Customer Reviews

Box Office Poison

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In an industry where 'bigger, harder, shinier' is the status quo, the 'Box Office Poison' collection (this book collects every single Box Office Poison issue in existence, making it a more than complete story) came to me as a refreshing experience, and a very good one at it.
I can understand why people compare it to 'Strangers in Paradise', but I will hastely add that it's not the same kinda book in its entirety. Where Strangers in Paradise almost exclusively focuses on relationships and what comes with them, Box Office Poison takes a wider view and handles everyday life of a certain group of people in it's entirety. WITH relationships, but also with (in)security issues, finding out what to do with your life, gaining perspective on it and REALLY see how a personal life evolves (where it is a little romanticized in most comics in this 'genre', even Strangers in Paradise). The main point is that nothing happening in it is in any way forced. It's what comes and goes. Very relatable.

A storywise introduction: Although the story is about an entire group of people there are two characters, the friends Sherman and 'Ed', around which everything evolves, the red line if you will. Sherman is just out of college, wants to be a writer, but for now works in a bookstore as a clerk. The shy and insecure Ed wants to become a cartoonist. Along the book you'll witness the ups and downs, recognizable joys and annoyments (funny if you're into sarcasm) and relationships being made and broken. Various things happen like for instance: Ed trying everything he can to gain some confidence, honesty and loyalty (or lack off it) in the comic industry, people assuming things they 'heard somewhere' and only seeing how somebody means something to you when he or she isn't there at the time. But also less 'deep' things like a philosophy about why men just HAVE to look when there's cleavage shown and stupid things people ask clerks (you'll find yourself go "damn, I did that !' more than once).

All in all this little un-exaggerated comic-book soap-opera is the nicest thing I've read in a while and the most refreshing thing since I first opened a Strangers in Paradise Graphic Novel.
The art is, compared to the before mentioned book, a little less good but the variety in storylines AND a very plot-twisting last few pages makes than up more than enough. Funny as well, but never forced. Very relatable and as uncliche as it gets. A lot of good pages of fun for your money.

I have been one of the fortunate people to be following Box Office Poison since the start of the series when it was just a mini-comic. Seeing this culmination of the 21 individual issues in this huge book and holding it in my hands confirms what fantastic characters and stories Alex Robinson can write and draw. This is a must have for anyone that enjoys a funny, sad, surprising, truthful story of believable characters that could be people in your life. This isn't a graphic novel just for people who like graphic novels, but for people who enjoy great fiction storytelling. Kudos to Top Shelf for putting together a book that no one would be embarassed to read on the subway. I hope many will request this book!

... The book's format resembles those CEREBUS phonebook collections: a huge mass of black and white comics, with liberal use of heavy blacks for inking effects. Unlike CEREBUS, the focus here is on regular folks living in a contemporary metropolis.

I read through this intimidating heap of pages pretty quickly. There's something funny on virtually every page, although there's also tragedy and drama. The book's strong points are the characters and their dialog. A few of the characters seem unlikable, when they're introduced; but by the end of the story, I liked all of them (except the psycho murderer, maybe). At the end, I felt relieved for some and sad for others. Those I liked best at the beginning weren't in all cases the ones I liked best near the end.

It's a book that makes you think hard about people you know or knew, and about how you yourself appear to other people. An impressive accomplishment, I think.

In the prologue Box Office Poison proclaims that there are seven characters to this book. This is a lie. As the story unfolds more and more characters are added each with there own three-dimensional personality. In each of the characters we can find a little bit of our selves weather it be a positive or negative piece. As we see the characters take dynamic turns as the story progresses we sympathize we hurt with them we laugh with them we yell at them not to screw up (for the record this is only the second book I have ever yelled at).
I consider myself a well-read person, and I have never seen characterization like that by Robinson. it was truly a delight to read, every now and again something comes along and effects who you are that changes you makes you noticeably better or different. this book is one of those things

Some popular movies have been based upon a relatively simple premise: take different people, all connected in some way, and then watch the ups and downs. Reality Bites, Singles, any John Hughes movies. There isn't too much going on in the plot department but it's a lot of fun to watch. This book is a lot of fun to read.

On the back cover of Box Office Poison by Alex Robinson, there's a quote that says this book is "completely voyeuristic. This is what it would be like to see your friends behind closed doors." If you're a young, twenty-something trying to figure out what you want to do with your life and whether or not you'll ever find true love (or just get laid), this is the book for you.

Did you ever hate one of your friend's girlfriends? Feel like killing neighbors in your apartment building who don't know how to be quiet? Ice skate with a Costa Rican Olympic figure skater? Then you'll totally relate to the stories in here. This is a hefty graphic novel, over 600 pages (and the only other graphic novel I've seen that had rivaled this length is Craig Thompson's wonderful Blankets), but the story is broken up into chapters. I think this may have been a serial comic that was collected into a novel... I'm not sure. The book does go by fast, though.

