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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The world of Neil Gaiman looks pretty normal -- until you see the dark, eerie, bizarre things that swim just under the surface.
So expect nothing less from the primly-titled "The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch," a graphic novel adaptation of Gaiman's short story. Michael Zulli's matter-of-fact artwork serves as a solid complement to Gaiman's eerie story of an ordinary, innocent outing for three friends and one biogeologist -- and the strange disappearance that came from it.
The narrator and his pals Jonathan and Jane are planning to go out for sushi and a circus, but are "lumbered" with a prissy, stuffy acquaintance named Miss Finch. While Miss Finch tortures the others with descriptions of the parasites in sushi, the little group arrives at the circus. But this is no child-friendly funfest -- instead they're taken into an underground labyrinth by a vampiress.
Devils, freaks, monsters and an Alice Cooper ringmaster are all down there, but the four visitors are very unimpressed. Then a strange apelike creature offers to give someone in the audience a wish, and pulls Miss Finch into the darkness. And when the remaining three friends venture into the next room, what they find is not what they expected of Miss Finch...
"The Facts In The Case Of The Departure Of Miss Finch" sounds like a Victorian-era mystery, perhaps something by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in which a spinster is kidnapped or murdered. In the hands of most authors, it wouldn't be much more than that, even if it were a fantasy story. But in the hands of Neil Gaiman, that story becomes something much more.
Instead this story dips down into a darker area, and gives readers a glimpse into a strange world that defies the everyday, where you're not sure what is illusion and what is supernatural. In fact, the Theatre of Night's Dreaming is the real star, as Gaiman devotes plenty of time to showing us the perverse, the weird, and the outright ghastly -- and the climactic encounter with Miss Finch ("which, as I have mentioned, was not her name") is a silent masterpiece of graceful intensity.
With, of course, tongue in cheek, such as the ringmaster's warnings ("... on pain of DOOM, bodily injury, and the loss of your immortal soul! Also I must stress that the use of flash photography or of any recording devices is strictly forbidden"), Miss Finch's ghastly fluke conversation, or the wry observations of the three writers.
Michael Zalli's artwork has graced other Gaiman works, such as "Sandman." So it's not surprising that his slightly faded, striking artwork is an excellent complement to Gaiman's detailed prose. And he's excellent at the subtle stuff, such as the close-ups of Miss Finch's face that show how pretty she is... right before a wide shot that makes her look like a frumpy spinster.
Despite its dull name, "The Facts In The Case Of The Departure Of Miss Finch" is an eerie little nugget brought to colorful life, and it's definitely one of Gaiman's more intriguing short stories.
So expect nothing less from the primly-titled "The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch," a graphic novel adaptation of Gaiman's short story. Michael Zulli's matter-of-fact artwork serves as a solid complement to Gaiman's eerie story of an ordinary, innocent outing for three friends and one biogeologist -- and the strange disappearance that came from it.
The narrator and his pals Jonathan and Jane are planning to go out for sushi and a circus, but are "lumbered" with a prissy, stuffy acquaintance named Miss Finch. While Miss Finch tortures the others with descriptions of the parasites in sushi, the little group arrives at the circus. But this is no child-friendly funfest -- instead they're taken into an underground labyrinth by a vampiress.
Devils, freaks, monsters and an Alice Cooper ringmaster are all down there, but the four visitors are very unimpressed. Then a strange apelike creature offers to give someone in the audience a wish, and pulls Miss Finch into the darkness. And when the remaining three friends venture into the next room, what they find is not what they expected of Miss Finch...
"The Facts In The Case Of The Departure Of Miss Finch" sounds like a Victorian-era mystery, perhaps something by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in which a spinster is kidnapped or murdered. In the hands of most authors, it wouldn't be much more than that, even if it were a fantasy story. But in the hands of Neil Gaiman, that story becomes something much more.
Instead this story dips down into a darker area, and gives readers a glimpse into a strange world that defies the everyday, where you're not sure what is illusion and what is supernatural. In fact, the Theatre of Night's Dreaming is the real star, as Gaiman devotes plenty of time to showing us the perverse, the weird, and the outright ghastly -- and the climactic encounter with Miss Finch ("which, as I have mentioned, was not her name") is a silent masterpiece of graceful intensity.
With, of course, tongue in cheek, such as the ringmaster's warnings ("... on pain of DOOM, bodily injury, and the loss of your immortal soul! Also I must stress that the use of flash photography or of any recording devices is strictly forbidden"), Miss Finch's ghastly fluke conversation, or the wry observations of the three writers.
Michael Zalli's artwork has graced other Gaiman works, such as "Sandman." So it's not surprising that his slightly faded, striking artwork is an excellent complement to Gaiman's detailed prose. And he's excellent at the subtle stuff, such as the close-ups of Miss Finch's face that show how pretty she is... right before a wide shot that makes her look like a frumpy spinster.
Despite its dull name, "The Facts In The Case Of The Departure Of Miss Finch" is an eerie little nugget brought to colorful life, and it's definitely one of Gaiman's more intriguing short stories.
Format:Hardcover
You would expect an artist to paint themselves in a self portrait. You might not expect a writer to place himself in his own comic book. This curious proposition is what Neil Gaiman does; and he brings his friends Jonathan Ross (THE Jonathan Ross) and Jonathan's wife Jane Goldman (THE Jane Goldman). The four of them, including the titular Miss Finch, go out for an evening at the circus.
This is kind of reminiscent of the "strange but true" stories Poe or Lovecraft wrote but the art is so bright and colourful that it never gets that creepy feel - although you may never eat sushi again. You wonder if there are some hidden depths that you have missed and feel yourself asking "is that all there is?" The shock for me wasn't the ending but the fact three celebrities are appearing on the page in front of me.
A lot of writers work hard to evoke suspense or fear in their reader. Neil has a talent for evoking boredom. That is definitely a compliment. For just as the characters are wondering when will it all end so are you. There are some quirks piquing your interest but the pay off just wasn't rewarding enough for me.
If you are a Gaiman super-fan or a completist then pick it up without worry. If this is your first chance to read his work go for the Sandman instead. No thumbs up today sadly!
This is kind of reminiscent of the "strange but true" stories Poe or Lovecraft wrote but the art is so bright and colourful that it never gets that creepy feel - although you may never eat sushi again. You wonder if there are some hidden depths that you have missed and feel yourself asking "is that all there is?" The shock for me wasn't the ending but the fact three celebrities are appearing on the page in front of me.
A lot of writers work hard to evoke suspense or fear in their reader. Neil has a talent for evoking boredom. That is definitely a compliment. For just as the characters are wondering when will it all end so are you. There are some quirks piquing your interest but the pay off just wasn't rewarding enough for me.
If you are a Gaiman super-fan or a completist then pick it up without worry. If this is your first chance to read his work go for the Sandman instead. No thumbs up today sadly!
Format:Hardcover
If you fancy ready a fairly short "in joke" and paying quite a bit of money to do so then this is an excellent book for you. If you don't fancy reading about a drunken nightout in the lives of a TV presenter named Jonathan and his wife Jane an author than perhaps skip this one. Never where was good. give that a whirl.
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