yoteach87's review against another edition
2.0
The art is beautiful and haunting, the story is uh....really weird. I think I "got it" but I imagine the author had more hidden in depth meanings that I didn't grasp.
talbet's review against another edition
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
magnetgrrl's review against another edition
1.0
I don't remember this at all. I know this comic is kind of a big deal? Apparently, whenever I did read it, I gave it 1 star?? I'm gonna have to re-read this one.
britlaccetti's review against another edition
3.0
Black Hole is a graphic novel that centrals around two main characters, Chris and Keith. The story switches back and forth of these two character's perceptions.
The story line is pretty interesting, a sexual disease is passed from teenager to teenager named "the bug". Every teenager seems to have a different reaction to the bug (growing a tail, skin shedding, bumps on their face etc). The novel deals with sex, drugs, suicide, violence, and the fear of being different. It's pretty much every thought that runs through a teenager's mind on any given day.
I read the novel for a class to determine whether or not it would be appropriate to teach to High School students. I will say that the themes are great and this is a piece of work that students would be able to relate to. However, I would probably get screamed at from parents and school administrators because of all the nudity and drug use. Would I let my own children read it? Of course, because it can hold some educational value (stay protected when having sex or else you can get an incurable disease and become a social outcast for the rest of your life, etc).
The reason I am not giving it 4 or 5 stars is because I feel like there may have been too many penis pictures for me. There was one in the beginning that was really close up and kind of made me uncomfortable (but good artwork is supposed to make you uncomfortable, I KNOW!!!). The other thing was that it was really hard to keep track of the characters in the beginning because there were so many and they all looked alike. There isn't much difference in characteristics between most of the characters such as Keith and Rob, and Chris and Eliza. Honestly though, if you don't see these two things a problem you will most likely enjoy this A LOT.
The story line is pretty interesting, a sexual disease is passed from teenager to teenager named "the bug". Every teenager seems to have a different reaction to the bug (growing a tail, skin shedding, bumps on their face etc). The novel deals with sex, drugs, suicide, violence, and the fear of being different. It's pretty much every thought that runs through a teenager's mind on any given day.
I read the novel for a class to determine whether or not it would be appropriate to teach to High School students. I will say that the themes are great and this is a piece of work that students would be able to relate to. However, I would probably get screamed at from parents and school administrators because of all the nudity and drug use. Would I let my own children read it? Of course, because it can hold some educational value (stay protected when having sex or else you can get an incurable disease and become a social outcast for the rest of your life, etc).
The reason I am not giving it 4 or 5 stars is because I feel like there may have been too many penis pictures for me. There was one in the beginning that was really close up and kind of made me uncomfortable (but good artwork is supposed to make you uncomfortable, I KNOW!!!). The other thing was that it was really hard to keep track of the characters in the beginning because there were so many and they all looked alike. There isn't much difference in characteristics between most of the characters such as Keith and Rob, and Chris and Eliza. Honestly though, if you don't see these two things a problem you will most likely enjoy this A LOT.
mkean's review against another edition
4.0
Dang. This book is so psychologically intense. But really good! The graphic style itself really added to the suspense and unease of the story.
znnys's review against another edition
2.0
I first read this about 14 years ago, recently remembered it existed, and had to read it again to see if I still felt the same way or if time would change my opinion on it. I remember being compelled by the art but largely off-put by the writing. Unfortunately I find myself feeling the same now as I did then. Adolescence as a disease and a monstrous transformation is something that's been explored pretty thoroughly in other media (i.e. Ginger Snaps) and Black Hole doesn't quite hold up for me.
I think there's something to be said about the depiction of Chris's, where her first sexual experience sent her into a spiral of isolation and depression, whereas Keith seemed to thrive while in a similar position. There's some merit to gender commentary, there - where becoming a "man" allows Keith to find happiness, whereas Chris is doomed. But how purposeful is this on Burns' part? I don't know. A lot of her behavior felt frustratingly cruel and self-martyring, which I suppose makes for a realistic character, but got to a point where it was exhausting to read. Keith, on the other hand, was incredibly boring. Eliza was the most compelling character to me and I was irritated that her existence culminated in being Keith's "reward."
The entire Dave situation was something I had forgotten and in rereading, I fully remembered my irritation with it. Burns touches on this idea of "popular kids vs. losers" but comes to off-putting conclusion to this with Dave. This isn't something that's never happened before but I have mixed feelings about the implication that yes, actually, all of the nice normal healthy kids were justified in hating the sickly "freaks." The scene where he spits in that other boy's mouth felt uncomfortably close to weird AIDS misinformation from the 80s. Considering this was written in 2005, set in the mid-70s, and revolves around a sexually transmitted disease that warps the body and turns those with the condition into social pariahs, AIDS seems to clumsily loom over the entire story without actually being deliberately explored. It feels like a weird elephant in the room, especially given a) the aforementioned embracing of villainizing misinformation and b) how heterosexual the story is.
I still think the art is compelling. There's these weird, trippy moments, it's grotesque, it's weird, it's very visually interesting (though often times the characters look a little too similar to one another and are hard to differentiate). But the story itself feels aimless and irritating. I finished it feeling more or less nothing.
I think there's something to be said about the depiction of Chris's, where her first sexual experience sent her into a spiral of isolation and depression, whereas Keith seemed to thrive while in a similar position. There's some merit to gender commentary, there - where becoming a "man" allows Keith to find happiness, whereas Chris is doomed. But how purposeful is this on Burns' part? I don't know. A lot of her behavior felt frustratingly cruel and self-martyring, which I suppose makes for a realistic character, but got to a point where it was exhausting to read. Keith, on the other hand, was incredibly boring. Eliza was the most compelling character to me and I was irritated that her existence culminated in being Keith's "reward."
The entire Dave situation was something I had forgotten and in rereading, I fully remembered my irritation with it. Burns touches on this idea of "popular kids vs. losers" but comes to off-putting conclusion to this with Dave. This isn't something that's never happened before but I have mixed feelings about the implication that yes, actually, all of the nice normal healthy kids were justified in hating the sickly "freaks." The scene where he spits in that other boy's mouth felt uncomfortably close to weird AIDS misinformation from the 80s. Considering this was written in 2005, set in the mid-70s, and revolves around a sexually transmitted disease that warps the body and turns those with the condition into social pariahs, AIDS seems to clumsily loom over the entire story without actually being deliberately explored. It feels like a weird elephant in the room, especially given a) the aforementioned embracing of villainizing misinformation and b) how heterosexual the story is.
I still think the art is compelling. There's these weird, trippy moments, it's grotesque, it's weird, it's very visually interesting (though often times the characters look a little too similar to one another and are hard to differentiate). But the story itself feels aimless and irritating. I finished it feeling more or less nothing.
mnsperkins's review against another edition
3.0
It is super weird and the ending wasn't satisfying to me. It kept me entertained.
clarat18's review against another edition
3.0
fantastic for October, felt like watching some psychedelic slasher horror movie. definitely fell off in the second half a bit, but the art really makes up for it.
kkrehemker's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
bookscreentalk's review against another edition
3.0
Fast paced, a little too raunchy at times but doesn't have page numbers for a reason. Makes you want to finish the book in one sitting.