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Monstros!
Três monstros surgem do mar para invadir a cidade de Santos, em São Paulo. Como em todo bom filme do Godzilla, eles aparecem misteriosamente, sem aviso e com apenas uma ideia — se alimentar da população local. Mas cada cidade tem seu herói para uma situação dessas, e com Santos não poderia ser diferente. O algoz dos monstros, por assim dizer, será o velho Pinô, dono de bar, pescador e famoso contador de histórias. Um sujeito simples, sem muitas surpresas na vida. Ou não.
90 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2012
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391 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
June 18, 2020
should you suddenly develop aphasia, never fear! here is a book you will still be able to enjoy!
this graphic novel consists of three separate stories, blessedly free of pesky words, words, words. the stories fall into that horror-humor category, and duarte's artwork is fun, vibrant, and dynamic - he really manages to capture movement well in these static images, and i can see these translating very easily into excellent animated shorts.
the first story is called có!, and was my least-favorite of the three, so probably not the best introduction to his work, or to this collection, for me. i just thought it was a little confusing at times, which is probably just my being accustomed to words being the storytelling engine, and occasionally i would have to stop, go back, and reorient myself to figure out what was going on. dummy.
it's your basic alien-invasion and transmogrification story, by someone who draws both pigs and chickens very well.
the second story is called birds, and is the only title that doesn't get to be exclamatory. this one is about two office-working birds who try to evade fate and capital-d death, when they start encountering their own corpses littering up the office one morning. awkward!
this story made me laugh, and not just because i know the truth about how eeeevil birds are. it had a sort of mad-magazine feel to it, beyond the easy-reference spy vs spy bird association. but - yeah - i am always gratified to see birds get what's coming to them.
the final story is called monsters!
it is about… monsters!! monsters who start rampaging through a city, and the one brave man who will battle them all. these are definitely my favorite of his illustrations.
that man sure can draw a chubby-cute tentacle…
and i didn't realize this when i was reading this book last week, but duarte is also the illustrator for marvel's 100th anniversary special #1 Guardians of the Galaxy issue, so he is a very timely name, and draws a damn cute raccoon:
come to my blog!
this graphic novel consists of three separate stories, blessedly free of pesky words, words, words. the stories fall into that horror-humor category, and duarte's artwork is fun, vibrant, and dynamic - he really manages to capture movement well in these static images, and i can see these translating very easily into excellent animated shorts.
the first story is called có!, and was my least-favorite of the three, so probably not the best introduction to his work, or to this collection, for me. i just thought it was a little confusing at times, which is probably just my being accustomed to words being the storytelling engine, and occasionally i would have to stop, go back, and reorient myself to figure out what was going on. dummy.
it's your basic alien-invasion and transmogrification story, by someone who draws both pigs and chickens very well.
the second story is called birds, and is the only title that doesn't get to be exclamatory. this one is about two office-working birds who try to evade fate and capital-d death, when they start encountering their own corpses littering up the office one morning. awkward!
this story made me laugh, and not just because i know the truth about how eeeevil birds are. it had a sort of mad-magazine feel to it, beyond the easy-reference spy vs spy bird association. but - yeah - i am always gratified to see birds get what's coming to them.
the final story is called monsters!
it is about… monsters!! monsters who start rampaging through a city, and the one brave man who will battle them all. these are definitely my favorite of his illustrations.
that man sure can draw a chubby-cute tentacle…
and i didn't realize this when i was reading this book last week, but duarte is also the illustrator for marvel's 100th anniversary special #1 Guardians of the Galaxy issue, so he is a very timely name, and draws a damn cute raccoon:
come to my blog!
May 22, 2014
With Godzilla currently tearing up movie theatres around the world, what better time than now to read a book of monster comics? I say “read” but Gustavo Duarte’s collection of three stories are actually silent (that is, wordless) so you’re really watching more than reading.
