Saturday 30 March 2013

Review: Mister Wonderful



How this review of Mister Wonderful can into being, was an act of fate. Not the kind of fate in which a pair of star crossed loves eyes might over a cup of coffee, or that the reviewer is the heir to some kind of mythical thrown, but a kind of fate none the less. While looking through a stack of discounted graphic novels at a local comic book store (support your local store goddamit), I spied the unusually formated Mister Wonderful, written and drawn by the insanely talented Daniel Clowes.

Now this is strange for two reasons of course, firstly, how anything by Mr. Clowes had slipped under my radar irked me a little, but secondly and more importantly, what was it doing in the discount rack at all? For a book of this caliber to have gone unpurchased for so long, to the point of reduction no less, was a crime!

It was only when I got it to the counter, that it was explained to me, that the previous day a man had entered the store, specifically looking for something by Clowes, and how the guy behind the counter had forgotten the book was in the discount section, did I see the reasoning behind it being there unfolding. "I even kinda knew it was there-" said the guy working there "just something told me not to sell it to him." And there we have it folks, no matter how forced or contrived it may sound, this review comes to you from forces outside of this reviewer's control.

But more importantly, was this fate to be a blessing or a curse? I suppose the real question is, would a review bother to make the introduction to his review so flowery if it wasn't a good read. Mister Wonderful, from start to finish, is nothing short of, well, Wonderful.

Originally serialized in The New York Times Magazine, it is the story of Marshall, a hapless middle aged loner, being set up on a blind date after a train wreck of a relationship, resulting in Marshall living alone for the last 6 years. However, when his blind date arrives, the equally self deprecating and damaged Natalie, the book turns from Clowes' usual witty social narrative, to something that stands on a pedestal above any of his previous endeavors.

Building upon Marshall's paranoia, Clowes breaks usual format conventions, pushing the narrative in interesting ways. Using Marshall's inner monologue in caption boxes, Clowes layers them over Natalie's speech, making the reader feel our repressed protagonists panic and distain, as he tries to block out his thoughts enough to focus on Natalie's words. On top of this, Clowes uses the book's format to his advantage. The landscape layout allows for some explorative spreads and typography, something the book is all the better for.

I cannot recommend Mister Wonderful more highly (as well as Clowes' other work for that matter). As a fan of comic books, you will get to see a master at work, pushing the medium to it's limits in exciting ways and to the average reader, you will find a witty and surprisingly charming story, of life after love. While it's not as lengthy as most books in it's price range, what the book lacks in pages it makes up for in heart. Miss this book at your peril.

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