Edward Haynes Comic Reviews

"Bastard" is a graphic novel of subtle subversions. Like its characters, it is constantly moving through consistent structures on the page. Pushing forward through dramatic events, but never losing track of a deep empathy for characters. Max de Radigus gives us a loving and craftful piece that is fun and sweet and character driven.

And that's where we get to another changed context for this new edition. In the last six years, politics has changed. It feels more prescient than ever in my life to look back on the ways that radical and protest movements organised in the past. Comics is a wonderful way to engage with the movements, people and emotion of these past movements. That's why "March" is so successful, and it's largely the success of "The Silence of Our Friends." Joining that personal and emotional aspect with the broader parts of the political movements. The only hold up here I have is that this is the story of a white ally, and I'm not sure whether it would be more useful to hear more marginalised voices. Or if seeing an empathic portrayal of an ally is also useful, in showing how we can help a movement lead by marginalised peoples. Those things probably aren't mutually exclusive, and I don't think I can begrudge Long (with Demonakos and Powell) telling this important story from his personal life.

indulgent personal essay, the art takes the words, and responds to them, puts them in a context of bodies, action, the world.

Continued below(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});"Wine: A Graphic History" is written like a reference book that is fairly accessible but is dry and not particularly trying to entertain, while the art is fun and bouncy and focused on entertainment. And they never work together. It just ends up awkward and boring. I couldn't connect to it, struggling to make the connection between the pages of the book and the wine I'm drinking now in my bedroom.