Duarte’s Monsters is an excellent book of three masterful comics. The first story features a pig farmer who has a strange encounter with an alien one night before he sips his vodka; the second stars some birds working in an office who’re slowly being picked off, one by one, by an unseen killer – and Death is literally lurking outside the office walls; and the third and final piece is the title story where a Getafix the Druid-lookalike bartender saves the world from hordes of marauding giant monsters with his own magic potion.
Duarte’s stories sound dramatic – and they are – but they also have a strong sense of humour to them too. The pig farmer’s transformation after his bizarre alien encounter is just the beginning of his surreal and funny journey, while the bird office workers’ story is given a brilliant twist in the final panel. And I loved the chipper fisherman character in the Monsters story who inadvertently saves the world.
The art is gorgeous - very cartoony and exaggerated but a keen understanding of how bodies move, whether they’re human or human-ish animals or fictional monsters. The lines are very confident and clear, while the perspectives are always just right - you see what you need to see, when you need to see it, before moving onto the next panel where you see a bit more of the story, and so on.
The stories are really well-paced and superbly told. You don’t read a single word throughout but you know exactly what they’re about and you even notice subtext to them - the second story in particular could be interpreted many different ways, especially with that final panel. And the Monsters story really delivers on the title - you get lots of great b-movie monster action from lots of different monsters tearing up a coastal city.
I’ve read plenty of silent comics and they’re always absolutely brilliant. I think this is because, due to the lack of writing, the artist has to make sure the reader understands everything that’s happening on the page through the pictures so extra care is taken to make sure everything flows perfectly and precisely – not a single panel is wasted. Because it takes a more accomplished artist to pull off a successful silent comic, the few that get published tend to be of a much higher quality than your average comic with words.
So why aren’t there more? Probably because they’re a minor genre within comics which is itself a minor genre of literature, and because they can be read relatively quickly and so don’t sell as much as most people don’t think they’re getting value for money over comics with words, and yet they cost the same to produce so they cost the same to buy – all understandable, if a shame.
Do check out Gustavo Duarte’s Monsters & Other Stories, whether you buy it or borrow it, it’s a truly delightful comic that’s both entertaining and artistic in equal measure.
Duarte’s Monsters is an excellent book of three masterful comics. The first story features a pig farmer who has a strange encounter with an alien one night before he sips his vodka; the second stars some birds working in an office who’re slowly being picked off, one by one, by an unseen killer – and Death is literally lurking outside the office walls; and the third and final piece is the title story where a Getafix the Druid-lookalike bartender saves the world from hordes of marauding giant monsters with his own magic potion.
Duarte’s stories sound dramatic – and they are – but they also have a strong sense of humour to them too. The pig farmer’s transformation after his bizarre alien encounter is just the beginning of his surreal and funny journey, while the bird office workers’ story is given a brilliant twist in the final panel. And I loved the chipper fisherman character in the Monsters story who inadvertently saves the world.
The art is gorgeous - very cartoony and exaggerated but a keen understanding of how bodies move, whether they’re human or human-ish animals or fictional monsters. The lines are very confident and clear, while the perspectives are always just right - you see what you need to see, when you need to see it, before moving onto the next panel where you see a bit more of the story, and so on.
The stories are really well-paced and superbly told. You don’t read a single word throughout but you know exactly what they’re about and you even notice subtext to them - the second story in particular could be interpreted many different ways, especially with that final panel. And the Monsters story really delivers on the title - you get lots of great b-movie monster action from lots of different monsters tearing up a coastal city.
I’ve read plenty of silent comics and they’re always absolutely brilliant. I think this is because, due to the lack of writing, the artist has to make sure the reader understands everything that’s happening on the page through the pictures so extra care is taken to make sure everything flows perfectly and precisely – not a single panel is wasted. Because it takes a more accomplished artist to pull off a successful silent comic, the few that get published tend to be of a much higher quality than your average comic with words.
So why aren’t there more? Probably because they’re a minor genre within comics which is itself a minor genre of literature, and because they can be read relatively quickly and so don’t sell as much as most people don’t think they’re getting value for money over comics with words, and yet they cost the same to produce so they cost the same to buy – all understandable, if a shame.
