A review by edent_
Quarantine Comix by Rachael Smith

3.0

It’s hard reviewing a comic book like this. A weekly or daily feed of little vignettes of lockdown life regularly raises a chuckle. But it long-form, it doesn’t quite work. We already know how the story ends – after a year, you’re still in lockdown. You’ve grown around the belly, but have you grown as a person? No, probably not.

The sketches are cheerful, relatable, and a little heartbreaking in places. You’ll probably recognise your own behaviour in more than a couple. And, I guess that’s the value in art – holding a mirror up so that we may see ourselves better.

There are some beautiful gems within the book. Mostly drawn with a fairly minimalist aesthetic – which helps the few colour panels really pop.

Perhaps I don’t understand how to read a book like this. Taken all in one sitting I found it getting a little repetitive. For dipping in and out of, it’s great.

I think – like many works of art created during COVID – this will be of great interest to those looking back on our deeply weird lives.

Thanks to NetGalley for the preview copy. The book is released later this month.