Published Augat 334 × 490 in Notable Graphic Novels Review 2021. It is not suitable for kids, but Monsters is a great example of a self-contained, artistically stunning graphic novel that challenges the format of the genre.

This book is a great addition to art book and graphic novel collections for young adults and older.

It’s no wonder this took 30 years to make. The lighting is beautifully rendered and the details are consistent. The art is great, delicate and tender and clunky and grotesque, even bulbous in weird places. The one weak point is the lettering, as it overuses bold italic emphasis. It’s a slow and weighty read, but each reading is bound to reveal new details and connections. Trauma denies agency, which causes isolation and rage, which then carries over into other relationships. Monsters is less about what makes a monster and more about how trauma is a self-perpetuating cycle. The story deals with intergenerational trauma, childhood abuse, domestic violence, and Nazi war crimes. The pages are thick, the text and the storytelling are dense, the art style is masterfully hand drawn with pen and black ink. The story is not presented in chronological order, and Bobby himself remains alienated throughout, barely speaking and never given agency.Įverything about this book is heavy and overwhelming. McFarland’s family worries for him in 1964, while the Bailey family has their own problems to deal with in 1945.

The people who tell Bobby’s story for him are his mother, Janet, and military men Elias McFarland and Jack Powell. A 360-page tour de force of visual storytelling, Monsters ' narrative canvas is both vast and deep: part familial drama, part espionage thriller, part metaphysical journey, it is an intimate portrait of individuals struggling to reclaim their lives and. He is immediately whisked away to participate in an extremely dangerous and top-secret experimental military science project called Prometheus. Monsters is the legendary project Barry Windsor-Smith has been working on for over 35 years. Monsters takes place between WWII and 1964 and tells the story of Bobby Bailey, who experienced abuse and tragedy as a child before applying to join the army.

Monsters barry windsor smith review