Do check out Gustavo Duarte’s Monsters & Other Stories, whether you buy it or borrow it, it’s a truly delightful comic that’s both entertaining and artistic in equal measure.
January 29, 2020
No words, all drawings, all great!
May 30, 2021
The art is beautifully done, and the stories are very fun and clever. However, I don't think I will be revisiting this work any time soon - and whatever the reason is for that is the reason I'm only giving it 3 stars. I think its due to the lack of lively characters, the characters just seem like tools in the story, as opposed to living creatures with their own wills.
I'd recommend reading this, but I couldn't justify recommending you spend much money on it.
I'd recommend reading this, but I couldn't justify recommending you spend much money on it.
July 1, 2015
3 stories with horror, fantasy, humor, and maybe more cartoony humor than horror, though there is a streak of darkness running through them. Beautifully drawn, black and white and teal? and clean lines, lots of space and play in it. Wordless, which I loved.
June 1, 2021
Nádherne nakreslený bezslovný komiks obsahujúci tri zábavné, milé a hororové príbehy. Výber troch farieb (čierna, biela, tyrkysová) sa neskutočne k ilustráciám hodil a verím, že si túto vec prelistujem vo svojom živote viackrát :) jednoznačných 5/5
February 11, 2022
Playful short stories, with pinch of humour and horror, told in beautiful cartoonish style. Gustavo plays with paneling, different perspectives and with simple style and color palette manages to tell the story without the words. Brilliant!
April 13, 2014
Dark, surreal, and elegant this 152-page collection stokes only one complaint: It's too short! There are only three stories and all are told in pantomime. So the reading really flies by. Still the pieces ripple with Duarte's distinctive style. I could pout over the fact that these tails are told at a remove. We don't get to know his characters very well (except perhaps the amazingly canny codger in the finale), but that's not the point. Duarte's work is fun and entertaining. The fact that I want more--much more--is a credit to his talent.
December 23, 2017
Amei demaaaaais ❤️
June 10, 2021
Kniha Monsters! and Other Stories (Monster! Und andere Geschichten) obsahuje tři příběhy. Všechny se dají popsat jako hororové grotesky. Napsat vám o nich něco víc by znamenalo zkazit vám moment překvapení, kdy zjistíte, jakým směrem se každý z příběhů bude ubírat. Všechny tři příběhy jsou vlastně hrozně krátké a celou knihu jsem měl přečtenou dříve, než by se mi líbilo. A není to jenom tím, že ty příběhy jsou vtipné a zábavné, ale také proto, že na Duartovu kresbu se hrozně dobře dívá.
Gustavo Duarte použil ke kresbě této knihy jen dvě barvy - černou a modrou. Bílá je samo sebou už na papíru. Duartův styl kresby je někde mezi karikaturou a animací. Nepoužívá žádné šrafování a k vybarvování některých částí používá modrou barvu. Jeho kresba může vypadat na první pohled jednoduše, ale Duarte je dobře vykreslený a navíc tam při pozornějším pohledu najdete spoustu zajímavých a vtipných detailů. Duarte perfektně rozkresluje děj do panelů a čtení je tak krásně plynulé. Co se týká práce s panely, tak tam nečekejte žádnou divočinu, protože Duarte si vystačí jen s obdélníkovými panely. Nepoužívá ani žádné vkládání menších panelů do větších. Vyprávění mu skvěle funguje i bez toho.
Gustavo Duarte použil ke kresbě této knihy jen dvě barvy - černou a modrou. Bílá je samo sebou už na papíru. Duartův styl kresby je někde mezi karikaturou a animací. Nepoužívá žádné šrafování a k vybarvování některých částí používá modrou barvu. Jeho kresba může vypadat na první pohled jednoduše, ale Duarte je dobře vykreslený a navíc tam při pozornějším pohledu najdete spoustu zajímavých a vtipných detailů. Duarte perfektně rozkresluje děj do panelů a čtení je tak krásně plynulé. Co se týká práce s panely, tak tam nečekejte žádnou divočinu, protože Duarte si vystačí jen s obdélníkovými panely. Nepoužívá ani žádné vkládání menších panelů do větších. Vyprávění mu skvěle funguje i bez toho.
