Zuda Review: Antique Books

Antique Books by Scott Boyce

What's to Like:
Antique Books is an artistically pleasing comic that is technically sound in all aspects. I really enjoyed the line art and layouts. It's a very easy read and makes maximum use of the unique Zuda format. Even the lettering is remarkable. Here is a comic artist who understands composition and uses it to ultimate effect. And, hey, I love owls, and there were some pretty cool ones on that shelf. What can I say?

This work features expert use of both visual and textual storytelling aspects to establish the main character with her conflicts in her setting and even illustrates a couple of her ancillary relationships. And it's all done within the organic flow of events in these eight screens. Impressive balance of exposition and immersion - great work!

What it Lacks:
All that praise handed out, and I'm still forced to mention ... this is a comic that is essentially about boredom. Seriously. Boredom is the recurrent theme for the main character, and it quickly becomes an affliction for the story itself. Although I love the way this comic looks and reads, I found myself not caring at all if I ever read another screen to learn what might happen. That's not to say I wouldn't love to see other work by the same creator. The themes and plot of Antique Books just did not capture my interest.

My Zuda Rating:
3 Stars. High praise for the skills it took to create Antique Books, but I would love to see them applied to a more interesting story.

My Vote?
No way. The talent emanating from this work is for real, but I would never browse to Zuda just to read it. That's not a slight. Simply the truth.