Review – Asterios Polyp
Dec 8, 2011 by     Comments Off on Review – Asterios Polyp    Posted In: Reviews

David Mazzucchelli is well-known for his collaboration with Frank Miller on Batman Year One. This work went on to become one of the most influential Batman stories of the modern age – and incidentally, one of the more collectible comic books as well. Year One – it turns out – was to be Mazzucchelli’s superhero Swan Song. The artist went on to create more personal works in Rubber Blanket and a few others.

Asterios Polyp is David’s most ambitious project yet. It is a study of the loneliness and arrogance of the titular character. And so much more. Through dynamic narrative techniques this book explores the seeming duality of everything, the value of art, the stages of human growth and what it means to be an individual. Asterios Polyp is more than a story. It is meticulously constructed metaphor which the reader can spend hours untangling.

When I picked this up at the library, I was basically doing so because of the book’s reputation. Asterios Polyp has gotten accolades from “high places” – ie. praise from people who usually praise “real” books. You know? The ones without pictures (don’t get me started). Asterios Polyp is a New York Times Notable book of 2009 and it won the LA Times book prize in ’09 for best graphic novel*. So I’m going in expecting an impressive work. My expectations were surpassed.

The plot:
Asterios Polyp is a college professor teaching architecture. He is a renowned “paper architect”. Meaning none of his designs have ever been built. But Asterios doesn’t let that get in the way of thinking he’s the smartest person since that guy who decided to sell pizza slices individually. Polyp is a pompous, pretentious, self-centered jackass. So naturally everybody loves him. He uses his charisma and authority to womanize his female students and co-workers, creatively abase his peers and fail every relationship he engages in. Until he meets Hana, the woman that is his opposite and will turn his life around. But Asterios’ redemption won’t be easy. He must first endure divorce, a house fire, homelessness and various other transformational experiences.

The execution:
The story is told in a non-linear fashion, inter-cutting the main narrative with flashbacks, dream sequences and philosophical musings. It is within these scenes that we learn that Asterios is an identical twin of a still borne brother. Polyp drags this fact along with him most of his life and it plays a large role in his obsession with duality. For instance, he becomes an architect because of his love of symmetry.

Mazzucchelli successfully conveys Polyp’s worldview by literally drawing it out in many instances. One particularly striking sequence is a fight between Asterios and Hana. The artwork suddenly splits into two styles. One representing Asterios’ calculated demeanor, the other representing Hana’s more intuitive point of view. The way this is depicted makes this common relationship occurrence that much more familiar and poignant. The truly impressive thing is that these sometimes abrupt shifts in art style never come across as intrusive or distracting. They always support the story and add depth to the themes being explored.

I’m hard pressed to find fault with this book. Other than a few questionable typographical decisions I see nothing to criticize in this work. It’s a full and complete work. Obviously the culmination of years of craft-honing and practice. Read it twice.

Script: 9.5
Art: 9.5
Parental concern: I think I saw some nipples at one point, so… orange if you don’t want your kids to see nipples, I guess.

*Graphic Novel conveniently shortens to grovel. Because only nerds read comic books.

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