March 12, 2022
Bem gostosinha e se passa em Santos! LEgal de prestar atenção aos easter eggs.
December 25, 2022
The drawing was ok. There are no words. The stories aren`t so deep or unforgettable.
September 10, 2022
Divertido, lindo, mas muito rápido, queria mais!
February 22, 2014
This book presents three wordless stories of beasts and anthropomorphic animals. The art is great, very rounded and pleasant, almost bubble-like. However, I generally have a hard time with wordless work and this is no exception, it becomes a bit difficult for me to follow when I don't have anything framing it. Story 1, Co!, features a farmer abducted by aliens and was the weakest of the bunch for me. It actually stopped me from continuing to read the rest for a few months! I'm glad I restarted, though because the following two stories were more quickly paced and more enjoyable. Story 2, Birds, detailed two office worker birds trying to escape fate. Last, the title story, Monsters, featured giant monsters attacking a city.
This is a fun comic with a great style. Despite the lag of the first story (for me, maybe I just wasn't in the right mood to read it!), I had fun reading this. I found it whimsical and light0hearted despite also being darkly comic. It reminded me of another recent read that also involved monsters, Monster on the Hill, although that title was more kid-oriented. I'd pick up further comics by Duarte in the future. He's Brazilian and apparently there are some artists with great style and story-telling abilities coming out of there (I'm thinking of Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon, for example).
I'd recommend this title for adults all the way down to middle schoolers. There are a few scenes of deaths, but it's kind of played for laughs.
I received a digital galley of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a fun comic with a great style. Despite the lag of the first story (for me, maybe I just wasn't in the right mood to read it!), I had fun reading this. I found it whimsical and light0hearted despite also being darkly comic. It reminded me of another recent read that also involved monsters, Monster on the Hill, although that title was more kid-oriented. I'd pick up further comics by Duarte in the future. He's Brazilian and apparently there are some artists with great style and story-telling abilities coming out of there (I'm thinking of Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon, for example).
I'd recommend this title for adults all the way down to middle schoolers. There are a few scenes of deaths, but it's kind of played for laughs.
I received a digital galley of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 3, 2015
Story one is hilarous. I love alien encounters and weird unexpected humour.
The second one was not really my thing. It lacked subtlety.
The third was funny again. Especially for those who love movies like pacific rim and Godzilla for the fun factor of unrealistic big monsters walking through cities breaking havoc. Also the third story made me look for the author if there was any continuation stories with the character of the old man.
I never really read a book without any text at all before but this one really worked. Thr fact that you had to really look at each picture to get the story made reading this book a calm experience. I had to force myself to calm down and not to plow through book after book.
Also suitable for children if you have slightly morbid inclined ones because all nastiness is brough in a light aand funny way.
The second one was not really my thing. It lacked subtlety.
The third was funny again. Especially for those who love movies like pacific rim and Godzilla for the fun factor of unrealistic big monsters walking through cities breaking havoc. Also the third story made me look for the author if there was any continuation stories with the character of the old man.
I never really read a book without any text at all before but this one really worked. Thr fact that you had to really look at each picture to get the story made reading this book a calm experience. I had to force myself to calm down and not to plow through book after book.
Also suitable for children if you have slightly morbid inclined ones because all nastiness is brough in a light aand funny way.
January 22, 2014
*I received an advance digital copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
I don't have much background with this kind of book, i don't know if it was written for children or not but I thought it was pretty cute.
I liked how the story made perfect sense (more or less) without any narration or dialogue.
This volume contains three stories: Monsters, Birds and Co!
Monsters was my favorite. Birds was the funniest/
Overall, I liked it.
I don't have much background with this kind of book, i don't know if it was written for children or not but I thought it was pretty cute.
I liked how the story made perfect sense (more or less) without any narration or dialogue.
