Review of Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli (Daredevil: Born Again, Batman: Year One, Rubber Blanket and Paul Auster's City of Glass)

Review of Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli (Daredevil: Born Again, Batman: Year One, Rubber Blanket and Paul Auster's City of Glass)

Mazzucchelli has played unsung, but important roles in the history and present day of Superhero Comics, Comic Adaptations in Graphic Novel form, Self Published Comics and Comics Education (he teaches Cartooning at the School of Visual Arts).

On a personal note this book took me to a parallel universe were a lessons from my first college (College of Marin) and my second (Savannah College of Art and Design) merged. The first being a Theater lesson on the “Act of God” and the second a lecture by the author Mazzucchelli on his artistic journey to progress circularly toward a comic strip he did with Cran about Batman, Robin and a Peanut Butter sandwich. While the “Act of God” bookends the story, the author’s journey plays throughout, in the refreshing and terse yet intricate story of Asterios Polyp.

Asterios is a man confronted with moments to shake off his self-induced mediocrity coma, grab three “seemingly” unsentimental items, and rush into a rediscovery and reflection. His reflections focus on his complimentary twin brother, his work as a famous architectural professor whose work is only theoretical, his petty egotistical intellectual competitiveness, and his journey through “love” to where he has finally met his match. While he runs away from the aftermath of his old life, he runs to a life where instead of pontificating about a design or a theory, he simply makes. This contrast I personally fantasies and reflect about, although perhaps in the reverse. I am not familiar enough with Mazzucchelli to project, but perhaps like Asterios and I, the author lives in the world of education and art, where the practical use of our skills are more often then we had hoped, wasted on the theoretical. While the less glorified in our communities get to do something pure, perhaps routine, but practical. Lucky for me I still do get to, as does our “hero” Asterios. Perhaps Mazzucchelli has his “day job” as well.

If you love a good love story, Acts of God, design theory, architecture, critiques of the intellectuals (done intellectually), and believe people can grow even from knowing everything, this is wonderful comic for you.

Please take the time to read other peoples thoughts at the following links:

http://1979semifinalist.wordpress.com/2009/07/28/review-asterios-polyp/

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2009/08/17/share-your-asterios-polyp-thoughts-here/

...and if you ar in NYC go to: http://www.moccany.org/