Nepotism/The Labyrinth: a tale of Jorge Luis Borgesby Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk.
Publisher
Credits Grade: 7 This comic/flipbook contains 4 stories, three of which make up half the book and are therefor quite short, but let me tell you, there is nothing "short" about the messages presented. The first side is Nepotism which contains "The Question", "Fought Over", and "The Birthday Boy".My favorite of those three is "The Question". It has only one word of dailogue, but it manages to speak volumes in seven pages about "a question". The art strikes me as a mixture of Escher and Dr. Suess — a very interesting perspective. The artwork in "Fought Over" is by far the most detailed and wonderfully done; it also fits with the prehistoric battle well. The story is a bit ironic with perhaps a bit of cynisism thrown in. "The Birthday Boy" has the most predictable ending, but the whole thing was presented in a unique way. Not being an only child or rich, I can easily see this story as stereotypical while understanding it is looking a little deeper than that. I am still trying to figure out how these stories fit with the overall title of "Nepotism". Nepotism is favoritism shown or patronage granted to relatives, as in business. It may have more to do with the creators than the comic, but it, like the stories, provides food for thought. On the flipside is The Labyrinth: A Tale of Jorge Luis Borges and a small pin-up gallery. I don't know if Mr. Borges is real or not, but that hardly matters. It is a story of being remembered and forgotten, being famous and unknown — all at the same time. It is a story of one man meeting himself — past, present, future, and even pre-birth. Their discussion is one story with multiple viewpoints. The artwork is very simple, but is all that's needed to tell this story. The Labyrinth is my favorite story in this comic — it is more of an idea presented to the reader, and the reader can take what they will from it. This flipbook is a wonderful read on many levels. At $3.50 you really shouldn't pass it up. It really is amazing how four little stories can tell so much. Written: July 31, 2003
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