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belwood303's review against another edition
3.0
Some things were quotable, some of the illustrations were beautiful, some of the ideas were conversational, but there was no punch, nothing really stands out and I'm only left with a desire for watch pieces and fine tailored suits...
zabcia's review against another edition
3.0
70%
"Everything began with a single breath. A light wind that started a sway, the sway started a turn, and the turn...the turn started Everything. Everything grew and soon needed Time."
Cute, but like every other Goodreads reader, I also could not find any of the puzzles, anagrams, or mysteries promised to me by Tim Gunn (other than the anorev-verona one) - I certainly didn't need a dictionary by my side, as was also suggested; this only leaves me with concerns for the man's mental capacity. The moral lesson of the story felt a bit underwhelming, but the art sure was pretty.
"Everything began with a single breath. A light wind that started a sway, the sway started a turn, and the turn...the turn started Everything. Everything grew and soon needed Time."
Cute, but like every other Goodreads reader, I also could not find any of the puzzles, anagrams, or mysteries promised to me by Tim Gunn (other than the anorev-verona one) - I certainly didn't need a dictionary by my side, as was also suggested; this only leaves me with concerns for the man's mental capacity. The moral lesson of the story felt a bit underwhelming, but the art sure was pretty.
hdbblog's review against another edition
5.0
I've been in a graphic novel loving mood lately, and so I decided to try out something new. Generally what I read is dark, gritty and realistic. So why not take a step back and read something a little more light and fun? When I saw the cover of Return of the Dapper Men I instantly knew it was something I would want to read. From the gorgeously illustrated characters, right down to the steampunk looking gears, I knew this would be something I would fall in love with.
As always, let's start with the illustrations. Wow. That is pretty much as accurate as I can describe them. They are stunning. Multiple colors pop off of every page, and the attention to minute details makes it so that you can't bear to look away from a single page, for fear you might miss something important. I'll honestly admit that I reread this three times. Once to pour over the stunning illustrations, once to read the story, and again to fully appreciate both together. It was definitely worth it. Janet Lee has created a world that evokes thoughts fairy tales long lost. I don't like to compare books, but the illustrations greatly reminded me of the original Alice in Wonderland illustrations. Gorgeous, completely perfect on every page for the story that they were telling. Although the story is amazing, it is the illustrations that really bring it to life.
As for the story, Return of The Dapper Men is fantasy and magic blended together and penned upon a page. In the world of Anorev (Verona spelled backwards for you anagram buffs out there), time has literally stopped. Somehow all that is left are children and robots. Each has no idea of their past, or their future, and they separate themselves into separate parts of the world. Zoe and Ayden are the only two characters who understand that the divide doesn't make sense. They aren't sure yet just why, but they know something big is about to happen.
Zoe and Ayden are such wonderfully captivating characters. One a robot girl, the other a human boy, they find things in one another that are complementary and just perfect. As I followed along on their journey to find out why the Dapper Men had returned (bowler hats and all), I fell in love with the simple understanding they had. The city of Anorev couldn't have been named any more aptly, let's put it that way. The chemistry and mystery between Zoe and Ayden bleeds off the page, and it bled straight into my heart. Even if I had wanted to put the book down for a moment, I wouldn't have been able to. I was too enamored with their entangled lives.
Shades of fairy tales, morality tales, and so much more fill Return of the Dapper Men, and mesh into a beautiful and lyrical read. I quite truthfully was taken all the way back to my days of reading Grimm's Fairy Tales. Although the story may not always be happy, may not always be fair, it's as close to reality in the world of fantasy as you can get. Buried under here are thoughts, ideas, wishes and dreams that we all have hiding inside us. It's amazing graphic novels like this that remind us to bring them to the surface.
As always, let's start with the illustrations. Wow. That is pretty much as accurate as I can describe them. They are stunning. Multiple colors pop off of every page, and the attention to minute details makes it so that you can't bear to look away from a single page, for fear you might miss something important. I'll honestly admit that I reread this three times. Once to pour over the stunning illustrations, once to read the story, and again to fully appreciate both together. It was definitely worth it. Janet Lee has created a world that evokes thoughts fairy tales long lost. I don't like to compare books, but the illustrations greatly reminded me of the original Alice in Wonderland illustrations. Gorgeous, completely perfect on every page for the story that they were telling. Although the story is amazing, it is the illustrations that really bring it to life.
As for the story, Return of The Dapper Men is fantasy and magic blended together and penned upon a page. In the world of Anorev (Verona spelled backwards for you anagram buffs out there), time has literally stopped. Somehow all that is left are children and robots. Each has no idea of their past, or their future, and they separate themselves into separate parts of the world. Zoe and Ayden are the only two characters who understand that the divide doesn't make sense. They aren't sure yet just why, but they know something big is about to happen.
Zoe and Ayden are such wonderfully captivating characters. One a robot girl, the other a human boy, they find things in one another that are complementary and just perfect. As I followed along on their journey to find out why the Dapper Men had returned (bowler hats and all), I fell in love with the simple understanding they had. The city of Anorev couldn't have been named any more aptly, let's put it that way. The chemistry and mystery between Zoe and Ayden bleeds off the page, and it bled straight into my heart. Even if I had wanted to put the book down for a moment, I wouldn't have been able to. I was too enamored with their entangled lives.
