Blue Monday, Vol. 2: Absolute Beginners [Paperback]

Chynna Clugston-Major (Author, Artist)

Book Description

Series: Blue Monday S. | Publication Date: December 12, 2001

Things start off bad as a costume party goes all wrong, and the brain-damaged, hormonally-challenged boys videotape Bleu in the bath. From there, Bleu and Clover will stop at nothing to get the tape back, while Erin makes it her personal mission to make sure everything stays screwed up! You see, this deranged action is actually a mating ritual in Alan and Victor's eyes, and Erin can't help but pit them against each other.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Comics Worth Reading:

"The interactions and reactions are very real and very touching; being a teenager is hard, especially when they start thinking about whether friends might become more than just friends."

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Oni Press (December 12, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1929998171
• ISBN-13: 978-1929998173
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #360,239 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and charming graphic novel!, July 28, 2002

By 

Steve Miller "Writer of Stuff" (Renton, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blue Monday, Vol. 2: Absolute Beginners (Paperback)

This graphic novel collects Chynna Clugston-Major's second mini-series about Bleu Finnigan and her circle of friends in a northern California high school during the 80s. This volume is even stranger and more raucous than the first one, with events getting kicked off by Alan and Victor covertly taping Bleu while she takes a bath, followed by a "hooligan rules" battle-of-the-sexes soccer match, with everything coming to a head as the combination of Erin's manipulations and the sudden appearance of a Pooka who follows Bleu everywhere, leading to a "date from hell" between Bleu and Alan.

Clugston-Major's cartoony, Japanese-inspired art style is easy on the eye, although at points the characters look too similar to fully tell apart... but the confusion is usually quickly dispelled by taking a closer look at their dialogue; each of her charactes has a unique voice and personality that comes through clearly in the writing. And her characters are all very likable and charming--one might say that she has the making of an American Rumiko Takahashi!

One interesting note, to me at least, is the fact that the book is referred to as a "teenage sex comedy" on the back. Huh? What's a "teenage sex comedy"? If it's something along the lines of "American Pie" or "Porky's" then I think the marketeers failed to do "Blue Monday: " proper justice. Clugston-Major is never has to resort to the sort of crude humour that marks those films--even if her characters are hilariously foulmouthed at just the right moments. The characters populating "Blue Monday" are like the kids *I* went to school with, and therefore nothing at all like those found in "American Pie" and the like.

I highly recommend "Absolute Beginners," as well as the first volume in the series, "The Kids Are Alright," which revolves primarily around Bleu and her best friend Clover's quest to attend an Adam Ant concert.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I'm In Love With Bleu.....Sigh......, November 30, 2002

By 

Daniel V. Reilly (Upstate New York, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Blue Monday, Vol. 2: Absolute Beginners (Paperback)

Pity poor High-Schooler Bleu Finnegan. In addition to the usual Teen angst she's suffering through, she's just been secretly taped in the shower by a couple of sneaky boys.....and now the tape is making the rounds at school. Will poor Bleu get revenge? Will the tape spoil her hopes for romance with teacher of her dreams? Will Bleu's pal Clover finally admit that she can see the giant kilt-wearing Otter too? These questions and more are answered in Absolute Beginners....

Creator/Writer/Artist Chynna Clugston-Major does her usual great job of making the kids seem like real people, and her art hops effortlessly from semi-realistic to ultra cutesy, depending on the situation. Absolute Beginners is a true joy to read. And Bleu and Clover are babes!