Hey, It's Time To Talk About: The Tale Of One Bad Rat

That which you absorb with your eyes and ears is just as important as that which is spun from the fingers. Therefore, take a moment to pause for a little review:

The Tale Of One Bad Rat by Bryan Talbot

I should say this: Bryan Talbot is an interesting guy, and by that, I mean I know nothing about the man.  Well, I do know one thing, I disliked another one of his books, Alice in Sunderland enough to NOT finish it.  Alice In Sunderland is this weird meta-history thing that weaves the story of Lewis Carroll into the folklore of this part of England, Sunderland.  Anyway, it's a bit of an information overload and schizophrenic in its presentation, but it was my introduction to things Talbot.  So, I didn't know what to expect when reading The Tale Of One Bad Rat.  Turned out I was pleasantly surprised.

This story has focus, it's of a coherent style, and even if a lot of the ground covered in Tale is familiar and kinda-tropey, there's enough interesting ideas woven into to keep you engaged.  I love the whole parable aspect of the graphic novel and how it hearkens to Beatrix Potter stories, even going so far as to bring us through different stages and locations of her life.  The art has a kind of strange, washed-out look that reinforces that Potter/watercolor bond.  One of the best aspects though is the smart characterization.  While our hero, Helen, is a touch flat, the rest of the characters really shine in their brief appearances and the whole thing is brought to a nicely realized climax.  It's a really quick read and bit different from normal graphic novel fare.  I suggest picking it up and giving it a whirl, if only for the rat hallucinations later on in the story.

Grade: 83/100