Shades of fairy tales, morality tales, and so much more fill Return of the Dapper Men, and mesh into a beautiful and lyrical read. I quite truthfully was taken all the way back to my days of reading Grimm's Fairy Tales. Although the story may not always be happy, may not always be fair, it's as close to reality in the world of fantasy as you can get. Buried under here are thoughts, ideas, wishes and dreams that we all have hiding inside us. It's amazing graphic novels like this that remind us to bring them to the surface.
mmpickart's review
2.0
Return of the Dapper Men was recommended to me twice by two different teens who came into the library. I'm not sure if it was required reading or what drew them both to this graphic novel, but the fact that more than one kid liked it enough to tell me to read it definitely piqued my interest. I had high hopes but I was disappointed...and honestly a bit befuddled on how this book not only fell into the hands of at least two teens, but what they saw in it that they thought it was so great.
I think my biggest problem with Return of the Dapper Men is the lack of backstory. The book presumably takes place in the future, but maybe in an alternate universe, where children and robots live, for lack of a better term, "together but separate" in a world where everyone has forgotten everything from the past. We don't know how the world got to this place; we only see present problem and see that story arc resolved. That wasn't enough for me. I need explanation.
All that aside, there was a fun and whimsical feeling to the book. While reading, I was reminded of lots of magical books and characters: [b:The Wonderful Wizard of Oz|236093|The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Oz, #1)|L. Frank Baum|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1398003737s/236093.jpg|1993810], [b:The Invention of Hugo Cabret|9673436|The Invention of Hugo Cabret|Brian Selznick|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1422312376s/9673436.jpg|527941], Mad Hatter from [b:Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass|24213|Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass|Lewis Carroll|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327872220s/24213.jpg|2375385], Wonka from [b:Charlie and the Chocolate Factory|6310|Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie Bucket, #1)|Roald Dahl|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1309211401s/6310.jpg|2765786], and even the Cat from [b:The Cat in the Hat|233093|The Cat in the Hat|Dr. Seuss|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1468890477s/233093.jpg|267087]. I have great memories of all of those books, movies, and characters, so I guess I can understand the appeal to readers who don't feel the need to know more.
So...I guess if you like those other books, you might like Return of the Dapper Men, as long as you're not like me and feel the need for a more developed story.
I think my biggest problem with Return of the Dapper Men is the lack of backstory. The book presumably takes place in the future, but maybe in an alternate universe, where children and robots live, for lack of a better term, "together but separate" in a world where everyone has forgotten everything from the past. We don't know how the world got to this place; we only see present problem and see that story arc resolved. That wasn't enough for me. I need explanation.
All that aside, there was a fun and whimsical feeling to the book. While reading, I was reminded of lots of magical books and characters: [b:The Wonderful Wizard of Oz|236093|The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Oz, #1)|L. Frank Baum|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1398003737s/236093.jpg|1993810], [b:The Invention of Hugo Cabret|9673436|The Invention of Hugo Cabret|Brian Selznick|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1422312376s/9673436.jpg|527941], Mad Hatter from [b:Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass|24213|Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass|Lewis Carroll|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327872220s/24213.jpg|2375385], Wonka from [b:Charlie and the Chocolate Factory|6310|Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie Bucket, #1)|Roald Dahl|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1309211401s/6310.jpg|2765786], and even the Cat from [b:The Cat in the Hat|233093|The Cat in the Hat|Dr. Seuss|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1468890477s/233093.jpg|267087]. I have great memories of all of those books, movies, and characters, so I guess I can understand the appeal to readers who don't feel the need to know more.
So...I guess if you like those other books, you might like Return of the Dapper Men, as long as you're not like me and feel the need for a more developed story.
blairmahoney's review against another edition
4.0
The story doesn't quite live up to the beautiful illustrations, but this is still worth checking out.
iceberg0's review
4.0
The art in this book is amazing. It is really remarkable. The story is somewhat forced at times but the art is really amazing and I see this as an art book.
cimorene1558's review
5.0
Very cool book. This one, I may have to buy. The art's great, the layout is terrific, and the story is too.
cortjstr's review
3.0
The art is wonderful, especially after reading the making of in the back and seeing how it's done. But the style of the story just isn't for me.
lizaroo71's review
3.0
this is a graphic novel set in an imaginary land that has lost time. the children live underground with no guidance or boundaries. the machines live on the surface. all of this changes when the dappermen show up to put right what has been wrong for so long. ultimately, the story is about change and our adapability as humans. also, i think it's commenting on how machines run our lives and now we are losing track of time.
the artwork is interseting as the method is described in the back. once i read about how it is created, i went back and took a closer look at the pictures. impressive.
the artwork is interseting as the method is described in the back. once i read about how it is created, i went back and took a closer look at the pictures. impressive.
rachelhelps's review
1.0
Art nouveau steampunk sounds really cool, but I found the art style kind awkward and the storytelling cliched. Visual storytelling instead of storybook narration would have improved this graphic novel. About halfway through I wanted to stab everyone and I skimmed the rest.