Some parts are lighter than others, but there's a serious thread that holds everything together. An aging comic book artist who got gypped out of the rights to a wildly popular character and his journey for justice. The epilogue to this book is a lot more sedate than the rest of the stories and made reading this book completely and totally worth it.

I know it costs a lot, but it is worth it. It'll make a great addition to your graphic novel library.

If you would like to know more about Box Office Poison, check out the website:
http://members.aol.com/bopalex/

reading an original graphic novel. I love every one of the 602pgs of this book.
thank you, Alex Robinson.

As much as I hate to admit it, Box Office Poison gives a pretty good idea of what an English Major such as myself is trained to do if he or she does not enter into finance, teaching, or paralegalling (before law school), although I do awknowledge how broad a base that is.

What makes this comic so striking is its blend of real-life story-telling and quirky anecdotes, the type you see in a good comedy on television. Sherman, armed with his English degree from Hunter and a desire to become a writer is stuck working in the same job he had as a sophomore in college - salesperson at a bookstore. His was the storyline I enjoyed most as it most closely resembles mine. The cast is wonderfully diverse and the storylines are so well-balanced that you don't learn who the quote-unquote default narrator is till the very end in the epilogue (I really should have guessd earlier, but I'll let you guess when you read it). There's something so human about the way Robinson portrays his characters, both in their speech and in their visual representation. His art style certsainly suits the stark representation of his characters' encounters.

The pacing of the story is also well-done, with Robinson choosing to ask the same question to his characters like the opening credits of a TV show such as 'which fictional character would you most like to meet' (that was one of the questions, but I'm not sure of the wording on it so don't quote me). The varying responses highlight how different each of the characters is.

Overall, there are very few comic creators right now who could challenge Robinson right now. The only ones that come to my mind (creators working within the same genre of real-life comic storytelling) are Derek Kirk Kim and Adrian Tomine, two other wonderfully gifted creators.

If you buy Box Office Poison, I promise you, you won't be disappointed.

Box Office Poison is a consistently good book. Robinson's iconic art is distinctive. While the work was originally published serially, this collection showcases that it was a holistic story all along. There is good continuity and interplay among the various characters.

The main character, Sherman, is usually an unlikeable jerk with an ever-more-horrible girlfriend named Dorothy. These unsympathetic characters aren't a deterrent, though. Watching their drama unfold is strangely satisfying, because in this fictional world, most people get what's coming to them, bad and good. The supporting characters are engaging and provide an entertaining counterpoint to the drama of Sherman and Dorothy, resulting in a well balanced and entertaining book.

there is an epic sweep to this grand portrait of partial misfits realistically portrayed by the pen of mr. robinson. it's as if joe sacco's war zone mentality was transplanted to more familiar terrain--the domestic battlefront that is so much of everyday life: crummy jobs, crummy roommates, crummy dreams. there are bittersweet musings here, pitch-perfect dialogue, many hilarious digressions, and wonderful caricatures. mr.irving favor is my favorite; there is a meta-quality here since robinson also takes on the comic book industry. i consider this tome to be literature. it's a well-earned compliment.

There are so few total artistic successes in the comic book world these days I'd like to point to this one as the exception to the rule. Unfortunately, before granting an unqualified endorsement to BOX OFFICE POISON, a couple of observations must be made.

First, and most problematic, is dedicating one of the two main storylines to the tale of a struggling comic book artist and his mentor, the exploited creator of a beloved superhero. Now, anyone familiar with the comic book industry is aware of the many controversies involving the important issue of creator's rights. Still, the end result is that you have a comic book that is about people that make comics. It's not a guaranteed route to failure, but, think about it, most of the movies that Hollywood makes about Hollywood are pretty lame, well, at least since SUNSET BOULEVARD.

Actually, that's really all there is to complain about. Sure, the artwork isn't going to turn Alex Robinson into the next comic-creator/superstar, but this is clearly the best character-driven series in along time. If you've burnt out on the bad poetry that clogs the stranger competition this is really your new home.

Robinson works hard to make sure that every character with a speaking line is flushed out with a personal history along with its attendant shames and glories. It's impossible not to react strongly to any of the people in this book because Robinson has the magic that brings them into your own world. How can Jane be so unforgiving? How can Dorothy be so irresponsible? Why doesn't Sherman quit his job at the bookstore and work for a benevolent on-line retailer?

Because BOX OFFICE POISON collects the complete run of a series, Robinson has the decency to resolve just about every important storyline. The 602-pages gives the whole story an epic feel that ends just right. If only so much of it weren't industry in-jokes, I would hand this thing out to non-comic reading friends as one of the best in the form.