This volume contains three stories: Monsters, Birds and Co!
Monsters was my favorite. Birds was the funniest/
Overall, I liked it.
February 27, 2016
Loved the art! Loved the use of that aqua blue.
The third story (Monsters!) was so satisfying. I thought that the "speech" bubbles being in the shape of the monsters was clever. As well as the ending of him 'telling' it as a fishing tale (at least that's how I interpreted it).
I liked the first tale 'Có' but it kind of fizzled in the middle for me. As for the middle story, I felt its depictions were a bit much at times and started to 'skim'.
The third story (Monsters!) was so satisfying. I thought that the "speech" bubbles being in the shape of the monsters was clever. As well as the ending of him 'telling' it as a fishing tale (at least that's how I interpreted it).
I liked the first tale 'Có' but it kind of fizzled in the middle for me. As for the middle story, I felt its depictions were a bit much at times and started to 'skim'.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2014
This story was broken down into three shorts. Co, Birds & Monsters. This was just pictures that told a story. It was a little gory at times, but the art work was beautiful and simple, which I like. I recommend this to anyone that enjoys graphic novels. I love graphic novels so this was right up my alley.
August 12, 2016
This is gorgeously drawn and so much fun. The title story is by far my favorite, but they're all delightful -- and while it might seem like this would be a quick read due to its wordlessness, its details very much reward sustained, careful attention.
January 3, 2014
Recensione su: http://wp.me/p3X6aw-dJ
Review at: http://wp.me/p3X6aw-dJ
Review at: http://wp.me/p3X6aw-dJ
May 30, 2014
Oh my the art in this is just amazing.
July 11, 2015
Loved the art, especially the design-y monsters in the last story. That one was my favorite overall, with a fun simple plot. I liked the other two, ut didn't really get them.
July 5, 2016
[this is a wordless review for a wordless graphic novel. I'm getting so art school these days]
February 13, 2018
An absolute delight. Gorgeous drawings, perfect sense of humour, not I want to read all the other works from this author!
August 31, 2018
A Brazilian wordless comic. Lovely, fluid cartooning, classic characters.
March 25, 2019
Ilustrações únicas e um timing perfeito.
Gustavo Duarte é envolvente e genial em sua despretenção.
Gustavo Duarte é envolvente e genial em sua despretenção.
January 22, 2014
I happen to be one of the most enthusiastic movie fans on the planet Earth today. Seriously, I think I’ve found something worthwhile in just about everything I’ve seen, but the one area of storytelling I’ve always struggled with is the silent film. It isn’t that I have no respect for these pictures because I have plenty; in fact, I can’t even begin to imagine how those storytellers of old managed to convey so much plot, character, and emotion without the use of dialogue. Sure, they could make creative use of those type-placards, as well as some exercise some control over mood through the choice of musical accompaniment, but to my untrained eyes and ears it all seemed so elusive, so nebulous, that I figure it just wasn’t for me.
Then – about a decade ago – I saw Fritz Lang’s groundbreaking METROPOLIS for the very first time, and I suffered a massive paradigm shift. I was downright gob-smacked by the film’s composition of elements. I was utterly taken about at the complexity of ideas contained in the tale. I was dazzled by the use of light and shadows and set construction. I had never seen anything like it, and I honestly figured I never would again, I’d never find something filled with the magic and mystery and mayhem without the use of words capable of stirring that muse deep inside my generally critical soul.
Earlier this morning, Gustavo Duarte served me up another epiphany.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the kind of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last three paragraphs for my final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
Despite the inclusion of my usual disclaimer above, I’m not going to spoil anything here. I’ll be happy to give the usual plot synopses – the first story involves a man undergoing perhaps the same kind of epiphany I have today, but his is perhaps a bit darker, involving light and darkness and aliens and UFOs and (dare I say) chickens (!!!); the second serves up lighter fare (though no less inspired) about two birds who arguably have the worst day they could ‘at the office’; and the third (my personal favorite) is a kind of ‘fish story’ about the big one that didn’t get away. It’s brilliant on so many levels that I’d almost encourage you to start reading the book from there … but why spoil it? Better yet: save the best for last, as this collection has cleverly done.
