Customer Reviews

Tommysaurus Rex

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Doug Tennapel is a man of ideas and while the ideas in Tommysaurus Rex aren't as insane as those in Creature Tech, they do have a heart and soul to them that isn't often seen in comics these days. This is easily a book that children will love - what young boy hasn't dreamt of owning his own dinosaur? (hell I still do) and anyone looking for a simple story will not be dissapointed. It is easy to read and non-offensive with some excellent morals.

Yet at the end I was left wanting more. And after going over the comic again I realised what it was I wanted - I wanted Doug Tennapel to slow down. The pacing, art and the length of this book give off the impression that this book was made in a hurry and I felt it deserved more time. The pacing is lightening quick that the book ends much earlier than you want it to. Events come and go, things just happen with no build up and you want more time with these characters.Most importantly, the pacing of the story doesn't lend much time for the reader to get to know the most important relationship in the book - the relationship between Ely and Tommy. Tennapel has an excellent skill in creating warm and interesting characters that you want to know more about.

The themes covered in the book are also very broad and ambitious and Tennapel is to be commened for tackling them. The themes in Tommy are twice as big as Creature Tech, yet the book is about a third of the size, maybe more.
Again better pacing and more pages would have drawn these themes out rather than making them suddenly appear. Sadly I can't go into all them in detail as part of the the joy of the book is discovering them for yourself, but when two characters openly talk about forgiveness, it's kind of obvious that the theme of forgiveness is going to come up later. Tennapel needs to let these themes come out themselves rather than plainly stating them to the reader.

I want to comment on the art as well. Being a massive fan of the art in Earthworm Jim and The Neverhood I was quite dissapointed with the work in Tommy. While there are some great sequences - the front inner cover, Rex with the policeman, the fire rescue and the final panel - the majority of the frames seemed rushed and messy. I love Tennapel's work for it's structure and form (check out Solomon Fix and his sketchbook on tennapel.com for excellent examples of this) but Tommy just felt rushed and sloppy - which was a shame. I know he can do better and I wait for the inevitable day when Tennapel is comfortable with his inking enough to release a lavish and lusciously rendered book.

If you're looking for a nice, simple story that will make you smile - then Tommysaurus Rex is for you.
While I would definately recommend this book for young children and early teens, I'd have to say it falls short of Creature Tech. Tennapel is a man to watch in the comics world and once he improves his storytelling he is going to kick some maor ass.

Doug TenNapel and Flannery O' Connor have a lot in common. Though they use different genres to get their point across, their message is truly one that uses outlandish characters and situations to bring the tiny barbs of truth that eventually set our hearts free. Tommysaurus Rex is not simply a `boy and his dog' story, it is much, much more. As I read this book for the first time, some of the nuances were lost on me, but as I reread, and looked carefully at the words and the artwork, I realized something was happening on a much larger scale than a boy spending the summer with his grandfather and stumbling across a rare find. There was something more cosmic, more apocalyptic, and grander in scheme that was interwoven into this friendship.

The `Easter Eggs'-both figurative and literal-that are scattered throughout the pages reveal statements about love, faith, redemption, and forgiveness one doesn't often find in a `mere comic book'. Ely's journey is summed up so perfectly by his father when he tells him that a boy does a lot of growing up when he loses a dog. For the theologically minded, Tommysaurus Rex brings questions to bear that might not always be easy to answer, but sure are fun to think about.

In short, Tommysaurus Rex is a great story that keeps getting better every time I read it. Well done, Mr. TenNapel. Creature Tech made me an admirer, Tommysaurus Rex has made me a fan.

Doug TenNapel has done it again!!! From the man who brought us earthworm Jim, the Neverhood, gear, and creature tech comes a book so unforgettable that you have to be crazy not to buy it. This book has it all witty humor, an enchanting story, hidden Easter eggs, poop jokes! But most importantly: the moral in the end of the book. It will make you sad and happy at the very same time. Who knows, maybe you'll even squeeze out a tear or two.... i did. Anyway, Tommy. Is a story about a kid named Ely who loses his dog in a tragic accident and is sent to his grandpa's farm for the summer. There he meats randy and gets of to a bad start with him instantly. Luckily he also finds a friend at the farm, a big and smelly friend who acts suspiciously like his dead dog Tommy. And so begin the series of events that will make more then one person happy. The thing I liked most about Tommysaurus rex was how the bad guy had reasons to do what he did, he wasn't a mindless zombie of a character he had feelings as well, and in the end he was both the ultimate hero, and the ultimate villain.
Ladies, and gentlemen (drum-roll) Tommysaurus Rex!!!!

