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mediaevalmuse 's review for:
I Kill Giants
by Joe Kelly
I’m all about kick-ass heroines that aren’t afraid to be a little geeky (or a lot geeky, in this case). This comic is a lovely addition to my stack of comics about nerdy things, and though I usually don’t go for coming-of-age stories, this one was a lot of fun in addition to being very touching.
Things I Liked
1. Art: Niimura’s art was a lot of fun, and it kind of reminded me of Japanese manga artwork. I also liked that this book was in greyscale/black and white (a change from my usual reading) and involved a lot of expressive facial features. Overall, it had really dynamic work and stands out in comparison to a lot of other comics I’ve been reading lately.
2. Emotion: Kelly’s writing is very emotional in that I had a real sense of sorrow for Barbara towards the end of the book. At first, I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to like Barbara, since she is quite abrasive and doesn’t seem to respect anyone. After a while, though, it was obvious that her behavior was an expression of pain, and once I was able to see that, I began to feel for the character and was eager to see how she would work through her problems.
3. Magical Realism: Even though the description of the book says “real and imagined monsters,” I’m still not sure to what degree we’re supposed to take Barbara’s monsters as real or simply metaphors. I like this kind of ambiguity, and it really works given the story.
4. Nerd References: I’m always up for nerdy things. Put them in all my comics.
5. Women: So many characters in this story are women - and not only that, but flawed women. Barbara has problems controlling her anger and is rather unfair to people around her. That’s okay, though, because it helps readers understand her as complex. I also liked Mrs. Molle and Karen quite a lot, and I was happy to see a comic filled with more female characters than male ones.
Things I Didn’t Like
1. Language: From time to time, there’s language or phrases in this book that don’t sit right with me. Barbara, at one point, calls her gym teacher a “bull dyke” and a guy in a comics shop makes a remark about how girls shouldn’t play D&D. I’m just so tired of language/phrases like these being used to convey edginess or whatever it’s supposed to do.
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in grief, coping skills, nerdy references, role playing games, Dungeons and Dragons, and coming of age stories.
Things I Liked
1. Art: Niimura’s art was a lot of fun, and it kind of reminded me of Japanese manga artwork. I also liked that this book was in greyscale/black and white (a change from my usual reading) and involved a lot of expressive facial features. Overall, it had really dynamic work and stands out in comparison to a lot of other comics I’ve been reading lately.
2. Emotion: Kelly’s writing is very emotional in that I had a real sense of sorrow for Barbara towards the end of the book. At first, I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to like Barbara, since she is quite abrasive and doesn’t seem to respect anyone. After a while, though, it was obvious that her behavior was an expression of pain, and once I was able to see that, I began to feel for the character and was eager to see how she would work through her problems.
3. Magical Realism: Even though the description of the book says “real and imagined monsters,” I’m still not sure to what degree we’re supposed to take Barbara’s monsters as real or simply metaphors. I like this kind of ambiguity, and it really works given the story.
4. Nerd References: I’m always up for nerdy things. Put them in all my comics.
5. Women: So many characters in this story are women - and not only that, but flawed women. Barbara has problems controlling her anger and is rather unfair to people around her. That’s okay, though, because it helps readers understand her as complex. I also liked Mrs. Molle and Karen quite a lot, and I was happy to see a comic filled with more female characters than male ones.
Things I Didn’t Like
1. Language: From time to time, there’s language or phrases in this book that don’t sit right with me. Barbara, at one point, calls her gym teacher a “bull dyke” and a guy in a comics shop makes a remark about how girls shouldn’t play D&D. I’m just so tired of language/phrases like these being used to convey edginess or whatever it’s supposed to do.
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in grief, coping skills, nerdy references, role playing games, Dungeons and Dragons, and coming of age stories.