Customer Reviews

Silent But Deadly: Another Lio Collection

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

So for those of us thinking people out there, there has not been a good comic strip around since the retirement of "Calvin and Hobbes", "The Far Side", and the death of the king, Charles Schultz. There are a few that now and again show some brilliance and creativity, but Lio tops them all as far as newer comic strips go.

For those that have never seen a Lio strip, there is little to no words or dialogue. The pictures tell the whole story, which is luckily not just some slapstick humor. You are sometimes forced to look over the comic a few times to really understand what is going on. The writer Mark Tatulli does not create these drawings and little story arcs for babies and he assumes that you have a basic knowledge of things. This shows respect for his readers which I appreciate greatly.

This book is the second collection, but do not worry, you can start here and soon catch on to the life of Lio, his father, and his numerous animal friends/pets which include a lobster named Mittens and a giant squid named Ishmael.

The comics is a great blend of the absurdity of "The Far Side" with the weird, childlike imagination of "Calvin and Hobbes", while being fun and imaginative for both parents and children alike. I recommend this highly as well as the first collection of Lio strips.

This was the second collection of - and my first introduction to - Lio comics and Mark Tatulli. According to the publisher, Lio is a "morbidly mirthful pantomime comic strip." It is the exploits - told mostly in illustrations, with little dialogue - of a strange little boy and his friends, including a squid and his Undead Bunny (think Uglydoll). Basically, imagine Calvin and Hobbes on drugs. And I mean that nicely.

I thought the illustrations, especially the full color Sunday strips, were well done. (My husband was less kind; he thought they were somewhat average.) My favorite strips were the one-off's - Lio discovering a sunken ship at the bottom of his inflatable pool or setting a restaurant's lobsters free. The longer storylines and arcs were just okay in comparison. I didn't get Lio's adoration of Eva Rose, the mean girl in his class, and the comics with his clueless father fell flat for me. In general, too, I would say that, for me, many of the strips were sweet or amusing but that very few of the strips were laugh out loud funny. I think, though, that fans of Emily the Strange will feel right at home in Lio's world.

This book reminds me of the trouble Calvin and Hobbes get into all the time, except Lio has more imagination and more creativity to do things. This is a great new comic that I hope goes far.

What is there that I can say about Lio? I first discovered this comic strip in a Kenosha newspaper, and ever since I saw how different this comic was (if I recall, the first Lio comic I saw was where Lio was watching a show called "Hugo the Boy Zombie" and the zombie was eating the mailman's face), I have been a fan. However, it's not just Lio's perverse sense-of-humor I enjoy, but the various references (sometimes jabs) at other comic strips. This book showcases a period where Tatulli started making fun of other comic strips more and more, so if you enjoy that aspect of Lio (which I do), then pick up this book.

Also recommended comic strips:
Medium Large (a perverse web comic strip by the guy who does Sally Forth...yes, Sally Forth)
Calvin and Hobbes
Pearls Before Swine

My daughter and I read these strips over and over and still get belly laughs! And mind you this is a comic strip about a boy.

Our family loves the lio comic strip and this book stays on our coffee table-

Any fan of Lio or any intelligent person with a sense of humor will enjoy this book. It's dark, sweet, warped, subversive, creative and, at times, brilliant. Can you tell I liked it? It helps if you have a wicked sense of humor; a Goody-Two Shoes wouldn't appreciate it. I think this is the best comic since "Calvin and Hobbes." Highly recommended!

This book is admirably offbeat and will not appeal to everyone. It's all the better for being unusual. Five out of five stars!

I highly recomend this book! It is a combo of Carvin and Hobbs and the Adams Family rolled into a small boy! A must read!

Lio cartoons have a twisted view of life, but they're very funny. I purchased this book for my 7 year old grandson, who loves it.