Monday, March 9, 2015

This Week's Read: The Wrenchies

TWR is a bit late in the day this week. I had a few other things on my plate today, but here it is.


The Wrenchies, by Faryl Dalrymple and :01 First Second Publishing, is a bit difficult to describe. It's youthful and imaginative, dark and strange, and honestly one of the best graphic novels I've ever read. It's definitely in the top ten.

The story involves children, but is not written for kids. There is no overt sexuality, and the violence is more gross than gruesome, but I don't think anyone who hasn't left adolescence could really enjoy it. It relies heavily on the idea of choices and the results of those choices, growing up before one is supposed to, and reverence for completing a task started, with nostalgia for childhood heroes sprinkled in. There are few adults in Dalrymple's world. The children spend their days killing monsters and trying out the newest drugs. Music contains secret messages, and evil creatures called Shadowmen kill anyone who tries to live beyond adolescence. In this world, both guns and magic are real, and a giant robot named Scientist aims to save humanity.

It's trippy. I dug it.



No comments:

Post a Comment