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christajls's review
3.0
This review originally posted at More Than Just Magic
This is my first First Second graphic novel! I love finding new, smaller graphic novel publishers. It adds some great diversity to the field and their amazing collection has me adding a pile of great sounding books to my TBR. Seriously, if you haven’t heard of them yet, then check them out, they have great stuff for all ages and interests.
So now that I’ve said my piece about the publisher, let’s move onto the book itself, Bloody Chester. I saw this title on NetGalley as was immediately attracted to it’s eye catching cover. A quick scan of the synopsis let me know I was headed into Western territory – a genre that’s not unfamiliar to me, but it’s not a regular undertaking for me. But once I started reading, I found Bloody Chester surprisingly easy to get into, even for one not the most comfortable with the genre. Though it is no doubt a Western, Bloody Chester does not go over the top shoving in tropes or archetypes It just focuses on some solid characters and a simple story. Something all great stories are made of. I was also immediately put at ease by the artwork. Simple but distinctive. It kind of made me think this is what Jeff Lemire’s comics would look like if he wrote Westerns.
Once you look past the setting, you’re really dealing with the adventure of one boy – Chester Kates. Our “hero.” He’s a scrappy, skinny kid, who gets in a lot of fights but at the end of the day is determined to survive. He takes on the unpleasant job of burning town a ghost town called Whale because people believe it’s haunted/cursed. Chester is an interesting character. He’s not a bad kid by any means, but he at times has some questionable ethics. I wanted to like him, and for the most part I did. And I liked seeing him struggle between the choice of finishing the job or just making a run for it. Especially when faced with the threat of a disease called Coyote Waits.
Though there are many things I love about Bloody Chester, I ultimately felt like there were some things missing from this story. It kind of just…ends. You feel as though you’ve been left hanging. I also thought more could have been done at the beginning to set the stage. For example, I thought the reader might have better served with some more information about Chester. It was almost as if we were thrown into the story when it was already 15% in. Simplicity is often a good thing, but too much simplicity left this reader wanting more.
Recommendation: A fun, quick graphic read. Good for those who want to step outside their comfort zone a little without going too crazy, or committing too much time.
This is my first First Second graphic novel! I love finding new, smaller graphic novel publishers. It adds some great diversity to the field and their amazing collection has me adding a pile of great sounding books to my TBR. Seriously, if you haven’t heard of them yet, then check them out, they have great stuff for all ages and interests.
So now that I’ve said my piece about the publisher, let’s move onto the book itself, Bloody Chester. I saw this title on NetGalley as was immediately attracted to it’s eye catching cover. A quick scan of the synopsis let me know I was headed into Western territory – a genre that’s not unfamiliar to me, but it’s not a regular undertaking for me. But once I started reading, I found Bloody Chester surprisingly easy to get into, even for one not the most comfortable with the genre. Though it is no doubt a Western, Bloody Chester does not go over the top shoving in tropes or archetypes It just focuses on some solid characters and a simple story. Something all great stories are made of. I was also immediately put at ease by the artwork. Simple but distinctive. It kind of made me think this is what Jeff Lemire’s comics would look like if he wrote Westerns.
Once you look past the setting, you’re really dealing with the adventure of one boy – Chester Kates. Our “hero.” He’s a scrappy, skinny kid, who gets in a lot of fights but at the end of the day is determined to survive. He takes on the unpleasant job of burning town a ghost town called Whale because people believe it’s haunted/cursed. Chester is an interesting character. He’s not a bad kid by any means, but he at times has some questionable ethics. I wanted to like him, and for the most part I did. And I liked seeing him struggle between the choice of finishing the job or just making a run for it. Especially when faced with the threat of a disease called Coyote Waits.
Though there are many things I love about Bloody Chester, I ultimately felt like there were some things missing from this story. It kind of just…ends. You feel as though you’ve been left hanging. I also thought more could have been done at the beginning to set the stage. For example, I thought the reader might have better served with some more information about Chester. It was almost as if we were thrown into the story when it was already 15% in. Simplicity is often a good thing, but too much simplicity left this reader wanting more.
Recommendation: A fun, quick graphic read. Good for those who want to step outside their comfort zone a little without going too crazy, or committing too much time.
morgan_haybook's review
3.0
The story was left with too many holes in the story, but overall not bad.
excellent_taste's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
showlola's review
4.0
Really interesting premise that follows through on its promise. Really enjoyed this Western about a conflicted young protagonist on a quest.
heykellyjensen's review
1.0
To be fair, the book delivered exactly what it promised: a story about the lawless wild west with lots of violence and blood. And that's about all the book is.
