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A review by jbeoin
Clementine, Book One by Tillie Walden
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Note: ableism, death of loved ones, death of parents, murder, violence, zombies, isolation, death of a pet, avalanche
I loved seeing multiple disabled people in a zombie horror comic!! Not just surviving but kicking ass and being relied on. That's a wonderful thing to see, and I'm grateful for it. I liked seeing the respectful interaction between the Amish community and Clementine regarding the prosthetic, too. I loved that Clementine in particular was not portrayed as a pitiful character or a character who had "overcome" her disabilities-- she was strong, capable, still dealing with the realities of her limitations, and finding adaptable ways to accomplish her goals. That's wonderful.
The character cast was an interesting mix, too, and I enjoyed the setting the story took place in. I feel like Tillie Walden explored the Walking Dead world in ways that I don't often see (BIG CAVEAT: I've only watched the tv series, so I can only speak to that version), and it was refreshing.
I like black and white comics and Tillie Walden's style overall, but I really need the values to differentiate more than I got here, especially in a horror comic like this. There were so many pages that frustrated me and took me out of the moment or even just left me completely clueless as to what happened, who said what, whether someone was a walker or a human, etc. It irritated me so much that it took me days to finish a comic that I could typically read in an hour or two with clearer visuals.
The story itself was also a bit slow overall. The mystery aspect felt a bit underbaked and overhyped for me; I didn't feel that the ending paid off.
I'm honestly not sure if I want to continue reading the series, but I may give Book Two a try to see if it picks up a bit.
I loved seeing multiple disabled people in a zombie horror comic!! Not just surviving but kicking ass and being relied on. That's a wonderful thing to see, and I'm grateful for it. I liked seeing the respectful interaction between the Amish community and Clementine regarding the prosthetic, too. I loved that Clementine in particular was not portrayed as a pitiful character or a character who had "overcome" her disabilities-- she was strong, capable, still dealing with the realities of her limitations, and finding adaptable ways to accomplish her goals. That's wonderful.
The character cast was an interesting mix, too, and I enjoyed the setting the story took place in. I feel like Tillie Walden explored the Walking Dead world in ways that I don't often see (BIG CAVEAT: I've only watched the tv series, so I can only speak to that version), and it was refreshing.
I like black and white comics and Tillie Walden's style overall, but I really need the values to differentiate more than I got here, especially in a horror comic like this. There were so many pages that frustrated me and took me out of the moment or even just left me completely clueless as to what happened, who said what, whether someone was a walker or a human, etc. It irritated me so much that it took me days to finish a comic that I could typically read in an hour or two with clearer visuals.
The story itself was also a bit slow overall. The mystery aspect felt a bit underbaked and overhyped for me; I didn't feel that the ending paid off.
I'm honestly not sure if I want to continue reading the series, but I may give Book Two a try to see if it picks up a bit.