The Acme Novelty Library #1 by Chris Ware

The Acme Novelty Library #1 Reviews

• 
  Kevin T Johns

  Chris Ware's masterpiece of despair.
• 
  Evelyn

  This was a fascinating graphic novel.
• 
  Gijs Grob

  One of Chris Ware's first comics, in which he introduces Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth, as well as the meek cowboy Big Tex and one of Ware's anonymous depressed robots. The book mostly deals with the adult version of Jimmy Corrigan, an awkward and shy man, who is unable to make social contact, and who consequently is incredibly lonely and depressed. Nevertheless, the character is not really established, yet, and there are several scenes showing a sadistic side, lost in later volumes.
  
  The comics starring the younger version are more whimsical, and add a dose of fantasy. The one page starring Big Tex shows the naive and weak cowboy being bullied by his sadistic father. Consequently, there's little to laugh at in this volume, which is full of painful and embarrassing situations.
  
  Ware's artwork is a unique blend of ligne claire and early 20th century comics style, and very beautiful. No wonder that with this small book Chris Ware immediately rocketed to the pantheon of great comic artists.
• 
  Daniel

  I read
  Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth a number of years ago and remember really enjoying it. This issue of Acme Novelty Library apparently lent a couple pages to that book, but I don't remember it in detail enough to comment further. I can say that I appreciate Ware's dark humor which is evident in ANL #1, though the art is not as polished as his recent work.
• 
  Ostrava

  The leftovers from Jimmy Corrigan are somehow still some of the best writing I've seen in a comic book, that's how good it is.
  
  Only, these are not leftovers, they are... a collection of sketches with the eponymous character from before Chris Ware decided to tell his magnus opus, which I believe was published in this collection, but later on. For now, only some of the pages of the ending here appear in Jimmy Corrigan.
  
  It's brilliant, but leaning a bit more on the abstract for the most part.
• 
  Yayobest100

  It's a pretty book
• 
  Jared

  This is easily one of the best single issue comics I've ever read. It's the start of the Jimmy Corrigan story, but there's a lot more in here than what made it through to the graphic novel. The print changes page to page, so much experimentation and deep storytelling.
  
  Recommended to everyone. Even if you've read or own Jimmy Corrigan the graphic novel this is worth seeking out also.
• 
  Rick Ray

  Rich in design, composition, humor and irony, Chris Ware's Acme Novelty Library has it all. Though the Fleischer brothers and comic strip influences are pretty apparent, Ware's sensibilities are utterly unique and revolutionary. Collected in this first issue are some proto-Jimmy Corrigan stories that didn't make the collected edition but are nonetheless highly entertaining. The Jimmy Corrigan stories are steeped in dark humor and irony, but they often evoke a sense of melancholy to them. Also found in this first issue is a story about a gentile cowboy named "Big Tex" and a deeply depressed robot.
  
  Ware's cartooning is profound and refined. The panels are crammed with intricate details delivered in an aesthetic ligne claire style, and the use of muted but nicely contrasted colors create some truly enthralling pages. The fact that Ware can churn out two pages of such dense artwork a day is pretty astounding, and perhaps why his large body of work has rocketed his status to one of the great living cartoonists today.
• 
  Jim Erekson

  This was a fascinating graphic novel.
• 
  Michael Brown

  One of my absolute favorites.
• 
  Asher Humm

  good book. longer than expected read