Carla Speed McNeilRecensioni

Very nice art. Interesting subjects---racism/police violence and non-traditional genders, oh my!---even though none of the characters was likeable or relatable. (Actually, that's not completely true---Lord what's-his-face was interesting, even though he's supposed to be the main antagonist.)

The thing that really charmed me was a liberal sprinkling of what we'd call trans* women, and effeminate butches of indeterminate assigned sex (many with facial hair, OH MY). My heart went pitter-patter. All my favorites were antagonists, though (the deliciously butch personal stylist, the racist/"ditzy" sideburns-sporting real-estate agent on the bus)... HM.

I wish the story had been more comprehensible without having to read the notes in the back, but it's possible that's my fault for jumping into the series at random.

A lot of my general points from the last review are still true here!

Finder Volume 1 Review:

Sometimes the inability to easily synopsize a work is a sign that it's not being clear. But that's not the case here. It feels like Carla Speed McNeil (CSM) is telling exactly the kind of story they want to tell.

Some general notes? It's set in a distant future, where much of history has been forgotten. There's high-tech computers, and there are itinerant traders riding enormous pseudo-dinosaurs, probably part of a kind of genetic manipulation experiment in the past. There are people with animal features; there are lion people. Very little of this is explained, it's simply presented as part of the world... you just accept it and move on.

The title: Finder is a role or group in this world, but we only learn about it obliquely. One of the main characters, Jaeger, is one, but he doesn't talk about it much.

I've heard that this is a work exploring indigineaity, though by setting this in an unexplained future, CSM avoids trying to take any particular tribe's stories inside this narrative, which is probably for the best.

This aspect of the book itself isn't delivered directly, but it is present. There is a kind of quiet wisdom of both the book and it's characters, and this feels drawn from the traditions CSM is connecting to.

CSM is a storyteller focused on the characters and lived-in nature of her world. As strange as it all is, the characters feel so naturally fit within it. The feeling is that the story happens to be observing the moments in the lives of these characters, instead of something deeply orchestrated as part of an overt plot.

Jaeger as a character is a great example. We follow him through much of this volume but I hesitate to call him a 'main character' so much as one we happen to be following... his reluctance to explain himself or his choices helps us lean deeper into the world because we want to know more about how everyone else interacts with him.

I will also note that Jaeger became something of a personal inspiration while reading this. Not fully, because the life he lives is too far beyond where I'm comfortable, but there is a calm and focus this character has, and a sense of living in a very present, mindful experience. As someone who often gets lost in overthinking and being distant, trying to channel a little of that element of his character really helped me.

I haven't even talked about the art... CSM's art is stunning. All rendered in black and white, it is by turns incredibly detailed (with lots of cameos and references buried in the backgrounds) and very simple. The characters are incredibly distinct yet with minimal linework. Part of the setting involves whole clans of people who look alike, and CSM's ability to both represent this WHILE making important characters be instantly recognizable is very impressive, and probably deceptively hard to do.

Much like my note about their skills as a storyteller, the art is such that it tries to avoid getting in the way of the narrative. It's a simple style, elegantly used to create a lot of expression, but never so expressive as to clumsily guide the emotions of the audience; always to help us get deeper into the story and world.

I think making a book like this takes a lot of work: thinking through all the characters, how they fit, the details of the world, etc. and then the artwork, representing all these details and qualities with a detailed craftsman's touch. It's the kind of work of a modelmaker, trying to get every detail perfect, so that it seems it could turn alive when you turn your back. The work is clear, but it doesn't feel overwrought or too much, like they're dragging you through every detail they've thought up. It's that every bit of that effort feels like someone who cares deeply for their world, and your passage through it.

A new favourite and a deeply loved reading experience.

CSM's art dazzles as always. Interesting meditation on how houses and possessions stand in for our relationships and traumas, but I guess the ending was just too neat, even though it hit all the right notes.

One of my new favorite comics. Finder is like a slightly less eccentric Love and Rockets set in a far-future world reminiscent of Halo Jones.

Wonderful characters and clever worldbuilding that leaves a lot to the imagination. And fabulous black and white art!

And yes, I have a crush the size of a planet on Jaeger, who is like Sirius Black's older and badder big brother. OH JAEGER.

I didn't find this volume as compelling as the first, but I still enjoy the series and am looking forward to reading more.

"The Rescuers" was probably my favorite story, while "Mystery Date" had fabulous characters but its episodic publication history meant that it didn't feel like a complete story.

An intergenerational story, revolving around a small mother and son business that runs estate sales. It's a bit melancholy, a bit nostalgic, a bit funny. It's gentle, and maybe not feel-good, but certainly touching in parts. I could have used a bit more drama, a bit more tension. My biggest complaint, though, is that everything seems slightly off - the cartooning isn't as smooth, the dialogue hits the odd duff note. Enjoyable, but I wish it had been just a little bit better.

I'd prefer to give this 3.5 stars, but as we can't...

