Arvind Ethan David

I have never read the original source novel by Douglas Adams. I really should rectify that. Not knowing anything going in, I found this to be mildly amusing with an interesting storyline but a thoroughly irritating main character who I wanted to punch in the face. The completely unnecessary sexy nurse costume of a secondary character very early on in the first issue was also a huge turnoff - I'm not opposed to sex and sexy, but not if it has no purpose for the plot. And it didn't at all. show more After that, I was a bit surprised at the fairly enlightened commentary about cultural appropriation, race, and wildlife conservation later on, though I was less than impressed that Dirk continued to be a clueless asshole. He reminded me a bit of the Doctor from Doctor Who, only with much less charm and heart.

The greatest sin, however, was that it just wasn't funny. This is based on a Douglas Adams work. It should be funny. It wasn't.

The in-between flashback bits were fairly interesting, and provided some backstory to Dirk's upbringing. I found those were some of the more intriguing bits, actually, even though the artwork wasn't to quite to my taste.

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. show less

As a long-time Douglas Adams fan I was excited to discover this continuation of Dirk Gently's adventures, but reading it left me cold. It’s not a bad story and I liked the flashbacks, but David just didn’t manage to give Dirk the same bizarre and inexplicable charm that his creator did, which is a disappointment to fans of the series and will leave newcomers wondering why anyone would like Dirk.

The art reminded me of Nickelodeon cartoons from the 90s, which is an aesthetic I’ve never show more liked. I did appreciate seeing the inclusion of the Fourth Doctor and Marvin dolls in young Dirk’s toy collection.

Received via Netgalley. show less

*Confused Pikachu Face*

Judging by the other reviews this really resonated with some folx and that's wonderful. People telling stories and the magic of getting Gaiman and Staite to perform them is wonderful. Plus this was free with Audible, so no complaints here. I just don't get it.

It's very loose, very short science fiction that doesn't really explore anything, although it references the stress of isolation. Personally, I need more idea or heart from a story.

I picked this one up, since it was placed under teen/YA category. But this is not a young adult novel. It's not even a new adult novel. This one is pure adult in every way. That said, I'm reviewing this one as an adult novel.

As a fan of Dorian Gray, I was curious to see this rewrite, and a graphic novel form is, of course, an even more interesting twist. The story is grabbing and pulls right into the action and mystery. A criminal is at large, one who seems to be targeting rich men. A show more detective is on their trail but isn't having much luck until finally something clicks. Taking the lead, he tries to lure the criminal in but ends up in the last place he expected or should be. Now, catching the criminal isn't his only worry.

This one has a very interesting criminal, and I enjoyed the high tension and well done mystery aspect. This is definitely original and takes a hard look at the treatment of women and other social questions, which are often heard in today's society. So, it is timely too. I did find that some things bounced around a bit and some of the dialogue and characters didn't quite resonate with me completely, but to say this wasn't done fairly well would be wrong too. It will grab the right person.

The graphic end of it is well done, and I found the scenes and characters nicely portrayed. It brought over the personalities well and added just the right quirks and twists to make every frame sit.

While this wasn't what I'd hoped it'd be from the Dorian Gray rewrite side and not all of the characters were quite my thing, the graphics were well done and the story is intriguing. So, it's a decent read.

I received an ARC through Negalley. show less