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104 of 115 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Skip it and read an actual Koontz book instead..., September 3, 2010
This review is from: Odd Is on Our Side (Graphic Novel) (Paperback)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Sigh. I should have seen it from a mile away, but my biggest disappointment with Odd is On Our Side is that it reeks of being one giant cash grab. Apparently Koontz's character Odd Thomas, who has appeared in four previous novels (penned by Koontz) and one previous manga volume, is pretty darn popular with teens, which explains a few things to me. First, why these further adventures of Odd are presented in the manga format (actually, technically these are the previous adventures of Odd as these books take place before the prose series), and second, why Koontz didn't bother to write them himself. Take a popular character from a well known writer, truly make it a branded product by passing it off to another writer, package it in a profitable "hot" format that the target audience seems to respond to, and bam, instant profit. Along with the current boom in interest in graphic novels and adaptations, we've been seeing this equation again and again. Stephen King's Dark Tower series ( Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born) and Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake novels ( Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Guilty Pleasures - The Complete Edition) have both been adapted in the comics format by Marvel to varying success, and Koontz is just the next stop in the line. Before I start to sound too cynical, I will say that my interest was peaked with Odd is On Our Side because the material was new, whereas the trend has been to adapt and abridge into the comics format (which was the case with both King and Hamilton's comics.) On the whole, I can look past the trends and popularity if the work has some genuine passion and creativity behind it, but unfortunately that just doesn't seem to be the case with these Odd Thomas manga volumes. My main gripe is with the writing though. Fred Van Lente turns in a really uneven script full of over-exaggerated characters and 4th wall breaking. In an early sequence Odd, narrating to the reader, comments that he doesn't like potty mouths who speak in symbols, which is a direct reference to the speech bubble in the panel where a driver is yelling profanities that are obscured as symbols ($#%&!) Though it may seem edgy or "meta", this is really just an unfortunate example of how the author breaks the suspension of disbelief. The writing is also rife with groan-worthy puns, platitudes and far too many wink & nods to the reader. On a positive note, the artwork by Queenie Chan is mostly well done and for those unfamiliar with manga's artistic eccentricities, don't fret as they're kept to a minimum (there are a few sweat/tear drop uncertain moments, and the occasion surprised starburst, but no sleepy snot bubbles or anger crosses.) Of course this does raise the question again of why the project was presented as manga, especially if these icons and symbols typical to the medium are kept to a minimum, I'm guessing to make it more palatable for an American audience. I'd be willing to bet that Koontz's main audience is of an older demographic, but since this character appeals to a younger set the publisher decided to target them by presenting the story in a format that's popular, manga. At the end of the day the story is serviceable enough as an introduction to the character of Odd, but I'm betting Koontz fans will want to take a pass on this book unless they're die-hard completists. For manga fans, this series feels like downright pandering, and a watered down version of the original Koontz creation, and they'd probably be better off seeking out some of Chan's own original manga ( The Dreaming Collection.)
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42 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Weak, Not a Koontz Story at All, September 13, 2010
This review is from: Odd Is on Our Side (Graphic Novel) (Paperback)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I'm a fan of Dean Koontz. I'm a fan of his "Odd Thomas" Series, but I just couldn't get into "Odd is on Our Side" at all. Dean Koontz really doesn't seem to have much input into these graphic novels (also see "In Odd We Trust"). It feels as though the writing and story are dumbed down to fit the comic book style, and to appeal to a teen audience, leaving adult fans of the series out in the cold. Another drawback to both "Odd is On Our Side" and "In Odd We Trust" is that both are prequels. We already know Odd has moved on from these tales, and because we know the fates of certain characters through the Koontz novels, neither of these graphic novels are able to build any suspense. I would also add that the illustrations by Queenie Chan who also worked on the previous novel, simply have no life. The artwork is very generic, and at times laughable (take a look at Elvis in "on Our Side" and try not to giggle). In "Odd is On Our Side" it's Halloween in the not-too-sleepy little town of Pico Mundo. Odd Thomas along with his girlfriend, Stormy Llewellyn are enjoying the sites around the small California town, when Odd begins to see the "Bodachs" forming around an old farm. Because the "Bodachs" are drawn to places where death and disaster will occur. So while "Odd is On Our Side" does follow the usual blueprint of previous "Odd Thomas" tales, it's painfully obvious that the author behind those tales did not take part in the telling of this one.
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26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A good story, but so short. Not worth buying., September 19, 2010
This review is from: Odd Is on Our Side (Graphic Novel) (Paperback)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Having read and loved all four Odd Thomas novels, I was excited to get a copy of the graphic novel, ODD IS ON OUR SIDE by Dean Koontz, from Amazon Vine. I've never read a graphic novel, so this was a new experience. It was a good story, and interesting to read in comic book form, but it really is nothing more than an afterthought. The story has no subplot, character development or depth. Odd is a twenty-something fry cook in Pico Mundo, California. He has the unique talent of seeing dead people and easing them into the other side. Often the dead appear and ask him to help him right a wrong. Also, Odd sees bodachs. They are mysterious, black ghost-like creatures that usually appear when something bad is about to happen. When many bodachs appear around a Halloween festival, Odd investigates because he knows something must be wrong. Then he sees a young girl covered in a bed sheet and realizes she's dead, and holds up a sign that says "Save Me." That's really all the plot you need to know, because it really isn't much more substantial than that. I read the book in about 40 minutes. It is fleeting and really adds nothing to the Odd Thomas canon. In fact, this book seems to be set before any of the books were written. While I'm always glad to read more Odd Thomas adventures, I hope the next will come in novel length form.
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