Meredith Gran

Having recently read The Book of Bill and Journal 3, I of course had to complete the trifecta of Gravity Falls spinoff books with this graphic novel. We have four complete stories here, namely:

"Face It": When a monster steals Mabel's face, Dipper and Pacifica have to go on an adventure together to steal it back. This one very much feels like it could have been an episode of the show. And I like the fact that Pacifica, despite having undergone some character growth and graduated from show more "nemesis" to "frenemy," clearly has not changed entirely overnight in some pat and unrealistic way. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the possible vague hints of Pacifica/Dipper romance, but I guess this isn't exactly the first place I've seen them.

"Comix Up": A very meta little tale, in which our heroes get sucked into comic books, romping through a variety of different styles and genres. I started this one thinking, "this is silly, but cute and kind of clever," started laughing uncontrollably somewhere in the middle, and was going "awwwww" with a great deal of feeling come the end. Not sure you can hit the right notes for this sort of thing any better than that!

"Don't Dimension It": Mabel accidentally gets dragged into the multiverse through a dimensional tear, and Stan and Ford set out to rescue her. Lots of interesting weirdness, lots of bickering grunkles, lots of Mabel. All great stuff! The only thing that gives me pause about this one is the fact that it's hard not to read it as a reply to those people who like to blame Mabel for everything, making the point that, yes, OK, she can be self-centered, but basically she's a good kid. Which is absolutely true, but I'm sorry, her detractors do not deserve one Mabel, never mind a multiverse full of Mabels!

"The Pines Boys in: The Jersey Devil's in the Details": This one features the elder Pines twins as kids. It's the one I was most looking forward to, and, boy, did it not disappoint. The story is lots of fun, there are some jokes that made me flat-out guffaw (although the throwaway joke that made me laugh the hardest I suspect you have to actually be from New Jersey to be amused by), and I adore these kids. Especially lil' Ford, who is a nerdy little cutie pie. I just want to cuddle him and share my science books with him. (OK, admittedly, I might feel the same about the older version, too, but never mind that.) And their sibling bond here is so sweet and lovely. It's simultaneously heartwarming and, knowing what comes later, heartbreaking. Although it does, of course, end on a happy note.

So, anyway, yeah. It's all good stuff, and it satisfyingly captures all the things I love about the show itself: the strangeness, the great characters, the humor, the perfectly blended combination of goofiness and genuine heart. Definitely recommended to fans of the show, of all ages. show less

I almost cried in the middle of this...because see, it's Marceline and Bubblegum, in a story about the bittersweetness of friendship, which is the perfect combination for making my heart feel like it got dipped in liquid nitrogen and stepped on. Equal and oppositely heart-mending, though, is the community of anthropomorphic space-puppies who support Marceline with their gentle wisdom and extreme cuteness. I'm new to Carey Pietsch's art, but now it's inevitable I'll be bingeing on her other show more works soon. She captures the mood and beauty of the story and magnifies them, as you can see plainly from the cover. And, since it's Meredith Gran on vocals, count on seeing her hilarious and painfully accurate social commentary seamlessly stitched through, on subjects ranging from the ills of colonialism to the commercialization of tragedy. So. If you liked Scream Queens, definitely read this one too. SQ set the bar high, and Gone Adrift just raises it. Into space!!!! lolz show less

If you're a fan of the Gravity Falls cartoon, then you need to read this. It's four stories that all could be episodes--interesting, fun, and funny. I especially liked "Comix Up!" with all the different comic styles.

short, simple, and evocative. a little bittersweet, a little touching. works well on its own, without the game