"The Vinyl Underground (Watching The Detectives)" -S. Spencer, S. Gane, C. Stewart

Posted: Thursday 27 June 2013 by Unknown in Labels: , , , , , ,
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PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS REVIEW IS ABOUT A GRAPHIC NOVEL.

 Sorry, just needed to be super clear to avoid confusion. And before you start with all the "comics books aren't really books, they don't take as long to read" garbage, don't. Speaking as someone who focuses on the relationship between text and image, graphic novels are just as rich in content as a novel. In a way, it's possible to spend far more time reading a graphic novel due to having to take in all the illustrations (line work, shading, colour), working out how the artist/s has decided to present the text (horizontally, vertically, a mix of both), etc. And then there's the storyline itself.

 And now for the review.

 Personally, I love works of fiction that are set in cities, especially cities that I am familiar with. "The Vinyl Underground" is set in London, the city I call home, but I'd honestly recommend it to anyone, regardless of your roots. 
The illustrations are fairly simplistic, mostly using plain colour background to make the image stand out. If you're someone who doesn't enjoy crowded pages, I'd say this one is good for you; the images are pretty clearly segregated for the majority. 

 The story itself focuses on a trio of young crime-fighting hot-heads who enjoy being arrogant enough to leave clues behind for the police. The main character is a "D-List" celebrity who (as is always the case) is conflicted and angsty about his past. 

 The main themes of the story are;
>Dark African magic
>Violence
>Sex
>Betrayal
>Death

 It's an interesting mix of characters, but don't expect to see any women who are not stereotypically attractive, the target audience seems to be men with no perception of how a human body works from a biological point of view (for example, I fear the majority of these women's spines would break due to their overbearing bosoms and childlike waists).

 Definitely well worth a read, although here are some trigger warnings; parental death, abortion, possible sexual assault, severe brutal violence.

 Until next time,
Emerald Elizabeth. 

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