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A review by saidtheraina
The Wrenchies by Farel Dalrymple
4.0
It begins with a single demon in a cave. Soon, the world is overtaken by violent creatures which prey on teenagers, turning them into monsters themselves. This graphic novel combines an apocalyptic world, superhero and comic book lore, and a gang of warrior children. Dalrymple’s aesthetic is raw, saturated – beautiful and terrible all at once. There’s an exactness to his scrawl. The reader will find themselves dwelling on his scenes, looking for the winking details and small moments of truth. There is a dreamlike quality here – the story goes beyond nonlinear to become almost nonsensical, and perseverance sometimes requires patience and/or hypnosis. This is a work which will primarily appeal to adults, or to idealistic, metaphor-seeking deep thinkers. The illustrations are stunning, the ideas grand – and graphic novel aficionados and free-associating minds will enjoy it the most. Recommended for upper high school and adults due to graphic violence, language, and mature themes. //Review I posted in the WashRAG
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All of that is true. However, while I admire it as a work, I still haven't quite settled on whether I think it's weaker for the hard-to-follow plotline. Whether it's a failing of GN storytelling technique. The illustrations, though beautiful, are pretty inconsistent at times. I really do love his use of bleeds and the page as a whole. His layouts are stunning. So, the storytelling weakness isn't a failing there. It's easy to figure out where to go on the page, but pieces feel left out.
Also his characters are fairly impenetrable. You really don't get a sense of who these people are at their cores, or even who the good guys/bad babes are.
If your appeal factor is character or plot, this is probably not the book for you. Go here if you like world-building or language. Or, ya know, gorgeous visuals that are occasionally horrifying.
~~~
All of that is true. However, while I admire it as a work, I still haven't quite settled on whether I think it's weaker for the hard-to-follow plotline. Whether it's a failing of GN storytelling technique. The illustrations, though beautiful, are pretty inconsistent at times. I really do love his use of bleeds and the page as a whole. His layouts are stunning. So, the storytelling weakness isn't a failing there. It's easy to figure out where to go on the page, but pieces feel left out.
Also his characters are fairly impenetrable. You really don't get a sense of who these people are at their cores, or even who the good guys/bad babes are.
If your appeal factor is character or plot, this is probably not the book for you. Go here if you like world-building or language. Or, ya know, gorgeous visuals that are occasionally horrifying.