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big__al's reviews
11 reviews
Stone Fruit by Lee Lai
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Angola Janga: Kingdom of Runaway Slaves by Marcelo d'Salete
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This book is the product of 11 years of research and that alone is staggering! I really appreciated the perspective it grants on the narrative history of Black folks forced into slavery in Brazil, a part of the world I am not from. It documents an uprising compreable to the slave uprising in Haiti and it is harrowing. The author's textural renderings are emotive and evoke a strong tension to back up the horror of the actual events. The end of the book contains and comprehensive glossary, afterward, and historical context.
Sick by Gabby Schulz
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.5
At one point the auther identifies himself as many things including sane and able-bodied, and this books challenges if that statement is true. It's hard not to see the author as a person who lacks meaningful support in an uncaring place while trying to live with a mean brain and a history of trauma. The disgust and hatred the author has for both the himself and the rest of the world is heartbreaking.
That said, the renderings are fantastic, and the writing, while bitter and soaked in doom, immerse the reader into Schulz depressing view on exisitance.
I think this book could be valuable for folks that have not had to reckon with the meat they're made of, to consider the experience of being afraid and alone, to reckon with the existential fear of unknown sickness, or anyone who's wondering what its like to be depressed and lack the will to go on*
*please be careful
BIG OL' CONTENT WARNINGS. The back of the book says, "not for the self assured", but I would also caution any reader having a hard time to check themselves and prepare before and if embarking❤️
That said, the renderings are fantastic, and the writing, while bitter and soaked in doom, immerse the reader into Schulz depressing view on exisitance.
I think this book could be valuable for folks that have not had to reckon with the meat they're made of, to consider the experience of being afraid and alone, to reckon with the existential fear of unknown sickness, or anyone who's wondering what its like to be depressed and lack the will to go on*
*please be careful
BIG OL' CONTENT WARNINGS. The back of the book says, "not for the self assured", but I would also caution any reader having a hard time to check themselves and prepare before and if embarking❤️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Body horror, Excrement, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Minor: Racism and Racial slurs
Aster of Pan by Merwan
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This comic's illustrations are fantastic. They're reminiscent of Bill Waterson's watercolours and Moebius Sci-fi, with a material familiarity that gives a connection to the world. The images are so consistently phenomenal throughout the whole rendering, which is good because, spoilers, manic-pixie-dream-chosen-one-lost-child-sports-hero-apocaplytic-girl is the whole story. This book felt like a genre romp of tropes that kinda felt like toothpick scaffolding for a vivid but familiar dystopia. I wasn't bored, and like, I get it, sparkly capable women are super hot, and I grew up on tank girl too, but I wasn't really surprised by anything in this comic. Even with a diverse cast of memorable characters, the main is still conventionally attractive white girl that would fit right in at burning man, and no one is ever actually hurt though the situation gets violent and dire?
It was fun, but it didn't have the dreamiest, or freshest idea of societal potential for a story set in the not too distant future.
I'm going to remember it as a fun feature film and a feast for the eyes!
It was fun, but it didn't have the dreamiest, or freshest idea of societal potential for a story set in the not too distant future.
I'm going to remember it as a fun feature film and a feast for the eyes!
The Lie And How We Told It by Tommi Parrish
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is a dreamy little peek into two people's privates lives and what they're will to share with each other. Parrish's patience for the painting of each frame is so worthwhile for the colourful, organic finished pages that feel very human. This comic did something I haven't seen done so successfully in other works, and I would suggest not spoiling it if you haven't read it, there is a book within a book, a story within a story. As on of the character reads a book she finds, we read it with her and are immersed in the shared act. This is immersion is furthered by a change to an un coated, warm tone, uncoated paper printed in black and white while all the rest of the comic is a more matte colour print. It's really enchanting .
Utopia for Realists: How We Can Build the Ideal World by Rutger Bregman
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
The Hard Tomorrow by Eleanor Davis
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Eleanor Davis' comics are so masterful. Her rendering style is thoughtful and considered, as is her pacing and layout. The story is tender, chaotic, scary, and beautiful.
Read any of Davis' books, they're all lovely.
Read any of Davis' books, they're all lovely.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality
Rebecca and Lucie in the Case of the Missing Neighbor by Pascal Girard
lighthearted
medium-paced
2.5
The illustrations are beautiful, in pen and Watercolour and the characters and scenes are well designed. The art is a highlight of this book but when I finished reading it I found myself a little dissapointed in the story. The bits about the main character and her relationship with her new daughter are the best parts of the book. This book could be just about their family rather than an author imaging his wife as a pretend cop? As a mystery it was very flat and disappointing, and a bit gross. I'm not familiar with Girards work and had to look up why he appeared as a character in his own book. It gave this book the quality of a careful gift made for a specific person, his wife and daughter, so I hope they love it?
Woman World by Aminder Dhaliwal
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I really lovde Dhaliwal's other book of a similar style, Cylopedia Exotica, so I decided to pick up Woman World. While, as a non-binary person, I find books like this require the reader to hold a little gender essentialism to carry them through, I did still enjoy this book. Dhaliwal's characters are so charming and recognizable, and I really like they way she shows many small moments making up a larger community and time. It's clever way to point at larger systems at work in our lives, and Dhaliwal also manages to be fun a light-hearted while doing it.
This book is confident and direct about the blurriness of womanhood and I really would have liked to see that pushed a little further towards the blurriness of sex/gender in general? But then again, someone like me would think that! Narratives like this need to exist because somewhere there is a woman who needs it, regardless of the world she is experiencing now.
If you liked Woman World, definitely read Cycolopedia Exotica!
This book is confident and direct about the blurriness of womanhood and I really would have liked to see that pushed a little further towards the blurriness of sex/gender in general? But then again, someone like me would think that! Narratives like this need to exist because somewhere there is a woman who needs it, regardless of the world she is experiencing now.
If you liked Woman World, definitely read Cycolopedia Exotica!