by W. Maxwell Prince
Image
Comics, 2016. 96 pages. Graphic Novels
Told from the
perspective of a solitary Librarian, a man both custodian and prisoner of the
endless Library that contains every word ever written, One Week in the Library tells a story of books rebelling and a
universe falling apart, one week at a time. One
Week begins as mildly philosophical and ends in the metaphysical; the final
day culminates in an interview between the Librarian and the author, Maxwell
Prince. Though the musings of the Librarian and the stories he parses are often
dismal, the story itself and his reactions are a droll commentary on the
stories we tell.
The artwork by Amor and Layno is
beautiful. When the Librarian enters a story, there are both subtle and drastic
variations to the illustration styles, primarily dictated by how foreign the
current story feels to the Librarian. A section of the plot where the Librarian
enters our world combines a drab, uncolored style with interjections of color
and absurdities that expertly depict his distress. One Week is a fantastic comic for new adult readers. Fans of the
genre will also enjoy it, provided they are comfortable with a philosophical
based work. Strong language and a brief vignette about depression and suicide
make One Week hard to read at times,
but the story is enjoyable and thought provoking.
JMS
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