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A review by jekutree
Leaving Richard's Valley by Michael DeForge
5.0
Leaving Richard’s Valley is one of the most unique comics I’ve ever read. It tells the story of the animals of Richard’s Valley, a cult that lives in a park in Toronto under the enigmatic, manipulative Richard.
Michael Deforge tells his story through a great sense of humor and his one of a kind stylized cartooning. The story presented here on the surface seems pretty basic. 4 animals get ejected from Richard’s Valley and need to make their due in the city. They have trouble fitting in due to their sheltered life in the Valley. The story ramps up in complexity when the side plots of the snake and Caroline frog get introduced, the short one page asides on Richard’s history and the amount of symbolism and thematic depth everything in the story has.
Leaving Richard’s Valley explores themes of cults, gentrification, fitting in, pollution and much more. Deforge addresses all of these in smart ways that connect instantly to the reader. He never feels preachy or pushy with what he’s talking about and he attacks these in his well developed characters and sense of humor.
All of the characters are extremely likable and Deforge gives equal attention to the core cast of characters allowing for everyone to have a different favorite. My personal favorite, Ellie Squirrel, is an optimistic squirrel that’s a little naive at times. She adds a really wholesome sense of humor to the book that’s I greatly appreciated.
Michael Deforge gets a chance to tell a touching story that is so uniquely him. I haven’t read everything he’s done, but his voice shines through so clearly in this genius graphic novel.
Best book of 2019
10/10
Michael Deforge tells his story through a great sense of humor and his one of a kind stylized cartooning. The story presented here on the surface seems pretty basic. 4 animals get ejected from Richard’s Valley and need to make their due in the city. They have trouble fitting in due to their sheltered life in the Valley. The story ramps up in complexity when the side plots of the snake and Caroline frog get introduced, the short one page asides on Richard’s history and the amount of symbolism and thematic depth everything in the story has.
Leaving Richard’s Valley explores themes of cults, gentrification, fitting in, pollution and much more. Deforge addresses all of these in smart ways that connect instantly to the reader. He never feels preachy or pushy with what he’s talking about and he attacks these in his well developed characters and sense of humor.
All of the characters are extremely likable and Deforge gives equal attention to the core cast of characters allowing for everyone to have a different favorite. My personal favorite, Ellie Squirrel, is an optimistic squirrel that’s a little naive at times. She adds a really wholesome sense of humor to the book that’s I greatly appreciated.
Michael Deforge gets a chance to tell a touching story that is so uniquely him. I haven’t read everything he’s done, but his voice shines through so clearly in this genius graphic novel.
Best book of 2019
10/10