r/FantagraphicsBooks

Fyi. Recently posted on Bluesky here: https://bsky.app/profile/fantagraphics.bsky.social/post/3mtcmgdoqpp2b

Reading peepshow after Mattt's short documentary is really tearing my heart apart. I thought I would only start at greetings from ipanema, but I am devouring the strips.

Calvin and Hobbes is probably the comic I will name if asking for the best of all time.

I collected just about everything C&H and because of the lack of official merchandising it’s easier than most things to do so.

I placed a bet with my daughter that there was a book in the small box that arrived, she couldn’t believe it 😂

Just finished this. It was a slog to get through, partly because it's a heavy topic, partly because there is a sense of repetition that Sacco intentionally adds to reinforce how Palestinians experience the same hardships.

I did want to highlight images 1-6, where Sacco relays an account of being imprisoned. He maintains the rigidity of the panels comparsd to how he normally opens each story, and adds more panels as the imprisonment stretches on. Really good technique.

It was previously scheduled for an October 20 release date.

Looking at those Ebay prices, I can see why.

Yesterday I finished Prince Valiant vol. 7, by Harold Foster. This volume brought a bit of a back-to-basics approach to the adventures of the daring prince, after vols. 5 and 6 focused mainly on extended sagas that took up about a year and a half (around 75 pages) to be completed. Volume 7, on the other hand, illustrates several small adventures that usually last anywhere between 3 and 16 pages.

This renovated approach focusing on smaller tales allows Foster to portray a wide variety of scenarios, be it battles, cavalry charges, duels, natural wonders, ships at sea, etc. As always, Foster's brushstrokes are a joy to behold, being an absolute master of human form. However, he is also a great storyteller, and in this volume I found myself really noticing how well the story flows panel to panel, and how satisfying each page feels to read (which was obviously a priority considering the 1-page-a-week publication schedule).

This volume also shifts the focus of the story from Val to other characters pretty often, much more than any previous volume if I remember correctly. The undisputed most inportant side character is Aleta, who's given a great story that showcases her abilities, different as they are from Val's, and also gives Foster a chance to do domestic comedies with an elevated, medieval twist. Arf Geoffrey is also a new character that gets a lot of focus. He's a charming addition to the story that serves as a foil for everyone else and it works pretty well, since he adds levity and an unexpected element to these tales.

As with the other volumes, it's very easy to recommend to those interested in medieval fantasy, realistic art and newspaper strips. As for me, now starts the quest for volume 8... and who knows what in which darkened corner of the internet I might find it at somewhat reasonable price.

I finished it a while ago but wanted to process it before putting a review here.

Monsters by BWS is a body horror comic, but it moves past its labeled genre very quickly and explores other themes in such a detailed manner that one can feel those atrocities while reading. It is truly a masterpiece which shows on each page that this is what incredible storytelling looks like.

The fact that BWS wrote it over 30 years sounds unrealistic, but when you read this graphic novel, it becomes clear that this isn't something that comes out of a couple of iterations, but a well-refined piece which was well thought out.

I think the story can be split into 3 parts. The first part is fast-paced. I think it contains a lot of intense action sequences. A super quick read. It sets up things for acts 2 & 3 in a manner which doesn't make much sense initially.

Act 2 is the most dreadfully haunting piece of fiction I've ever read. The themes explored in this act are domestic abuse and child abuse. These themes become so disturbing at times that I had to stop reading after every 2-3 days. This section of 120 odd pages took me a good month and a half to read. Every time something bad happened, it haunted me for a good while. Even while writing this review, after finishing a month ago, I can feel the same feelings. The child is drawn in such a way that his innocence makes you care more about him, which makes all the atrocities feel worse. This section of the story was so daunting that it triggered something deep in my soul. May the Almighty have mercy on all such children who suffer from such evil parents.

Act 3 is where things became insanely intense, yet it solves a lot of plot holes or random events and beautifully stitches them together. It explores the notion that the impact of war goes beyond a single generation. Also, mad military men should never have this much power, because they all miss the basic essence of humanity.

Will I be reading it again: 💯

Will I be recommending it to others: 💯 but only to the ones I know can handle this intensity.