We’ve just gotten word that David Mazzuccheli has signed 10 copies of his latest (and first, if you can believe it) book, Asterios Polyp and, at last count, there were only 8 copies left. I don’t mean to sound an alarm, but you might want to rush over and pick up a copy for yourself. You can do that here: Limited Signed Edition of Asterios Polyp. Don’t worry, I’ll wait for you to come back.
But, just in case you need a little more convincing, let me just say that when Entertainment Weekly and the New York Times both agree on the genius of a graphic novel, then you know you have something special.
Writing about David Mazzuccheli’s latest book, Asterios Polyp, the New York Times wrote:
“‘Asterios Polyp’ is a dazzling, expertly constructed entertainment (…) “
And Entertainment Weekly got off one of the best assessments of the book when they wrote:
“(…) [I]t’s as if John Updike had discovered a bag of art supplies and LSD. Elegant, deceptively simple line work and nearly subliminal color symbolism make everything go down like candy. The narrative comes back to earth for a profoundly satisfying climax, but you’ll want to keep turning pages — all the way back to the beginning, for another read.”
But if you don’t just want to take their word for it, you can take mine: Asterios Polyp is one of the most enjoyable, intricate, and well-produced graphic novels of the year, possibly the best. It marks the return of writer/artist David Mazzuccheli, who had taken some time off since his last work and had been relatively quiet.
It was reported that David had sworn off comics and graphic novels. Mr. Mazzuccheli has been in the comics market for quite some time, frequently partnering with the biggest talents in the genre, like Frank Miller, with whom he collaborated on various Batman and Daredevil stories. Later, he would collaborate with Paul Karasik on an adaptation of Paul Auster’s novel, City of Glass. The man was in league with some of the best of the best in the comics world and then, almost as quickly as he appeared on the scene, he was gone.
And then POW–new book!
Are you new to this one and want to know what it’s all about? Here’s a synopsis from the book’s publisher page:
The triumphant return of one of comics’ greatest talents, with an engrossing story of one man’s search for love, meaning, sanity, and perfect architectural proportions. An epic story long awaited, and well worth the wait.
Meet Asterios Polyp: middle-aged, meagerly successful architect and teacher, aesthete and womanizer, whose life is wholly upended when his New York City apartment goes up in flames. In a tenacious daze, he leaves the city and relocates to a small town in the American heartland. But what is this “escape” really about?
As the story unfolds, moving between the present and the past, we begin to understand this confounding yet fascinating character, and how he’s gotten to where he is. And isn’t. And we meet Hana: a sweet, smart, first-generation Japanese American artist with whom he had made a blissful life. But now she’s gone. Did Asterios do something to drive her away? What has happened to her? Is she even alive? All the questions will be answered, eventually.
In the meantime, we are enthralled by Mazzucchelli’s extraordinarily imagined world of brilliantly conceived eccentrics, sharply observed social mores, and deftly depicted asides on everything from design theory to the nature of human perception.
Asterios Polyp is David Mazzucchelli’s masterpiece: a great American graphic novel.
So again, trust me, you or someone you know is going to love this book. If you aren’t lucky enough to pick up one of those very limited signed editions (and going quickly–sorry to sound like an infomercial, but it’s true), then grab a regular copy. You won’t regret it.
