Gustavo Duarte

The graphic novel I wish I’d had as a kid! I had trouble getting into the format of comic books and graphic novels as an adult ... I’d never read them as a kid and had to train my brain to follow not only the text, but also the artwork that played an equal role in telling the story.

(It was the Elvira comics that helped build the bridge for me to bridge the gap, but I digress!) :)

“Dear Justice League” is the graphic novel that would have done that for me years ago, if it had been show more around then! It gives the reader a peak into the day-to-day lives of superheroes, their childhood adventures, their pets... (Shout-out to Aqua-man and his fish, who stole the show for me!)

The superheroes answer letters and emails from their young fans and the answers are so fun and sweet, showing us that even superheroes make mistakes or question themselves.

Also, the back cover contained another gem for me. One of my favorite comic artists, Jerry Craft, creator of Mama’s Boyz, lent his glowing review to this book. That alone would have made me pick it up because Craft is just that good at his... well, craft... and his words carry that much weight for me.

I’ll be adding this my ‘gift giving list’ for my cousin, who is turning nine years old. I think he’ll really get a kick out of it. I’d read it with him first and do funny voices and things, but I think he’ll be able to grasp its humor and format just fine, especially if he has someone to introduce him to the genre.

This book is truly a gem for both young and adults. You won’t regret adding it to your collection because it’s a joyful book.

Oh, I came back to add this! Be sure to read all the way through to the end. The author profile is such a sweet addition to the book, and he grew up in my home state of Connecticut, so bonus points for that!

I also LOVE that there’s a section in the back for kids to write their own letter to the superheroes. It’s possible I got a little whimsical and teary-eyed, thinking of all the children who may write their own letters to the superheroes. Or adults. I won’t judge. ;) show less

Gustavo Duarte’s English-language debut (if one can ascribe a language to a wordless graphic novel) is like a visit to one wacky tapas bar – three little plates that put together dish up one satisfying evening. MONSTERS & OTHER STORIES is actually a collection of three graphic novels that Duarte had previously published in his native Brazil. I hate to say more, as there’s a great pleasure in coming into a book “cold” and having it do with you what it will. So, my recommendation is show more stop reading this review now and go get your hands on the book.

However, if you’re the type that insists on details (why? Just go with the flow), here they are, with an attempt at minimal spoilage. “Co” is a surreal tale of alien abduction. But, wait – aren’t all alien abductions surreal? Perhaps, but Duarte takes that as the baseline and raises it to, well, his own level. Good from the introduction of our unlikely protagonist to the very last panel.

“Birds” moves us, almost mockingly, through a series of genres… It’s just a tale of your average working stiffs… who find some actual stiffs… quickly transforming this to a murder mystery?, horror story?… and then, at some point, you realize, ah, it’s just a (gory!) Greek tragedy… until that last, juicy panel hits and makes you rethink the entire comic.

“Monsters” is a good ol’ fashion kaiju story, each panel drawn for the comic equivalent of maximum cinematic effect. And the story’s hero may well have you thinking “Yes, that dude. That’s the guy I want saving the world. Of course.”

In fact, through all his stories, Duarte excels at creating a depth of character (no small feat when no words are used), at making us live each moment while propelling us headlong into the heart of the story. Quick moving, but detailed, this is the type of book that you’ll finish only to start over again, to capture the nuances you may have missed the last time. I found a couple of panels confusing, particularly in “Birds,” but wordless graphic novels unavoidably make you work a little extra harder to capture the meaning.

Great, creative read. Get it.

(Received an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.) show less

Shelf Notes Review


Dear Reader,

NetGalley and Dark Horse Comics gave me this wonderful opportunity to view and rate this unique comic. Can you even call it a comic? I think it should be in a genre of it's own, combine comics with silent film and you might get something closer to what you'll find in Monsters! Gustavo Duarte has split this into three miniature stories that are told without words. Each story is unique and quirky, with a little humor mixed in with a few grotesque but playful show more images. I find this reminds me very much of those "Spy vs. Spy" comics I used to read growing up. "Spy vs. Spy" was created by Cuban artist, Antonio Prohias. Gustavo Duarte is Brazilian, so maybe it's a cultural stylistic thing? All I know is that I wish we had more!

Each page is clean, crisp and full of detail. Details such as the picture frame or penguin that shows up in the background throughout each story. Although the stories are separate, you almost feel that maybe these characters might be related somehow. I didn't ponder too much into this but I appreciate when an Author/Artist adds those little things that make it special. I'm torn between the first story and the last one as to which I would pick as a favorite. I fell in love with the pig loving aliens but I'm also a sucker for cartoon monsters. The second story was interesting but didn't really make me laugh as much as the other two.

All in all, this is an artist to watch! I'm excited Dark Horse is taking this on, I'm loving the change in the comic world that has more graphic novels and indie art related comics coming to focus. The demand is there and I implore you all to pick up a few unusual ones, especially if you never thought of yourself as a comic person, this one would be a perfect one to start with.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug show less

I got a copy of this graphic novel to review from netGalley; so thanks to NetGalley and Dark Horse for the opportunity to review this book. This book was unlike any graphic novel I’ve read before. It’s told all in pictures and is cleverly done with elements of humor and horror.

The book is broken into three stories. The first is about a pig farmer whose pigs are captured by aliens, as you can imagine bizarre things ensue after their return. The second story is about some office-working show more birds who seek to escape their fate; this was very funny in a dark way. The third is about a bunch of giant sea monsters who go on a rampage in a large Brazilian city (very King Kongish).

All of the stories are told entirely in pictures (no words) this was cleverly done, but there were a couple points where things are a bit confusing because of this. A couple times I had to go back and re-study the frames in more detail to figure out what was going on. The drawing style is pretty cartoonish with bold lines throughout. It’s mostly black and white with some grey.

The stories are very funny and ironic. They are also violent and a bit gory (the only reason I might suggest this as a young adult or older graphic novel).

By far my favorite story was the Monsters! one, this was a very fun story and was done in a way that it was easy to follow what was going on. This is a very short book, so I would consider looking at it at the library or in a bookstore first. It took me maybe 15 to 20 minutes to breeze through the whole thing.

Overall I enjoyed this graphic novel. It is done in a very unique style and is a fun blend of humor and horror. There are a couple times where it gets a bit confusing as to what is going on, but mostly the stories are well told. It is a very short book, so you might want to take a quick look through before purchasing. Recommended to those who love Spy vs Spy, the style of this book really reminds me of that. show less