August 28, 2013

The wonderful Percy Gloom (“slow to courage, quick to nausea”) returns to learn more about his seemingly immortal life and to discover romance with the beatifically rumped Miss Margaret.

Despite being hundreds of years old, Percy Gloom is delightfully naïve. He’s a bit plain looking, too. A little simple-minded, too, but there’s nothing wrong with that. In this second volume, he is coming to terms with his extreme longevity while also falling far Margaret, to whom he’s given not only his heart but also a trinket that was handcrafted by his mother. But when he falls into one of his centuries-long slumbers, he finds himself waking up in a strange new world…one without Margaret.

It’s clear from the beginning that Percy Gloom’s story is a fable, and as such, the joy here is in watching Cathy Malkasian’s gentle, humorous, and heart-filled story unfold with simplicity --- and also with profound truths. Of course, you will come for the beautiful story, but you will probably linger for the gorgeous artwork. Malkasian’s deft touch draws the reader seamlessly from page to page, eyes filled with wondrous sights. You’ll fall in love with Percy Gloom.

© John Hogan/The Graphic Novel Reporter