Braddy Reads Stitches

It's not exactly a secret anymore that I love me some good comics (I decided a while back that anything I enjoy isn't worth being ashamed over, even if my hobbies make me out to be some kind of uber-dweeb). I'm kind of in love with the comic book format - I think there's a lot of potential for great storytelling there that either goes completely overlooked or gets relegated to superhero books, which the bulk of the population tends to ignore. So, every now and again, I pick up graphic novels that would have a bit more of a "mainstream" appeal.

Therefore, I give you Stitches.

I'll come right out and say it: This isn't the best book I've ever read. Actually, there's not a whole lot here I haven't read before. It seems that the vast majority of graphic novel memoirs deal with the artist's unhappy childhood and how they could never get along with the parents who take care of them. Sometimes there are fatal illnesses involved, sometimes the child discovers his or her own sexuality a little too young. All that's here.

The artwork is nice, but, again, nothing really noteworthy. The pictures are all in grayscale watercolors (or something like that - really wish I knew art terms a little better) that are servicable, effective, but not particularly attractive.

There are a few places, though, where Stitches touches on brilliance. The aforementioned watercolors work really well in a couple of bizarre dream sequences - creating an effect that is both surreal and vividly expressive. The moment where our protagonist discovers the truth behind his mother's behavior towards him - and the resulting sadness - is expressed dramatically in a series of pages depicting a rainstorm. In a book that is usually overly-descriptive in the text (a common problem among graphic novels, I find), the comparative subtlety of this section is truly outstanding.

And then there's the moment that our main character goes into counseling, only to find that his therapist...

...is the white rabbit from Alice and Wonderland.

That alone makes the book worth the price of admission, in my opinion.

Take home quote: Stitches isn't world-shatteringly awesome, but it's solidly written, a bit disturbing, and full of some pretty genius moments. All in all, a worthwhile read that you can get through in about an hour.