Memetic by James Tynion IV
My rating: 3/5 cats
i decided to read this because i felt like i didn’t know what was going on in the world of graphic novels anymore. back when i was working at the book factory all the time, even if i wasn’t reading all the graphic novels, i was at least flipping through them after picking them up off the ground (thanks, lazies!) on my way to reshelve them, or getting first-looks at them when they came in. but now? i only know things from goodreads. which is helpful, but sometimes a girl needs to see for herself.
and once i saw this…
well, much like the characters in this book, i became hypnotized by his placid smile and tacit promise of very slow snuggles and i bought it and took it home with me.
at my own peril
and it’s okay. i feel that, as a standalone graphic novel, it’s a bit disappointing as far as where it ends. there’s an expectation and an opportunity for follow-up, but this is all there’s going to be, so it left me all tensed up with nowhere to go.
there’s an afterword/conversation between the author and the illustrator specifically discussing the ending, where the author acknowledges that he anticipates people may feel ‘pissed off’ at what can be seen as a lack of closure or explanation, while the artist talks about how he finds the ending ‘hopeful.’
the artist is clearly a crazy person. i understand what he’s saying but they’re the ravings of a stockholm-syndromed lunatic. as for me, i don’t feel pissed—it ends in a way that is fine, but could also be a very interesting jumping-off point.
but, nope:
but i’m glad i read it, and i look forward to more explorations into the contemporary sequential art scene, and if there are sloths, well that’s just gravy, innit?
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