Bags (Or a Story Thereof) is an original graphic novel, published by BOOM! Studios.
Bags, etc, is the tale of John Motts. John has lost his dog, Beth. Now he has to travel into new neighbourhoods in search of Beth. And that’s where things get deep.
The story is written by Patrick McHale and adapted and illustrated by Gavin Fullerton. Colours are by Whitney Cogar, and lettering by Marie Enger.
This is a fascinating graphic novel. It’s 100 pages in length, but more challenging than one would expect. And the depth comes at us quickly. Okay, John has lost his dog. Where can a story of a lost dog possibly lead us in a hundred pages? The SPCA? Not that simple, thankfully.
Instead, McHale ‘digs below the surface’ (sorry) of society, of our normal and abnormal hopes and fears. Are we fearful of death because of our guilt as to how it might occur? The normal sources of comfort can sometimes also be sources of fear and discomfort. Secrets that are revealed are not always reassuring, Neither is truth something that’s necessarily a good thing.
Themes run in parallel through Bags, accompanied by the oddly fantastical art of Gavin Fullerton. The deeply shadowed everyday surroundings of John Motts take on a David Lynch-like deeper undertone throughout the book. it’s very strongly composed, unsettling and disturbingly beautiful. The graphics are deceivingly simple until we realize that this book is leading us into dark territory indeed. The colours supplement the graphics in the nicest and most appropriately creepy fashion.
The origins of the story are nicely explained in a foreword by the author.
You might really like this book. I know I did!
BOOM! Studios, Bags (Or a Story Thereof), $12.99 for 100 pages. Assume Teen +
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