Like Lang did for me in his look ahead into a brave new world, Duarte shows us our very own with these fables about foibles, and all of it is accomplished without the use of a single word. Granted, there is dialogue of a sorts between these characters, but it’s a cleverly nuanced use of pictures that the artist uses to convey an idea, not a specific set of nouns or verbs and adjectives. The reader easily ‘gets the gist,’ and he’s free to fill in the blanks all on his own. And isn’t that a startling use of freedom injected into the piece? Do you know that many accomplished storytellers who’d allow his (or her) audience to make it up as they go? Duarte is giving you the benefit of the doubt, allowing you to be as smart as he is in the act of ‘experiencing’ the plot as it unfolds, and I thought that was unquestionable genius here.
Stylistically, his renderings of these people, its things, and these concepts are as wackily obtuse as the themes he’s explored, so all of this meshes together in a way that I found it hard to distinguish what I thought from what Duarte possibly wanted me to take away from ‘reading’ his story. Everything is just one degree away from satire – one iota removed from the bizarre – only further serving to highlight why the man and his work within these covers is definitely intended to be something a bit more personal, a bit more involved than the next trade paperback. It’s a bit of what I’d called “shared lunacy,” and it definitely deserves a space in your stack of reading this month.
Bravo, Gustavo! Bravo from this 40+ year veteran of comic book reading! You’ve shown me something new, and, for that, I give you this humble ovation.
MONSTERS AND OTHER STORIES is published by Dark Horse Comics. The stories within (three of them) were conceived and drawn by Gustavo Duarte. It all comes with the cover price of $12.99 (USA), and that’s definitely money well spent so far as this critic is concerned.
HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION POSSIBLE. I’m ashamed to say that I’ve been reading comics since the early 1970’s but I’ve yet to see anything filled with as much wonder, excitement, and old-fashioned magical storytelling (without words) like MONSTERS AND OTHER STORIES. Granted, the lack of the spoken word and/or the loss of those sometimes pesky thought bubbles directing the reader where to go, what to think, or how to conceive of it all might prove a bit disheartening at first; still, as the work goes on, Gustavo Duarte’s unique vision wins you over. If you’re like me, you’ll be saddened to reach the end, knowing that these fanciful little journeys are all over … just when you were really getting caught up in the spell … but maybe, if we’re lucky, they’ll be another collection real soon. Isn’t that how you know you read something ground-breaking?
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Dark Horse Comics provided me with an advance digital reading copy of MONSTERS AND OTHER STORIES by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review.
Then – about a decade ago – I saw Fritz Lang’s groundbreaking METROPOLIS for the very first time, and I suffered a massive paradigm shift. I was downright gob-smacked by the film’s composition of elements. I was utterly taken about at the complexity of ideas contained in the tale. I was dazzled by the use of light and shadows and set construction. I had never seen anything like it, and I honestly figured I never would again, I’d never find something filled with the magic and mystery and mayhem without the use of words capable of stirring that muse deep inside my generally critical soul.
Earlier this morning, Gustavo Duarte served me up another epiphany.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the kind of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last three paragraphs for my final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
Despite the inclusion of my usual disclaimer above, I’m not going to spoil anything here. I’ll be happy to give the usual plot synopses – the first story involves a man undergoing perhaps the same kind of epiphany I have today, but his is perhaps a bit darker, involving light and darkness and aliens and UFOs and (dare I say) chickens (!!!); the second serves up lighter fare (though no less inspired) about two birds who arguably have the worst day they could ‘at the office’; and the third (my personal favorite) is a kind of ‘fish story’ about the big one that didn’t get away. It’s brilliant on so many levels that I’d almost encourage you to start reading the book from there … but why spoil it? Better yet: save the best for last, as this collection has cleverly done.
