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scottjp's review against another edition
5.0
Joe is a hypoglycemic 13 year-old whose military father was killed in battle and whose mother is fighting to keep their house. When the class bullies steal his candy, he finds himself hallucinating a world where his pet rat is a warrior and he is some kind of savior. The fun lies in the reader connecting the dots between things in the real world and the fantasy, so I won't say anything more about the plot. Take your time reading it, and appreciate all the little details Sean Murphy has worked into the art.
I'm not sure why this was released under the Vertigo imprint, unless it was just because it was a creator-owned property. It's an affecting, intelligent, and cleverly-constructed tale, but there is no "mature" or "adult" content, as the terms tend to be used today. It would be fine for anyone around the age of the protagonist and up. I hope the "mature readers" warning doesn't keep it out of the hands of younger teens.
I couldn't help but think of a thematically-similar graphic novel I read recently, [b:I Kill Giants|6435893|I Kill Giants|Joe Kelly|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1243558074s/6435893.jpg|6625451], which concerns a girl who also lives part of her life in a fantasy. They would make good companion volumes.
I'm not sure why this was released under the Vertigo imprint, unless it was just because it was a creator-owned property. It's an affecting, intelligent, and cleverly-constructed tale, but there is no "mature" or "adult" content, as the terms tend to be used today. It would be fine for anyone around the age of the protagonist and up. I hope the "mature readers" warning doesn't keep it out of the hands of younger teens.
I couldn't help but think of a thematically-similar graphic novel I read recently, [b:I Kill Giants|6435893|I Kill Giants|Joe Kelly|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1243558074s/6435893.jpg|6625451], which concerns a girl who also lives part of her life in a fantasy. They would make good companion volumes.
immortalfireboy's review against another edition
5.0
So glad I finally sat down and read this incredible book. 13 year old boy starts hallucinating due to diabetic shock and things get a bit messy.
wander_er's review against another edition
2.0
I really didn't like the dialogue or plot. Both felt really unnatural and disjointed.
The art was pretty cool.
The art was pretty cool.
tduchscher's review against another edition
3.0
I thought it was really good. Gave a different perspective on what diabetics go through. Helped my boyfriend understand what I deal with on a daily basis. I am not a huge fan of comics though.
charlie_mtz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
blairconrad's review against another edition
3.0
It was okay. I enjoyed the hypoglycemia and hypogenea parallels and how features from Joe's house translated over into his magical land. And Jack was super cool.
I didn't think the artwork was as great as many, and was confused about all the "skriiii"ing and "squeee"ing - I thought something more was going to come of those similarities. The supporting cast was completely forgettable (and nigh useless), with the Mom's dialogue and behaviour being probably flattest of all.
I didn't think the artwork was as great as many, and was confused about all the "skriiii"ing and "squeee"ing - I thought something more was going to come of those similarities. The supporting cast was completely forgettable (and nigh useless), with the Mom's dialogue and behaviour being probably flattest of all.
jasmiinaf's review against another edition
4.0
Ok. so when I first heard the name "Joe the Barbarian" this really wasn't what I expected. I'm really happy that I borrowed this from our library, because I think this was a great comic. The art is quite pretty and the story is crazy kind of wonderful. And the ending... Well, it made me sad but it was one of the best comic endings I have read for awhile. Maybe one of the best new comics I have read in the summer.
bengriffin's review against another edition
4.0
Fantastic and heartfelt blending of fantasy and reality in a similar vein to I Kill Giants. I particularly loved the attention that went into the layout out of the house to make it all come together plausibly and it's another case of Dave Stewart's colouring blowing me away. Strongly recommended.
wouter_dhondt_old's review against another edition
3.0
Reads like a fever dream, which is probably the point. Gorgeous artwork by Sean Murphy.
wouter_dhondt's review against another edition
3.0
Reads like a fever dream, which is probably the point. Gorgeous artwork by Sean Murphy.