The book starts abruptly, jarring the reader into Chester's world. He's at a bar, then he's beat up, then suddenly he's cleaned up after a night in prison and takes on the job of burning the town of Whale (which had been ravaged by "Indian plague") down. He gets out to Whale and low and behold, he finds a girl there who doesn't want to leave. Her whackadoodle father lives in the mountain and the priest and his son still live in town.
Naturally, Chester decides to hunt down the father (after befriending the son of the plague-ridden priest) and then it's basically a blood bath from there. Oh and of course, Chester falls in love with the girl. There's absolutely no character or relationship development between them. It makes no sense.
More frustrating, though, is that the plot meanders all over. It tries to infuse Native lore and fearfulness of the settlers of the wild west, but it does that by also throwing in strange Christian themes (with the priest and his fear and refusal to leave the church). Caroline's father's incoherent rambling frustrated me.
Other reviewers have commented on the blatant racism and derogatory language, but that didn't bother me because it fit the story and the time. What bothered me was the lack of story telling, the lack of character development, and the art which felt really childish in contrast of the narrative (the art is very much manga-style, particularly in character depiction, and it's in full color). This isn't a book for kids, though. It's violent and crude -- again, these work as part of the setting and time period. It's not a criticism in and of itself.
The book starts abruptly, jarring the reader into Chester's world. He's at a bar, then he's beat up, then suddenly he's cleaned up after a night in prison and takes on the job of burning the town of Whale (which had been ravaged by "Indian plague") down. He gets out to Whale and low and behold, he finds a girl there who doesn't want to leave. Her whackadoodle father lives in the mountain and the priest and his son still live in town.
Naturally, Chester decides to hunt down the father (after befriending the son of the plague-ridden priest) and then it's basically a blood bath from there. Oh and of course, Chester falls in love with the girl. There's absolutely no character or relationship development between them. It makes no sense.
More frustrating, though, is that the plot meanders all over. It tries to infuse Native lore and fearfulness of the settlers of the wild west, but it does that by also throwing in strange Christian themes (with the priest and his fear and refusal to leave the church). Caroline's father's incoherent rambling frustrated me.
Spoiler
Good thing Chester just kills him in the end -- that might have been the most redeeming aspect of the book.Other reviewers have commented on the blatant racism and derogatory language, but that didn't bother me because it fit the story and the time. What bothered me was the lack of story telling, the lack of character development, and the art which felt really childish in contrast of the narrative (the art is very much manga-style, particularly in character depiction, and it's in full color). This isn't a book for kids, though. It's violent and crude -- again, these work as part of the setting and time period. It's not a criticism in and of itself.
blooker's review
3.0
Chester Kate stands to earn a bundle for burning down a nearby empty-but-possibly-haunted town that's holding up the progress of the railroad. Turns out it's not empty--there's a young lady there, and a boy. There's also the sick priest who takes care of the boy, and the young woman's father, who appears to be crazy and hiding out in a nearby cave. These are the few who haven't yet succumbed to a disease that's torn up the bodies of the other citizens of town, a disease known as Coyote Waits.
The plot is solid in this story. There's a noirish sensibility to it, and the Coens could make a good movie out of this. The artwork is good, too.
I ought to rate it higher for these qualities, but due to the story's pace, there's not enough time to connect with the characters. I'd have been over the top if back story flash backs popped up, and added depth to the cast. On the other hand, if you're looking for a good story told quick, this could be just the thing you're looking for.
The plot is solid in this story. There's a noirish sensibility to it, and the Coens could make a good movie out of this. The artwork is good, too.
I ought to rate it higher for these qualities, but due to the story's pace, there's not enough time to connect with the characters. I'd have been over the top if back story flash backs popped up, and added depth to the cast. On the other hand, if you're looking for a good story told quick, this could be just the thing you're looking for.
akmargie's review
3.0
Little rough around the edges but a straight-forward enough old western style story. Good art too.
smlunden's review
3.0
plenty of icky real-life-ness. but not the horror story i was expecting from the cover.
mlindner's review
4.0
http://www.unshelved.com/bookclub/2012-11-16
I liked this a lot. The illustrations are excellent; the faces are particularly expressive and really help to tell the story.
It is a short book and a quick read; it took me a little longer to read it than it did to warm a can of soup and eat it.
The story is self-contained but open-ended enough that there certainly could be a follow-up. I would definitely read a follow-up.
I liked this a lot. The illustrations are excellent; the faces are particularly expressive and really help to tell the story.
It is a short book and a quick read; it took me a little longer to read it than it did to warm a can of soup and eat it.
The story is self-contained but open-ended enough that there certainly could be a follow-up. I would definitely read a follow-up.