Black Hole (Pantheon Graphic Library)

I read Black Hole for my graphic novel class. I had never heard of, and had no idea what to expect. Although it doesn't have page numbers, Goodreads says it is 352 pages long. It felt a lot shorter than that, as it moved extremely quickly. I finished it in two sittings. However, the content makes it seem longer -- this was a strange book. Black Hole I honestly got confused with this plot, which isn't something I can say about a lot of novels. This may have been, in part, because of the fact that two male characters (and even the main female character) all looked alike -- they all had black shoulder length hair with short bangs. I plan to go back through, and reread the novel again knowing that the two guys, Keith and Rob, are not the same person. Now this may have been a hard mistake to make for some, but it made things a little confusing at first for me. I believe the basic plot takes place in the 70s and is structured around Rob and Chris, who have a rocky start to a relationship, and their various friends. The other possible main character is Keith, who I figured out was a separate person from Rob about halfway in... All these people are somehow dealing with a type of 'bug' or disease that is being spread through sexual contact/saliva that physically disfigures people in strange ways (facial restructuring, growing new body parts -- Rob's second mouth, for example). This was really odd, and not well explained, but interesting all the same. This disease is incurable, and makes people social outcasts. Many who have it resort to living in the woods, stealing food to get by, and avoiding normal society. One thing that really struck me about this book was, unsurprisingly, the artwork. Partially because the characters do drugs quite a bit, and also partially due to the weirdness of their world, the artwork was beautiful and mind-opening, and just absolutely wonderful in every way. I know it sounds like I'm fawning over the art -- probably because I am. One character does artwork throughout the book, and you get to see some of it, and even that is wonderful in a weird, disturbing way. I spent much longer taking in the details of the strange layout (when Rob is tripping on LSD) than looking at the words that just described what he was seeing. The panels start to get wavy, start to weave into one another, and start to change shape when things get trippy -- I feel this was a fantastic way to help the reader know what the characters were experiencing. If you don't have an open mind about drugs, sex, and horrible teenage actions, I would warn you away from this book. However, if you are open to that sort of thing, I would highly recommend it. Even the 'sexual' drawings, shoot, even the art from the pornographic magazines, didn't feel out of place or negative. It all fit in so well with the content of the story, that I think it really worked. The only downside (if I can even call it that) is the confusing plot. I think on a second read, everything will clear up a bit. Though I know some of it won't -- that's part of the mystery of the book; the full spreads of black pages with a few white, spiraling objects makes you question the story, the characters, and their motives. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and definitely plan to reread it soon.

Outstanding! Absolutely the best graphic horror novel ever written, and brought together in one book that I literally finished in only a few hours. Then I had to go back, and peer once again at the wonderfully twisted graphic cells. Forget herpes and AIDS, this story is about a $exually transmitted disease that is sweeping through the teen population in Seattle WA during the 70's. Sure, it may be fatal, but when teenagers are so concerned about looks and cliques and fitting in, this little bug reaches into the core of their self esteem and strips it by making them become...freaks. Every reaction is different, from second mouths to boils to skin peels to total disfigurement. In an era of heavy greenery-smoking, a group of friends, including Keith Pearson, like to make their way to a private spot in the woods to get high. They find strange items, like a campsite of sorts. Keith is enamored by a girl in his biology class, Chris. But Chris has a crush on Rob Facincanni. At a party, Rob protests but Chris seduces him, only afterward discovering why he protested. Rob is one of "them", the 'diseased'. While Rob and Chris come to an understanding, Keith meets an affected girl names Eliza. Rob helps Christ to escape to the `encampment', a place where the 'diseased' live in peace, in their makeshift camps. Keith tries to save Chris from the camps, but still feels Eliza pulling him to her. But really, can anyone be saved from this monstrous evil? Is hiding the best way, or would running away be better? How many of the diseased within the camp are also diseased in the mind? What will happen to Keith, Chris, Rob, and Eliza? Certainly, you will find it to be more than your average teen must deal with. 'Black Hole' is heavy gauge graphic-novel-horror at the best its ever going to get. Subtle in places, horrific in others. The setting of the 70's really touched me also, concert tickets to Emerson, Lake & Palmer, David Bowie's "new" album 'Diamond Dogs', the parties, the smoking, the haircuts. Its all realistic and stupendously great. 'Black Hole' makes my teen years in the Seattle area not look so bad after all. The only thing I could find wrong with 'Black Hole' is that there wasn't enough of it. I want more. More disfigurement, more violence, more squinginess. If you read only one book in 2006, make sure it's 'Black Hole'. A MUST for any aficionado of the horror genre, and the graphic novel nuts. Definitely worth the price. Enjoy!

Great graphic novel, a must read

Las ilustraciones son sumamente sobrecogedoras y la historia tardó un poco, en mi opinión, en cobrar sentido pero la conclusión es muy buena. En general, es un muy buen trabajo y veo las razones por las que ha ganado muchos premios.

eine geschichte um teenager, die ihre sexualität entdecken. in szene gesetzt in der amerikanischen provinz. drogenkonsum, langeweile und existenzangst, garniert mit bodyhorror und einer mysterythrillerstimmung. die deprimierende athmosphäre ist greifbar. die durch die aidsepidemie geprägte zeit lugt um die ecke. eine grosse erzählung, in schwarz weissen bildern umgesetzt, die aus der tradition von maserel und der frühen deutschen expressionistischen druckgrafik kommen und doch ganz eigen sind. gehört in den kanon der grossen bilderzählungen.

Esse livro é do começo ao fim sobre sexo. Permeia outros tópicos, claro, especialmente os mais pertinentes à adolescência...na verdade, deixa eu reformular. Esse livro é do começo ao fim sobre sexo entre adolescentes. Se essa ideia te incomoda, não recomendo a leitura, mas se você busca um quadrinho honesto e estranho, essa é uma pedida fenomenal. É dificil falar sem dar spoilers ou arruinar a experiência - uma leitura mais cega acho que é a melhor opção -, mas o melhor pitch para o quadrinho é que existe um vírus sexualmente transmissível que causa mutações nos contaminados. A história segue essencialmente um garoto e uma garota e seu circulo de amizades lidando, não só com seus desejos e frustrações, como com a realidade do vírus e as deformações por ele causadas. A arte é esquisita, densa e pesada; combina com a narrativa, mas torna por vezes bem difícil distinguir os personagens uns dos outros. Acredito que tenha sido intencional, porque a personalidade e voz dos personagens é muito clara e distinta. Eles compensam o departamento visual com carisma, sem sombra de dúvida. Não citei e acho importante comentar: o livro também apresenta uso de drogas, violência, morte, nudez gráfica e exploração de temas sexuais. Não é das leituras mais tranquilas, como "Pílulas Azuis". Na verdade, é quase o oposto completo. Enquanto a obra de Frederik Peeters trata do amor e superação de adversidades, o trabalho de Charles Burns evidencia o lado mais grotesco e pessimista de nossas relações. As atitudes inconsequentes adolescentes tem os resultados esperados, e o final é longe de otimista. Black Hole é uma daquelas famosas graphic novels essenciais, e pode sentar confortavelmente ao lado de "O Escultor", "Retalhos" e "Maus" em sua prateleira. Se estes outros são experimentos em como quadrinhos podem evocar sentimentos cândidos ou tristeza, Black Hole foi feita para evocar o questionamento e a intriga. É esquisito, sim, mas brutalmente cativante.

Plongez dans le trou noir, on en revient pas indemne et ce pour notre plus grand déplaisir.