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thekarpuk's review against another edition
4.0
This book snuck up on me.
I expected a sort of indie-comic transgressiveness, with the usual sort of depraved behavior and twisted scenarios. What I received instead feels more like a more whimsical Kafka.
Surrealism is an impressive trick to pull off well. You have to have a world with bendable rules, but one where the stakes for the protagonist still matter. Modern comics very rarely center on a nice guy. Anti-heroes and edgy jaded cynics normally populate comics, so its refreshing to have a story about a guy who's neurotic but genuinely wants the best for everyone and feels so passionate about the pain in his life that some pages hurt to read.
What snuck up on me was the optimism. Despite the name, there's a constant thread of hope that passes through this story. Roald Dahl often had the one kind adult archetype in his stories, the figure who helped kids realize that not everyone was a horrible human being. Cathy Malkasian puts characters of this type at even intervals, so the hopelessly neurotic and often mean-spirited people Gloom encounters don't overwhelm the reader.
And ultimately, the story leaves off with a set of moment that are both touching and ultimately satisfying. The struggles of life come through in a fascinating way when you have a character who could live forever or kill himself at will. It may not have a explosive conclusion, or a sexy style, but Percy Gloom will linger in my memories, digging a bigger impression the more I think about it.
I expected a sort of indie-comic transgressiveness, with the usual sort of depraved behavior and twisted scenarios. What I received instead feels more like a more whimsical Kafka.
Surrealism is an impressive trick to pull off well. You have to have a world with bendable rules, but one where the stakes for the protagonist still matter. Modern comics very rarely center on a nice guy. Anti-heroes and edgy jaded cynics normally populate comics, so its refreshing to have a story about a guy who's neurotic but genuinely wants the best for everyone and feels so passionate about the pain in his life that some pages hurt to read.
What snuck up on me was the optimism. Despite the name, there's a constant thread of hope that passes through this story. Roald Dahl often had the one kind adult archetype in his stories, the figure who helped kids realize that not everyone was a horrible human being. Cathy Malkasian puts characters of this type at even intervals, so the hopelessly neurotic and often mean-spirited people Gloom encounters don't overwhelm the reader.
And ultimately, the story leaves off with a set of moment that are both touching and ultimately satisfying. The struggles of life come through in a fascinating way when you have a character who could live forever or kill himself at will. It may not have a explosive conclusion, or a sexy style, but Percy Gloom will linger in my memories, digging a bigger impression the more I think about it.
charleysketches's review against another edition
3.0
Really nice art, but the story was kind of...disappointing.
mikhailhanafi's review against another edition
4.0
I liked it. I'm starting to read more graphic novels, and this was a good start. It's surreal and charming, and the characters are wonderfully drawn.
francomega's review
4.0
Artwork and tone right up my alley, but it's the absurdist nuances and attention to detail that sets this apart.
"In the business of caution...we are unprepared for happiness."
"In the business of caution...we are unprepared for happiness."
donaldcramer's review
2.0
I'm not sure what I was supposed to get from this. Or the artist's vision.
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