Instead, we get flat, isometric, or even childlike views of this landscape of barely compatible things that make up this world.Ĭheck out the last 100 years of comics (in the West at least) and you’ll find a lot of variation in the size and shape of comics panels, but almost no variation in the space between panels. But in a lot of passages, he seems less interested here in creating a sense of continuous space that binds everything and everyone together. Mazzucchelli is a master of western perspecitve when he wants to be, and he demonstrates that during the book. The book is filled with mismatched objects of all kinds thrown into a box that not only have their own appearance but almost their own physics. The “different styles –> different character” thing is pretty loaded for a ton of reasons, but I especially liked how it reinforces the idea of how each character is in their own universe to a degree. As if the book is saying “I’m not going to lie to you about what I am or where I came from.” This is true about a lot of aspects of the book in fact. There’s an undercurrent of honesty in the presentation. His earlier self-published anthology (with painter/partner Richmond Lewis) Rubber Blanket had a similar hand-separated, process-obsessed feel (right down to the name). Mazzucchelli also has a long-standing interest in the process of printing and likes the raw edges of printing itself to show through.

Watching them come together late in the book had a transcendent quality for me, and I’ve heard from others that felt the same way.

As symbols of “separation,” as time period markers, as state of mind indicators. Great use of the three “printer’s primaries”: Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow. Here are a few things that caught my eye, in no particular order. If you’ve read Asterios Polyp more than once… And they’re much more fun if you find them on your own, so again you might want to ignore the rest of these ramblings if you haven’t plunged back in yet. There are things you’re only likely to notice the second or third time around, and at least a few locked doorways in early sections that only open with keys from later chapters. Seriously, Mazzucchelli’s book is a great re-reading experience. And stop reading this post now until after you’ve read the book. First of all, if you haven’t read David Mazzucchelli’s fantastic graphic novel Asterios Polyp, I strongly recommend getting yourself a copy.

Asterios polyp de david mazzucchelli