Reviews

The Essential Dykes to Watch Out for by Alison Bechdel

Only show reviews with written explanations

jackass's review

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dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-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

whyhisbald's review

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4.0

It was very cool to watch her art style evolve over time, but also the characters became more and more insufferable and the plot seemed to repeat itself a lot.

sailormood's review against another edition

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emotional funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

brookereport's review against another edition

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-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? Yes

5.0

Audible Originals released this 3-hour audiobook version of the famed Alison Bechel comic strip just in time for Pride Month — and it’s a truly excellent and enjoyable experience! Although I haven’t read the comic strip, it really felt like I was listening to one - in the very best way.

I love Alison Bechdel and can totally see how this series would have been groundbreaking in the ‘80s and ‘90s for the way it normalizes and celebrates lesbian culture. I’m excited to check out the omnibus collection of other issues now.

2000s's review

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4.25

The amount of thoughts I have about this…so many highs and some really gut-churning lows. (For example, I don’t think transness and disability was handled gracefully throughout the series). For the most part though, this was seriously realistic and witty and nuanced, I actually was laughing out loud reading some of them and there’s no doubt why it’s been so well received. I would have loved to be reading this comic in the 90s as it was released, since I think those were the best strips in this volume. Later strips imo are basically just op-eds responding to early 2000s politics, and really tragic (although there’s weight in that too).

I think the quality declined a lot in the later strips when new characters like Stuart, Gloria, and Cynthia started to take over almost every strip and I honestly didn’t care for them. Felt like it was an abrupt transition from the tone and atmosphere of the earlier comments and not in a good way. I wanted more Jezanna, Lois, Carlos, and Sparrow for real! But even with the many problems I have with it, DTWOF will always be special to me.

robinks's review

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emotional funny informative reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
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

The characters were really well thought-out, and it was nice to see them and their relationships evolve over the years. There was also a lot of historical information included, and at times, it was a bit much. I felt like some plot points were omitted, but perhaps it would make more sense if I read it sporadically over a longer period of time.

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