Weird and delightful story about a young man with a special talent. He keeps an entire virtual world going inside his mind. He's always connected to the network, so people from all over spend time in the huge world he's providing. It kind of takes its toll on him, though...and unpleasant things start happening in the world he thought he controlled completely. Very interesting stuff about creativity, art, how our minds might work. Very well drawn, with the art contributing essential qualities to the story. Possibly the best thing this ingenious and skilled author has created.

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Ok, so, I picked up this book on a whim today. Mostly, if I'm being honest, because I couldn't find a copy of [b:Edward Scissorhands Volume 1: Parts Unknown|24013985|Edward Scissorhands Volume 1 Parts Unknown (Edward Scissorhands, #1)|Kate Leth|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1421010270s/24013985.jpg|43613490] by [a:Kate Leth|7214366|Kate Leth|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1401914563p2/7214366.jpg] but still wanted to pick up a new series, preferably with at least 1 woman on the creative team (because supporting underrepresented creators is important).

That said, I am super glad I picked this up. It is insanely well written and illustrated. The characters feel like real people from page one and there are parts throughout the 4 issues in this collection where I had to just pause to take in everything that was going on both on the page and in my feels.

As with most Image volume 1's this was only $9.99 USD and well worth it.

At the end of the book (which ends on a huge cliffhanger that I was super unimpressed with, let me tell you) there are also 4 essays by [a:Alex de Campi|438084|Alex de Campi|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1289397389p2/438084.jpg] from her past living a somewhat nomadic lifestyle. They are funny and insightful and a great addition to and already stellar book.

Take the worst ideas DC ever had about its iconic women and throw those stories into a book. There are some things to like, especially the heavy emphasis on Diana as peacemaker, but I couldn't get past old Steve Trevor, supervillain Lois, and the multitude of Cheetah stories to truly appreciate it. Some of the artwork is just hideous too.

Well drawn but unrelentingly grim. Sets up an interesting corporate dependence on one man's mind enabling VR escapism. But the interesting philosophy is too buried under darkness to make an impact.

In this direct continuation of Finder: Voices, Rachel Grosvenor takes a drive down White Savior Boulevard as she strives to channel a god of the series' indigenous people. I love the Finder series, but the appropriation vibe signals a big misstep. (Did the Netflix Iron Fist controversy teach us nothing?)

Page by page, I found the story difficult to follow with abrupt transitions and similar looking characters, and I really had to rely on the endnotes to explain outright explain what the author was intending instead of having them be the enhancement of subtleties that they usually are.

Here's hoping future installments right the ship or focus on a different character.

It's been five years since I've read a Finder book, but the second I opened this one I was immediately sucked back into Carla Speed McNeil's fantastically drawn and written world of clan intrigue and aboriginal culture. The most shallow of the Grosvenor sisters, Rachel, takes center stage in a coming of age tale as she competes in a beauty pageant to earn full citizenship in the Llaverac Clan, which places high value on looks, fashion, and gender ambiguity. When a mugging separates her from the ring she needs to prove her qualification to compete, she sets out on a search through the seamier sections of the city for an old family friend, Jaeger, who might be able to track down the ring for her. Hissy fits, adventures, and personal growth ensue.

And after the story, McNeil treats us to an in-depth writer's commentary with over a dozen pages of notes, explaining page by page how people and scenes fit into the tremendous tapestry of world-building that they have done over the years. This is the ninth book in the series, so it is obviously not a great place for new readers to begin, but I highly encourage everyone to seek out the early collections. Most are available in two big Finder Library omnibuses.

Oh Finder, I missed you.

Nice art, interesting concept.
Found it a bit boring and simplistic though. Too many characters to really care for any of them as they weren't developed enough.

Well drawn with an interesting story. The story does not always make sense, sometimes because it is setting the stage for later but also cause it feels like the author goes for feelings rather than coherent plotting.

Just coast through the parts you don't get, enjoy the art and the parts you do get.

Well drawn with an interesting story. The story does not always make sense, sometimes because it is setting the stage for later but also cause it feels like the author goes for feelings rather than coherent plotting.

Just coast through the parts you don't get, enjoy the art and the parts you do get.

I did enjoy this a little more than Volume 1, stronger stories, but the same comments about volume 1 still applies.

More now!

Best story yet in this series, worst art yet.

Wow was the first word I could think to say upon finishing this. Finder isn't so much of a graphic novel as it is an experience. Finder immerses you within Speed's world, and it is not only a world: it is a world with a history, and fully developed cultures that all must interact with one another. It's a world that you get no introduction to, you're simply thrust within it and expected to keep up. I think I suffered culture shock while reading it, it's really THAT complex.

I for one cannot wait to get my hands on the remainder of this series. If an anthropologist ever quit their job and decided to put all of their experience and expertise into a graphic novel, Finder would be the result.

Getting away from Jaeger's story this volume focused greatly on the conflict between the Ascian and Nyima cultures. It delved deeply into the different cultures as well as the classic counting coup that was utterly hilarious to watch fall out. I liked this one better than the Sin-Eater volumes story-wise, though that may just be because I'm getting used to Speed's world now.

Highly recommended, either way. This series has not failed to deliver yet.