstory.
Resembling the great Skottie Young, the artwork is bright, and stylised. My only quibble is that there seems to be a bit of an issue with women's faces - almost all of them look like they're sucking lemons.
All-in-all, this isn't a bad way to pass half an hour. Would recommend borrowing it, or loaning from a library though, as re-read value is minimal. Giving me something to revisit would have definitely garnered this 4 *
sabrielsbell's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0