Steven Appleby

Just in case you were wanting to be optimistic, this book humorously points out all the things which may lead to you having a bad day as the world ends ... And just to make a point, the page numbers are in reverse order and count down to zero.

I am LONG overdue a review of this graphic novel that is easily the most unique book I’ve read in a long time.

Set in a world where superheroes exist but these are not your normal Marvel fare, and souls can be bought and sold, we find August Crimp (brilliant name!), a man who can fly when he puts on women’s clothes.

August loves wearing a dress but is deeply ashamed of his compulsion and terrified of rejection should it ever come out. So he tells no one. But then one day a little girl show more falls from the rooftop cafe at the Art Museum and August has no choice but to fly and save her – an event witnessed by hundreds of people.

The story is split between flashback of August first discovering his powers and the present where he is married with a child and has left his superhero alter ego deep in the closet.

In between the chapters are interludes detailing a killer targeting trans women to steal their souls which highlight Applebys skill as a writer as well as being a chilling contrast to August illustrated life.

I picked this up from the library and knew nothing about it outside of the cover blurb and how beautifully the book was made. What I found inside the pages was an equally beautiful and unique story of the journey one takes in learning to accept oneself and the power that gives us.

Easily one of the most original books and I’ve read in a long time and one to watch out for if you are interested in graphic novels and queer stories.

There are some content warnings to go with this so message me for details. show less

On the surface, this is a pretty simple story of a retired superhero reluctantly donning his costume once more to help stop a serial killer and an evil corporation. (Shades of Watchmen!) Inevitably, there is some crossover between the two cases, but nothing a good slugfest shouldn't be able to sort out, right?

The originality factor here is that our hero August Crimp gets his super power of flight from donning women's clothing. In flashback scenes we are shown Crimp coming to terms privately show more with what this means to his identity and sexuality while publicly taking on the persona of Dragman to fight crime and transphobia.

It took me a while to warm up to the book because it is a tonally odd mix of cartoonish, slow-paced, and loopy alternative comix and slam-bang retro superheroics with a heavy reliance on coincidence and one-dimensional characters. And Crimp's feet are a little too deeply mired in clay in the present-day storyline. And the author indulges in a pet peeve of mine by repeatedly injecting pages of text into the graphic novel, providing the serial killer's point of view while concealing their identity.

In the end I was able to unclench, get wrapped up in the story and main character, and appreciate the unique perspective being offered. show less

There's some funny stuff in here, some decent satirical pokes at the Tories, especially Theresa May and Boris Johnson, some well-drafted cartoons and illustrations, too. But...

Overall, it comes off as a little too ernest, a little too preachy, and often a little too holier-than-thou to redeem the parts that hit the mark. It's a shame, because I really wanted to love this comic.