My Favorite Thing is Monsters-Book Two :: Graphic Novel Review

If you're looking for disappointment, congrats!

Okay. That subheading may give this review away a bit, but hear me out.

Also: very mild spoilers ahead.

First I’ve got to gush over Emil Ferris’ artwork in the pages of this graphic novel. This being Book Two it’s not like we haven’t already seen this style and this approach before. Yet it’s still completely worth the time and effort to say that the artwork contained therein is top notch. Ferris’s entire book is supposed to the drawings of Karen, our protagonist within the story that’s unfolding, and these are the drawings from her notebook. Which helps explain how some pages seem like the illustrations are rushed while others are poured over, colorful, and full of detail and life. This inconsistency is obviously done on purpose as Karen seems to be rushing to tell the story at some parts but slows down to get the detail correct on public buildings like The Art Institute of Chicago, which they visit often in the story. The recreation of famous art pieces and even some super detailed illustrations of characters in the story are awesome. The talent that Ferris exhibits within this book and its predecessor is beyond compare and is alone worthy of awards and accolades.

Secondly, I can’t really show up in this space and tell you that the story is awful either. This is book two, it picks up right where book one left off and takes the reader further into 1960’s Chicago, Karen owning up to the fact that she likes girls, Deeze’s relationship with the neighborhood, Anka, and Mr. Gronan and company. I read another review point this out saying its biggest criticism may be that this book is more of the same.

I started to take issue about 50 pages from the end of book when it dawned on me that Ferris has no intention of tying up any loose ends that she’s introduced from book one. Not only that, but she introduces a brand new mystery situation about 10 pages from the ending that sends our protagonists on the run.

And then roll credits.

In a review by Josh Gauthier for noflyingnotights.com he says much of the same:

There are multiple scenes which Karen says she will return to later—but never does. There are histories uncovered where the ending is implied but never confirmed. And some mysteries that once seemed vitally important do not get the full conclusion that one might expect.

But he holds grace for these un-endings:

…perhaps this too, is intentional. Karen’s journey has never been a smooth one, just as the transition into adulthood is rarely as clean and easy as we might hope. Some long-awaited answers are disappointing, and others never come. This book does not end with a neat conclusion that resolves all that has come before, but I don’t believe that was ever the goal.

Where he extends grace I hold contempt. I do not read stories for the writer to set up conflict after conflict after conflict with no resolutions, and then wave that away by saying, “That’s life.” True, life is disappointing, that’s why I enjoy reading comics—to escape that fact.

In articles and media this book keeps getting referred to as the conclusion to Ferris’ debut Book One. Yet, nothing’s concluded. My only hope is that Ferris is at work on Book Three at the moment, because that’s the only way I think I could find it in my heart to extend her the grace needed to forgive this new transgression. If that is the case, I’ll probably read some spoiler reviews before throwing down another $45 dollars on what can only be regarded at this point as a really interesting art book.

4/10

Story and Art by Emil Ferris

Published by Fantagraphics, 2024