19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
to the authors, I bow. Thanks from the heart., December 31, 2005
This review is from: Demo: The Collected Edition (Paperback)
Come to think about it, I don't remember how I found about DEMO. I somehow ended up pre-ordering the book three months ago without any expectations other than finding content as different from typical American comic as possible.
There are 12 short stories. After reading 3 of them I stopped in bewilderment. an hour later, I still don't know exactly what I feel about this work.
To put it in ordinary terms, there is very solid and unorthodox storytelling. The script is intelligent, unapologetic and sort of naturalistic in its approach to theme. The stories themselves are... what to say; the Amazon description says it's a collection of "stories of conflicted teens grappling with love, loss, and the joy of finding your own way in life" but that's just a bland and dumb description. It doesn't cut it; it doesn't encompass what this book is about. I can't categorize it myself, so I won't.
If anything, I'd say these stories break with the trivialities and clichéd themes seen in comic books for decades. This is stuff of the new century; this is material that speaks to the progressive and subversive mindset of a new an evolving generation. This is not about teenagers and their `angst-ridden antics'. There's a certain social commentary, it's hidden within the characters behavior and psychological dynamics going on around them. I'll just say that it struck me deeply. I felt as though I was identifying parts of my fragmented spirit, as though when I read, I looked through a mirror and I recognized the misery and virtue of my ordinary human experience.
The visual syntax of Becky's art is quite unique. She crafted a style that stands out (and odd) in the American comic book store. It simply defies the overly macho nature of the dominating comic style that saturated shelves for too long. This is legitimate art. I somehow felt the femininity in the brush strokes, a delicacy in the fountain pen traces, and the strength of the graphic representation of shape, volume, and space. I'm a sort of pseudo-connoisseur of all things Japanese and I know very well when a western artist tried to copy certain mangaka (manga artist) style. The resulting work is often weak and false (pretentious). Nevertheless, there are cases in which an artist successfully "reverse-engineers" the Japanese styles and integrates whatever features she/he wants into an authentic style. I see that sort of thing in DEMO; I call it harmonic ambivalence. It oozes with graphic sophistication, in spite of the often rough vignettes, while at the same time its 'punch' is carried by the weight and scope of its literary features like character development and various thematic experiences that yield a lasting insight into significant aspects of existence and modern life.
As I said before, I stopped at story #3. Why you ask, well, because it's a lot of substance to take in. I prefer to dig each story and enjoy it like it was a drink of exotic tea. I like to indulge in the sort of philosophical wandering, reflect upon this and that; let the story stir the imagination and intelect. Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan crafted an exceptionally honest and passionate work. Its visuals are grappling (and spoke to me as an artist), it entices emotionally with its storytelling, and it motivates to explore facets of identity and existence through its themes.
It's about time we break away from the tedious paradigms of traditional western comic customary clichés.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Independent Collections of Dark Teen Stories, June 30, 2006
This review is from: Demo: The Collected Edition (Paperback)
With DEMO Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan present an amazing set of dark stories with brilliant black/white art. Each story is short but telling, as we see several teens coping with the rougher side of having superpowers. This is much better reading and art than can be found in the similar Marvel comic NYX. I highly recommend this collection over the mainstream's version as it has more grit and more heart.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wish I could give this one SIX stars . . ., July 16, 2007
This review is from: Demo: The Collected Edition (Paperback)
I read a lot of graphic novels -- actual stories, not just compiled superhero comics -- and I rarely come across anything this literary. Most of these twelve stories could easily have been published, without pictures, in a "little" magazine somewhere. The intriguing thing is how they evolve, first to last, from "NYC" and "Bad Blood," which actually are about not-necessarily-super powers with a Rod Serling twist, to "One Shot, Don't Miss" and "Breaking Up" and "Damaged," which will stay with you a long, long time. And the last panel of the last story will truly grab you by the throat. Amazing writing.
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