Learning to live with loss is a difficult thing to do, and for many of us, one of the first (and hardest) experiences of loss is the death of a pet.

Tommysaurus Rex, which was both written and illustrated by Doug TenNapel, is the story of a young boy dealing with the death of his first dog. To help ease his mind of the loss of his best friend, Ely heads to his grandfathers farm for the summer, where he happens to find a hibernating Tyrannosaurus Rex! Through the townsfolk and the T-Rex, Ely learns valuable lessons about loss, friendship, responsibility, and most importantly: growing up.

TenNapel's black and white art brings a very expressive livelihood to his characters, despite the lack of color. His layouts pace the story quickly, making Tommysaurus Rex an easy graphic novel for younger readers to follow, but older readers may be left wanting a slower, more thoughtful pace.

A Story that is 'The Iron Giant' meets 'Old Yeller' with Dinosaurs?!?!? How much more awesome can a graphic novel get? An excellent read that will give you a dinosaur of an appetite as you finish each page. The worst part of this book is when the pages become extinct....er...I mean...when you have reached the last page. I have already read it multiple times with roars of approval. Go Tommysaurus!!!!!

With GEAR, artist/author Doug TenNapel populated his story with talking cats, dogs, and mantids. In Creature Tech, an athiest scientist battles an effeminate mad scientist and his legion of demonic cats and space eels. This time around, save the large T-Rex of the novel's title, the story contains only humans. And it is human emotion that TenNapel focuses on his third graphic novel outing.
The story follows Ely, a young boy with youthful energy and a pure heart like we haven't seen since "Leave it to Beaver." He goes to spend the summer on his grandfather's farm after his dog is accidentally run over and from there, his journey begins. He is faced with not just hard farm work, but the taunts of Randy, the bully. After a particularly ruthless prank, Ely stumbles across Tommy, a living, breathing, life-sized Tyrannosaurus Rex who acts a bit like a dog. Ely must then convince the town that his dinosaur is safe.
Fans of Creature Tech's tight drawings and richly developed story may be disappointed upon a first reading. The drawings are looser and less refined than CTech and the story moves along at a break-neck pacing. Upon a second and third reading, the story shines through. This story is less about spectacle and much more about heart.
For those needing a break from superheroes, have finished reading their Bone saga, and are looking for some fine reading and great artwork, then look no further. TenNapel delivers again in his most accessible work to date.

Though I put this story in 2nd place behind Ten Napel's, what I consider to be, masterpiece, "Creature Tech," it is still an excellent story in its own right. My only quib was that it seemed somewhat short, but I guess if you can tell a story in fewer words then do it. The thing I like about Ten Napel's stories is that he doesn't tell a story just for the sake of telling a story and making money, there is always something going on with Ten Napel's stories and they are lessons that are not discussed or presented nearly enough in today's world. Its why his works will be kept for years to come and I'll be passing them onto my kids and perhaps even read them to them! =)

Wonderful art, characters you fall in love with, down to earth life lessons...and the ability to make you cry with a book about a dinosaur. Doug really is one of our best storytellers...and an amazing artist.

...dinosaurs, pets, or good, wholesome fun, this a great graphic novel to read. If you've ever owned a pet, particularly as a child, then this graphic novel will undoubtedly speak to you.

I would say that, out of all of Doug's books, this one's title captures its "flavor" the best. So if you're not sure if you would like it, just think about how you feel about the title: if the idea of "Tommysaurus Rex" sounds good to you, then you'll definitely love this graphic novel.

This small edition to the TenNapel library is a lightning fast read, but delivers on all the right notes. Every story point that is set up is paid off nicely without being bloated or overly sentimental. A fun and heartwarming read, though not quite recommended for kids under 13. Pick up Tommysaurus Rex today and enjoy.