Week 11: Asterios Polyp

David Mazzucchelli's Asterios Polyp is probably the most visually interesting comic I've read in this class.  The art style has a very unique relationship with the narrative, as it fluctuates with the tone of any given scene. One of my favorite examples of this is when the drawings of the protagonist, Asterios and his wife, Hana begin to differ as the couple grows farther apart, unable to see things from the other's perspectives. The styles themselves clearly reflect the personalities of these characters too. Asterios is precise, practical, and confident, which is translated through the sharp, straight blue lines he is portrayed with. Hana is carefree and compassionate, so sketch-like pink marks suit her well. Any chapter that features a disagreement between them will begin with one unified look, and slowly transition into the two styles to convey how disconnected they are.

Another element I really enjoyed was the use of unique dialog fonts and speech bubble shapes for different characters. Like the art styles, these also serve as reflections of the characters personalities. For example, the ethereal Ursula Major uses whimsical lettering and fun, fancy speech bubbles in contrast to her husband's much simpler font surrounded by wavy, less structured shapes. 

However, even without these interesting artistic decisions, I know I would still enjoy this comic for the story. There is enough plot to fully flesh out a large cast, and I found myself very found of most of them by the end. My favorite was of course Hana, and I particularly enjoy a long sequence that illustrated all the elements of her daily life. It helped her to seem more real in my eyes. I could see myself buying a physical copy of Asterios Polyp, if only to have on hand if I ever want to sit down and enjoy the story all over again.