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zamyatins_fears's review against another edition
3.0
I think anthologies in graphic novel form may just not be for me. I felt like every time I was just really getting into the narrative of one story, it was already over. So while I enjoyed the stories, they all left me feeling unsatisfied.
curiouslibrarian's review against another edition
Only a few comics in here that I liked. I was disappointed, because I backed it on kickstarter. I don't think it was a bad collection, just largely not my taste.
huckleberryrk's review against another edition
4.0
As with every anthology, there were a few comics where I asked myself "How did this get in here?" But overall, this was absolutely gold. My favourite comic was one of the first ones by artist Eric Orner. I adored it, but it is absolutely heartbreaking.
christalbotheindl's review
4.0
Like all compilation books, there were comics I loved and some I hated.
The bad: there were some that were included that I couldn't understand for the life of me. Not just bad storylines (everyone's got their own taste), but poorly done with pencil lines still included or white out marks. There were quite a few that reinforced some dangerous (in my mind) stereotypes about the queer community.
The good: there were heartfelt stories about coming out, about first loves, about reconciling what you feel and what society expects you to feel and believe that spoke to me as a queer person.
The amazing: I was blown away by the pieces from the following artists: Ed Luce, Dylan Edwards, Steve Macisaac, Andy Hartzell, Craig Bostick, Sasha Steinberg, Jon Macy, and L. Nichols in particular. They either had stories that I thought were incredibly important, artwork that was visually stunning, or both. While the book focused heavily on gay men, there were pieces about gender identity as well, which I loved.
All in all, I'd recommend it. Just be aware that there will be stereotypes that are not particularly flattering for the gay community included.
The bad: there were some that were included that I couldn't understand for the life of me. Not just bad storylines (everyone's got their own taste), but poorly done with pencil lines still included or white out marks. There were quite a few that reinforced some dangerous (in my mind) stereotypes about the queer community.
The good: there were heartfelt stories about coming out, about first loves, about reconciling what you feel and what society expects you to feel and believe that spoke to me as a queer person.
The amazing: I was blown away by the pieces from the following artists: Ed Luce, Dylan Edwards, Steve Macisaac, Andy Hartzell, Craig Bostick, Sasha Steinberg, Jon Macy, and L. Nichols in particular. They either had stories that I thought were incredibly important, artwork that was visually stunning, or both. While the book focused heavily on gay men, there were pieces about gender identity as well, which I loved.
All in all, I'd recommend it. Just be aware that there will be stereotypes that are not particularly flattering for the gay community included.
meepelous's review
2.0
So I have to be honest. This is a great collection of stories, but it just wasn't for me. It's not that I didn't find the stories interesting, but I ended up having to drag myself through it. I don't even know why :(
apostrophen's review
4.0
First book of the year, and it was lovely. Queer, varied, at turns dark or humorous, this collection has such variety to it that it felt a little like walking into a crowded room and finding that everyone is queer and welcoming, and that you'd like to be a friend to these people - because they're just as warped as you are.
Okay, so there was no way I was going to walk away from short fiction so easily, was there? Truth be told, I'm kind of missing having a tale to talk about every day - but I am liking that days where my head is pounding or I'm running from start to finish have one less item on the to-do list.
Still...
As a compromise, I figured I'd change daily to weekly. Sundays are three-out-of-four times a day off for me - also, I like alliteration - so I bring you the first "Sunday Shorts."
Sometimes I'll chat about a whole collection, sometimes maybe it'll just be a story - or maybe I'll flit around with multiple stories from one author. Whatever I feel like, or whatever has captured my attention. Hopefully, it's just as fun and enjoyable for anyone who enjoys a delve into short fiction in whatever form I might feel like chatting about.
And - as always - please let me know if you've bumped into short fiction that made you sit up and take notice.
QU33R, edited by Rob Kirby
I helped kickstart this anthology of thirty-three queer stories featuring queer comics legends and new talents. It even has my name in the "thank you" page, and it's even spelled correctly which is always an added bonus (I'm looking at you, Lambda Literary).
What was most impressive about this anthology was the range of art and the diversity of stories being told - some tales are uplifting, some are dark. A few made me laugh out loud. Some moved into the oft-neglected "T" of the LGBT community, and more than a few of the titles touched upon inter-sectional diversity.
Though there wasn't a clunker in the bunch, of course a few struck me more than others. Right off the bat I have to go a wee bit fan-boy over the Dylan Edwards story, "the Transformers." This tale - about kids who gender-swap their toys - was a wonderful mix of nostalgia and kick-ass kid-power that I loved. Brilliantly and deftly done.
On a completely different note, the assassin in Jennifer Camper's "Just Another Night in Carbon City" was lesbian noir done right. This story - about the latest hit, a possible romantic interlude, and things not being what they seem - is packed into such a short space that the tale is a perfect example of not wasting a single word.
There are so many more tales in QU33R worth reading, and I'm sure there's something here for everyone. If you're at all interested in graphic novels and LGBT tales, this one is for you.
Okay, so there was no way I was going to walk away from short fiction so easily, was there? Truth be told, I'm kind of missing having a tale to talk about every day - but I am liking that days where my head is pounding or I'm running from start to finish have one less item on the to-do list.
Still...
As a compromise, I figured I'd change daily to weekly. Sundays are three-out-of-four times a day off for me - also, I like alliteration - so I bring you the first "Sunday Shorts."
Sometimes I'll chat about a whole collection, sometimes maybe it'll just be a story - or maybe I'll flit around with multiple stories from one author. Whatever I feel like, or whatever has captured my attention. Hopefully, it's just as fun and enjoyable for anyone who enjoys a delve into short fiction in whatever form I might feel like chatting about.
And - as always - please let me know if you've bumped into short fiction that made you sit up and take notice.
QU33R, edited by Rob Kirby
I helped kickstart this anthology of thirty-three queer stories featuring queer comics legends and new talents. It even has my name in the "thank you" page, and it's even spelled correctly which is always an added bonus (I'm looking at you, Lambda Literary).
What was most impressive about this anthology was the range of art and the diversity of stories being told - some tales are uplifting, some are dark. A few made me laugh out loud. Some moved into the oft-neglected "T" of the LGBT community, and more than a few of the titles touched upon inter-sectional diversity.
Though there wasn't a clunker in the bunch, of course a few struck me more than others. Right off the bat I have to go a wee bit fan-boy over the Dylan Edwards story, "the Transformers." This tale - about kids who gender-swap their toys - was a wonderful mix of nostalgia and kick-ass kid-power that I loved. Brilliantly and deftly done.
On a completely different note, the assassin in Jennifer Camper's "Just Another Night in Carbon City" was lesbian noir done right. This story - about the latest hit, a possible romantic interlude, and things not being what they seem - is packed into such a short space that the tale is a perfect example of not wasting a single word.
There are so many more tales in QU33R worth reading, and I'm sure there's something here for everyone. If you're at all interested in graphic novels and LGBT tales, this one is for you.