emilychau's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
ethan_libra's review against another edition
4.0
Killing and Dying: Stories is a vivid, affecting collection of stories. Some are full-on short stories, others brief vignettes, but either way, here's my take on each of them.
"A Brief History of the Art Form Known as 'Hortisculpture'" -- 4/5
"Hortisculpture" (the story) is an intricate assembly of vignettes that, taken altogether, tell a complete story of a man and how his art affects his life. I love the structure of this one: black-and-white strips give way to full-color pages, with each strip being punctuated by a punchline, either comedic or tragic, most times both.
"Amber Sweet" -- 3.5/5
I definitely enjoy "Amber Sweet", I just feel like I would have enjoyed it more had it gone into more detail, rather than just arriving and leaving me with an inconclusive ending. It's still good, though.
"Go Owls" -- 4/5
A grounded take on abusers and toxic masculinity, "Go Owls" leans further towards the depressing side of the spectrum, but the biting visuals and dialogue never fail to keep the reader invested.
"Translated, from the Japanese," -- 3/5
I don't get this one. Fortunately, it's not long enough or involved enough to invoke frustration at not getting it, and the scenery is nice, and I could maybe give you a barebones synopsis on this story after a reread. But for now, I just didn't take anything away from it.
"Killing and Dying" -- 4/5
A visceral punch to the gut. The characters are fleshed-out, the dialogue is piercing, and the overall story is just one that will cut deep for anyone who's ever had, well, a family. Possibly my favorite story in the novel alongside "Hortisculpture".
"Intruders" -- 3.5/5
Similar to "Amber Sweet", this is another short story that works pretty well on its own, but could also benefit from a few extra scenes. It also probably has the most abrupt ending of the collection. However, it also benefits from a "classic graphic novel" aesthetic, which is cool.
Overall, I thought this collection was a moving, thoughtfully constructed piece of art depicting the struggles of everyday people without becoming too pretentious. I specifically enjoyed the different art styles and formatting decisions; I hope the author continues this in other short stories!
P.S. Look out for Owls merch!
"A Brief History of the Art Form Known as 'Hortisculpture'" -- 4/5
"Hortisculpture" (the story) is an intricate assembly of vignettes that, taken altogether, tell a complete story of a man and how his art affects his life. I love the structure of this one: black-and-white strips give way to full-color pages, with each strip being punctuated by a punchline, either comedic or tragic, most times both.
"Amber Sweet" -- 3.5/5
I definitely enjoy "Amber Sweet", I just feel like I would have enjoyed it more had it gone into more detail, rather than just arriving and leaving me with an inconclusive ending. It's still good, though.
"Go Owls" -- 4/5
A grounded take on abusers and toxic masculinity, "Go Owls" leans further towards the depressing side of the spectrum, but the biting visuals and dialogue never fail to keep the reader invested.
"Translated, from the Japanese," -- 3/5
I don't get this one. Fortunately, it's not long enough or involved enough to invoke frustration at not getting it, and the scenery is nice, and I could maybe give you a barebones synopsis on this story after a reread. But for now, I just didn't take anything away from it.
"Killing and Dying" -- 4/5
A visceral punch to the gut. The characters are fleshed-out, the dialogue is piercing, and the overall story is just one that will cut deep for anyone who's ever had, well, a family. Possibly my favorite story in the novel alongside "Hortisculpture".
"Intruders" -- 3.5/5
Similar to "Amber Sweet", this is another short story that works pretty well on its own, but could also benefit from a few extra scenes. It also probably has the most abrupt ending of the collection. However, it also benefits from a "classic graphic novel" aesthetic, which is cool.
Overall, I thought this collection was a moving, thoughtfully constructed piece of art depicting the struggles of everyday people without becoming too pretentious. I specifically enjoyed the different art styles and formatting decisions; I hope the author continues this in other short stories!
P.S. Look out for Owls merch!
gervxse's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
katsherms's review against another edition
4.0
A short graphic story collection that really struck a nerve with me
s_i_h's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
jekutree's review against another edition
5.0
Revisiting this was magical. It was my first Tomine book and one of my first alternative comics works, and now it's among my favorites. I liked it a ton when I first read it, but after revisiting a few short stories and more recently rereading the book as a whole, it has developed into an all time favorite of mine and stands as what I'd say is Tomine's best work.
Killing and Dying explores humanity, relationships, loneliness, aesthetics and the power of the comic page throughout it's 6 stories to near perfection. It's a very ambitious book, each story occupying a different style. The first story, "A Brief History of the Art Form Known as Hortisculpture" is told through a newspaper comic strip narrative and stays true to that on every 7th strip where a full, color page is used (signifying Sunday). I think in terms of experimentation and structure, this was the most interesting but the other stories pack way more of an emotional punch. My favorite in the collection is actually a 4 way tie between "Intruders", "Amber Sweet", "Go Owls" and the self titled "Killing and Dying". Throughout these 4 stories Tomine shows that he has perfected the style he came up doing: short, realistic stories about lonely and/or damaged people. Tomine throughout these stories utilizes his typical tropes of lonely protagonists, abrupt endings and heavy, emotional climaxes but tells each story in a different art style, panel structure and color palette.
This is by far Adrian Tomine's most ambitious work and I'll double down and say it's his most impressive. I recommend "Killing and Dying" to nearly every person I know, regardless if they like comics or not.
A true masterpiece.
Killing and Dying explores humanity, relationships, loneliness, aesthetics and the power of the comic page throughout it's 6 stories to near perfection. It's a very ambitious book, each story occupying a different style. The first story, "A Brief History of the Art Form Known as Hortisculpture" is told through a newspaper comic strip narrative and stays true to that on every 7th strip where a full, color page is used (signifying Sunday). I think in terms of experimentation and structure, this was the most interesting but the other stories pack way more of an emotional punch. My favorite in the collection is actually a 4 way tie between "Intruders", "Amber Sweet", "Go Owls" and the self titled "Killing and Dying". Throughout these 4 stories Tomine shows that he has perfected the style he came up doing: short, realistic stories about lonely and/or damaged people. Tomine throughout these stories utilizes his typical tropes of lonely protagonists, abrupt endings and heavy, emotional climaxes but tells each story in a different art style, panel structure and color palette.
This is by far Adrian Tomine's most ambitious work and I'll double down and say it's his most impressive. I recommend "Killing and Dying" to nearly every person I know, regardless if they like comics or not.
A true masterpiece.
minkkmuse's review against another edition
emotional
funny
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
gorgeous artwork, moving stories with complicated, messy, and deeply human characters struggling to make sense of culture, identity, grief, love, and art. love how tomine plays with various forms and styles and uses the medium of comics to portray unreliable narrators.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, and Violence
Moderate: Racism
ninapotischman's review against another edition
4.0
It reminds me a lot of Nick Drnaso’s Sabrina which is one of my favorite (if not my favorite) graphic novels. I love the book’s minimalist style, and bits of it felt like getting punched emotionally – so I’d recommend if you’re looking for that!
brigid_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5