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chicafrom3 's review for:
Xkcd: Volume 0
by Randall Munroe
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A collection of strips from the webcomic xkcd, selected from the first 600 releases (at the time of posting this review, Munroe has just released the 3075th strip, for some context). Promoted as the first collection, but it's been many years and no evidence of a second collection is forthcoming, though Munroe has released a handful of other books related to the franchise. I'm a longtime xkcd reader, attended the Cambridge meetup referenced in the book's introduction, and pre-ordered this book the moment it was first announced back in 2009, just to make it clear that I'm not an unbiased reviewer in any way; I was always this collection's intended audience.
I don't often revisit xkcd's early strips, and it was a joy to do so with this reread. From the most conceptual of the early strips drawn on graph paper to the recurring characters still hanging around today to the reminders of all the ways the internet has changed over the last couple decades, it's a little time capsule of a specific moment in nerd culture, captured with love and joy.
Take wrong turns. Talk to strangers. Open unmarked doors. And if you see a group of people in a field, go find out what they're doing. Do things without always knowing how they'll turn out.
I don't often revisit xkcd's early strips, and it was a joy to do so with this reread. From the most conceptual of the early strips drawn on graph paper to the recurring characters still hanging around today to the reminders of all the ways the internet has changed over the last couple decades, it's a little time capsule of a specific moment in nerd culture, captured with love and joy.
Take wrong turns. Talk to strangers. Open unmarked doors. And if you see a group of people in a field, go find out what they're doing. Do things without always knowing how they'll turn out.