Asterios Polyp

[NickRocks]

There comes along, every once in awhile, a book that totally changes the comics game...books like A Contract With God, Maus, Watchmen, DKR, DK2. It's always been a pleasure of mine to see "mainstream" comic artists step out and do their own thing...artists like Will Eisner, Joe Kubert, Frank Miller, Alan Moore, Phil Hester. Well now, I can add one more name to that list: David Mazzucchelli.

Asterios Polyp is being called the greatest graphic novel of all time. It deserves that moniker 100%. Mazzucchelli is on such a higher level than everyone else right now, I feel silly and stupid for reading and drawing superheroes when I read this. It really is an instance of someone showing us how much more we can do with this medium.

The story of Asterios Polyp is the title character's house burns down on his 50th birthday, so he takes a greyhound bus and ends up working on cars for a guy and his wife, then goes and reconciles with his ex wife before *spoiler* a huge comet smashes them. But that doesnt even begin to give you a hint of what this comic is really about. theres so much going on here its amazing.

The art style is fine art meets scott mcclouds "understanding comics". figures are drawn in geometric shapes, when two lovers fight, they are drawn in two different style, and when they are in love, they are drawn the same. colors are the 3 primary colors, red, blue and yellow.

I'm doing an awful job of describing the awesomeness of this book. just go read it already.

5/5, 10/10, A+ to infinity.

[Popninja]

Is it just me, or does the title of this GN sound like something Harry Potter would say while waving his wand at you?

I'm going to have to pick this one up soon.

[khperkins]

Read it. It does live up to the hype, I must say. The actual story is an actual story (if that means anything). The art is so integral to the telling of the story that it amazes. (I know, I know--it's supposed to be like that with sequential art, but Mazzucchelli really does it perfectly.)
The ending was unexpected, even though it was kinda set up earlier in the book, and I'm not sure I liked it so much, but there it is.

[NickRocks]

the double page spread of the comet took my breath away

[Babb]

Picked it up yesterday, couldn't stop reading it. A good example of how far you can take sequential art. One of the best comics I've read period.

[J. Alexopoulos]

Alright. Next investment...

[John Shine]

I can't recommend this book enough. It is this year's BLANKETS. Also if you have not read it, find a copy of Mazzucchelli's adaptation of Paul Auster's CITY OF GLASS. It is as interesting as ASTERIOS POLYP, but in totally different ways.

[NaveenM]

This made it's way down the list, but I'll give it a bump. It should be at the top of everyone's 2009 Top Ten list.

[killingyouguy]

Definitely being added to my Christmas list.

[John Shine]

This made it's way down the list, but I'll give it a bump. It should be at the top of everyone's 2009 Top Ten list.
Word. Twice.

[VicM]

Heard is was really good. Seeing that you guys like it changes my mind... heh.. I'll pick this up soon!

[caseycp]

I was disappointed no one brought this book up on a comix message board...i was just looking in the wrong place! (break room).

Sooo damn good. My wife bought it for me for Christmas. I love how his style would shift back and forth: sometimes super stiff and geometric and sometimes painterly and drybrushy. And my God, can this cat do backgrounds! Every scene felt like a real place, even if the characters are kinda cartoony. After I finished it, i just had this quiet contemplative feeling for like an hour or so. I love it when a book (or any piece of art) does that.

And not a single black line in the whole thing!

[frazman]

To be honest...it was just ok for me.

It was an interesting read and definitely well designed but it I found it...depressing. I get enough of that from real life thank you very much.

I guess I am not a "serious" comics reader.

[Lonrott]

There comes along, every once in awhile, a book that totally changes the comics game...books like A Contract With God, Maus, Watchmen, DKR, DK2. It's always been a pleasure of mine to see "mainstream" comic artists step out and do their own thing...artists like Will Eisner, Joe Kubert, Frank Miller, Alan Moore, Phil Hester. Well now, I can add one more name to that list: David Mazzucchelli.


Mazzuchelli has been around a long time. Did you ever read Born Again or Year One with Frank Miller?
I will of course check this book out. I always enjoyed his work and I met him once a long time ago. Nice guy. He told me he did all the layouts for Year One, which made sense.

[NaveenM]

I thought this was amazing. The best thing I read in 2009 by far.

[NickRocks]

Mazzuchelli has been around a long time. Did you ever read Born Again or Year One with Frank Miller?
I will of course check this book out. I always enjoyed his work and I met him once a long time ago. Nice guy. He told me he did all the layouts for Year One, which made sense.

believe me i am aware of mazzucchellis collaborations with mr miller. correct me if im wrong, but this is the first time mazz has done both writing and drawing?

[Lonrott]

I think this is first time he has done it and found this much success. I remember he did self publish a comic book a long time ago. I tried doing a search for the story, but I came across something better: http://asylums.insanejournal.com/scans_daily/323815.html

There is some stuff I never knew he did on that link.

This is of course not to distract from the main point, this new work of his. Thanks for bringing it up.

[Fabianran]

This book was WONDERFUL. Loved it loved it loved it.

[John Shine]

Mazzuchelli publish a semi-annual book called RUBBER BLANKET that he wrote and drew, as well as CITY OF GLASS, which he co-wrote and drew, an adaptation of a Paul Auster novel. I love all his stuff.

[ajkarp]

I thought Mazzuchelli (With a lot of help from Miller) had elevated the art of the superhero comic to serious "mainstream" appreciation. Born Again and Year One being the two most notable examples, both mentioned earlier in this thread. I personally thought he was geared up to have the next big genre shattering moment. Watchmen or DKR big. And then Rubber Blanket came out . I felt let down a bit. There was none of the realistically rendered chiaroscuro brushwork that I so admired. It took some time to re appreciate his art for what it's become now. That book came to me around the same time as The Alcoholic, which had made a bigger impact on me. I'll have to read it again because right now the only notable detail I can remember is the dust cover that didn't fit. Which, ironically, could fit another great book Can't Get No. But that's a ramble for a different day.