Like Lang did for me in his look ahead into a brave new world, Duarte shows us our very own with these fables about foibles, and all of it is accomplished without the use of a single word. Granted, there is dialogue of a sorts between these characters, but it’s a cleverly nuanced use of pictures that the artist uses to convey an idea, not a specific set of nouns or verbs and adjectives. The reader easily ‘gets the gist,’ and he’s free to fill in the blanks all on his own. And isn’t that a startling use of freedom injected into the piece? Do you know that many accomplished storytellers who’d allow his (or her) audience to make it up as they go? Duarte is giving you the benefit of the doubt, allowing you to be as smart as he is in the act of ‘experiencing’ the plot as it unfolds, and I thought that was unquestionable genius here.
Stylistically, his renderings of these people, its things, and these concepts are as wackily obtuse as the themes he’s explored, so all of this meshes together in a way that I found it hard to distinguish what I thought from what Duarte possibly wanted me to take away from ‘reading’ his story. Everything is just one degree away from satire – one iota removed from the bizarre – only further serving to highlight why the man and his work within these covers is definitely intended to be something a bit more personal, a bit more involved than the next trade paperback. It’s a bit of what I’d called “shared lunacy,” and it definitely deserves a space in your stack of reading this month.
Bravo, Gustavo! Bravo from this 40+ year veteran of comic book reading! You’ve shown me something new, and, for that, I give you this humble ovation.
MONSTERS AND OTHER STORIES is published by Dark Horse Comics. The stories within (three of them) were conceived and drawn by Gustavo Duarte. It all comes with the cover price of $12.99 (USA), and that’s definitely money well spent so far as this critic is concerned.
HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION POSSIBLE. I’m ashamed to say that I’ve been reading comics since the early 1970’s but I’ve yet to see anything filled with as much wonder, excitement, and old-fashioned magical storytelling (without words) like MONSTERS AND OTHER STORIES. Granted, the lack of the spoken word and/or the loss of those sometimes pesky thought bubbles directing the reader where to go, what to think, or how to conceive of it all might prove a bit disheartening at first; still, as the work goes on, Gustavo Duarte’s unique vision wins you over. If you’re like me, you’ll be saddened to reach the end, knowing that these fanciful little journeys are all over … just when you were really getting caught up in the spell … but maybe, if we’re lucky, they’ll be another collection real soon. Isn’t that how you know you read something ground-breaking?
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Dark Horse Comics provided me with an advance digital reading copy of MONSTERS AND OTHER STORIES by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review.
September 4, 2018
I adored this book. The artwork is fantastic, deceptively simple yet complex. I love how the stories are told without any words and yet come together so vividly. While the artist is Brazilian there is no language or translation barrier to cross, the stories are told entirely within the drawings. There is a fantastically sick sense of humor in the stories and I love the characters and personalities that come across. A fantastic buy and one that will surely please anyone of any age.
April 19, 2021
¡Cómo dibuja Gustavo Duarte!
Eso es lo que el 99% de la gente que agarre este libro va a pensar apenas lo abra.
-Liniers en el prólogo de Monstruos! y otras historias
Liniers coincido con vos. Abrir este libro y encontrarme con una novela gráfica muda me dio el indicio de que la historia se iba a contar totalmente con las imágenes. Podía salir muy mal y que no entendiera nada, o podía salir muy bien y fue fascinante. Por suerte, pasó lo segundo.
Eso es lo que el 99% de la gente que agarre este libro va a pensar apenas lo abra.
-Liniers en el prólogo de Monstruos! y otras historias
Liniers coincido con vos. Abrir este libro y encontrarme con una novela gráfica muda me dio el indicio de que la historia se iba a contar totalmente con las imágenes. Podía salir muy mal y que no entendiera nada, o podía salir muy bien y fue fascinante. Por suerte, pasó lo segundo.
December 7, 2018
Ilustração charmosa e bandeirinhas do Bauru futebol clube por todos os lados. Divertido e leve, rolou até uma homenagem ao Spectreman. Quadrinho "mudo" com balões textuais lindamente ilustrados e resolvidos. Gustavo Duarte fez bonito.
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