Customer Reviews

The Nobody

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Jeff Lemire creates an entrancing work with both words and art in his contribution to the invisible man mythology. The two tone character of the panels is well done (a technique which is harder than it looks). This book has a way of creeping up on you and all of a sudden you are transported into the small town of Large Mouth and all the citizens that inhabit it. Lemire showed himself to be a great talent in the comic world with his "Essex County" trilogy and this latest work takes his talent and ability to the next level. He takes chances with some of the panels and lay out which only enhances the experience. Found myself reading it a second time after I had finished just to pick up all the things that I missed in the first read. It doesn't get much better than this in the graphic novel world.

If you're a fan of Jeff Lemire and already read The Essex County Trilogy and still want more than check this out its a solid read.

I enjoyed this work -- the writing, the illustration, the sense of desolation in the people and the place -- but I can't really tell you what Lemire was trying to convey. I'm still thinking about that, in fact. Not because he failed, but because he is really thoughtful here. If he was trying to convey that what we see in others may be how we see ourselves, then this story is all the better ...

At first I wanted to give this a 2 star review, but after thinking about it- 3 fits. First, the artwork is so-so, and the story itself is not too detailed or in-depth. But, it flows very quickly, the dialogue is fluid, and the ending is decent, if empty, enough. It was a quick read that held my attention. There were some issues I had though, with for instance, the fact that the drawings were a bit odd, the noses for instance, and the blue-black-white scheme was good, until you realize that the ending depended on a 'shock' value, perhaps purposely, about the nature of one of the characters, that may have relied on the fact that no color was used. Overall, a decent read, and nothing more.

This is a graphic novel (comic book) drawn in light blue, black and white, and if artwork is your reason for purchase, you may get more out of it than me. I bought it though as I am a huge fan of the Invisible Man concept and was after the story that it could tell and entertain me with. I found that The Nobody hasn't really added anything new that hasn't appeared in other works of fiction in this genre (non graphic as well as graphic novels). In fact it is pretty much a retelling of elements of H G Wells' novel in a different although similar location. It is no where near as detailed or well written as that plot though, and a lot less happens here. A unique way to hide a corpse, a lonely child's obsession with a mysterious stranger are all that haven't appeared before in Invisible man genre literature.

If you're into Invisible Man graphic novels check out Legacy Of The Invisible Man and The Invisible Dirty Old Man although both are of the same standard story wise as The Nobody.

The best of non graphic novel invisible man fiction can be found in the pages of Memoirs of an Invisible Man by H F Saint and Smoke by Donald E Westlake.

In a nowhere town, where nothing much ever happens, a stranger arrives. Wrapped completely in bandages, Griffen arouses suspicion among the local men who have nothing much better to do than talk about their neighbors and complain about the wives who left them for somewhere more exciting. Jeff Lemire's haunting illustrations of a lonely town and its denizens evoke an America that is simultaneously serene and dangerous, something this side of Twin Peaks. "The Nobody" tells a deceptively simple story of a doomed friendship between a troubled man and a young woman who wants out.

What struck me most in this telling is that the key to the invisible man is that he is so highly visible. The bandages he wears make him stand out more than anyone, making him a target for the fear and paranoia that keep the locals from looking at themselves. They just can't leave well enough alone. It's a haunting story, very well told, with impressively subtle illustrations. Well worth reading.

Jeff consistently amazes me and this book is just another example of that. He has always told deep, haunting stories with beautiful cartooning and with little to average amount of dialogue. "The Nobody" is just another example of this.

The book is a small story about HG Wells' Invisible Man where he comes to live in a small town. Everyone in town finds him odd until he finally just blends into the background of their life. A teenage girl then becomes intrigued by him and his loneliness. This causes her to try to learn more about him and become his only friend. With a dark, unknown history this story evolves into a murder mystery with what seems to the townsfolk as a conclusion...but is it?

This is an easy and short read, pretty safe for younger readers (with a small amount of violence) although they may not understand the subtlety of it. This is also another example of something that Jeff does better than almost anyone (Jeff Smith, Dash Shaw, maybe?) and that is respecting his readers. Showing and telling just enough to understand the story and the back story of every character without a lot of boring over-explanation or treating the reader as if they are an idiot. The art is classic Jeff Lemire style, very similar to "The Complete Essex County" and "Sweet Tooth Vol. 1: Out of the Woods".

In the end, this is another grade A comic from Jeff. I have yet to be disappointed and I do not believe that you will be either from this book.

This is worth a read through and the end is worth the journey.(Some Spoilers) Let me start off by saying I liked the way this was drawn w/ the blue, white and black color scheme it made it stand out to me, it was differant from the other stuff that's out there. But that said I feel like something was just missing. You spend most of the time waiting for someone to discover his(Griffen)condition. I was hoping more would be focused on Griffen and him trying to solve his problem. How he went about it his attempts/failure, things like that. You do get a few glimpses into it and his past but very few. You spend a lot of time hearing about him locked away in his room and the townees gossiping. You get most of your info through Vickie,a girl that befriends Griffen. Yet Griffen and Vickie's friendship never really gets to evolve. The townees see too that. All that in mind I read it straight through bcause it sucks you in and you want to know the outcome. You are left wanting more and hoping you'll be seeing(not seeing) Griffen and his journey continue. It's worth checking out if you like the Invisible Man story. But the $40 price tag is insane for a book that is tagged at $20 check out your library and if you like it then splurge on it.

I read the first two Essex County books and really enjoyed them. I loved Lemire's characters, his loose, jumbled linework and awkwardly realistic dialogue. I picked up the Nobody for these reasons, and found I didn't care for it. It seems more unnatural, and not just because it handles a supernatural subject. (Actually, I really enjoyed how that was treated. Nothing seems particularly out of the ordinary, and supernatural elements are played to an effective realism.) The dialogue feels clunkier, the some of the drawings seem more rushed. The character of the Nobody is really well done, though, actually...all the characters are well thought-out.

All in all, it just wasn't as memorable as the Essex County books. Then again, I suppose it's unfair to compare them like that, it's a separate work, after all. Still...worth looking into if you like Jeff Lemire or are looking for a story by a competent artist/writer.