At first I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy this comic book. The art is not the usual style I enjoy and existential crabs seemed like it may not be an interesting read for me. I was, however, pleasantly surprised. The tone was humorous and sarcastic, which I enjoy and the story was actually pretty interesting. It was enough for me to want to read the next one.

'March of the Crabs (The Crabby Condition)' by Arthur de Pins is a graphic novel based on an animated feature by the same author. It's an odd tale and I enjoyed it.

The story centers around the square crab, who can only walk in a straight line. There lives can cross another crabs as long as that crab is moving in a line that crosses theirs. If they are lucky enough, they find a mate. If they are unlucky, the get stuck between two rocks and spend their lives moving back and forth a few feet at t a time.

There are also humans in this story who capture the crabs in buckets and on film, but the crabs aren't as helpless as they seem.

The original story has been translated into English, and the art looks like it's been adapted from an animated feature, but that's ok. The story works on a few levels. The humor might be a bit risque for younger readers, but there is a pretty good story here as well as some food for thought about the lines our own lives cross.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Archaia, Boom! Studios, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

This was both a funny, but also thought-provoking graphic novel. Just loved the scene where two crabs are playing 'I walkt the line' on a guitar, and the fitting meaning of that title is revealed soon. The story centers around a couple of square crabs, a species of crabs that can only walk in one line, endlessly going back and forth without ever changing direction. For some, this means they won't ever be able to meet other crabs, like the sad crab which is cornered by two boulders limiting it's path to a line of several feet only. Others are more lucky, but still they can only follow their destined path without breaking out of their habit. Or can they? One day, a bold crab decides to make a change by carrying a another crab which crosses its path away from it's route, finally creating a means to escape the species' regional limits. At the end of this first part, the crab even manages to break free of its boundaries on its very own.

The story was based on a simple, yet cleverly presented morale. Some environmental additions (a pipeline to be build through the sea, Greenpeace activists and some guys doing a documentary on the crabs) made it more complex, which was not that bad, but personally, I would have preferred a shorter 'pure' story featuring only the crabs. The illustrations were done in a clear but very cartoon-ish way, which was easy on the eyes but is not exactly my favorite style. However, this book definitely sets itself apart from other graphic novels, and not just for its unusual main characters.

This is a rather odd graphic novel, told in two voices, one, that of a special of crab that can only gone sideways in a straight line, and never any other direction, and the film makers that want to document it, because it is an endangered species. Problem is, they aren't exciting, so they are having trouble having anyone let them film it. And the crabs are bored with going back and forth.

I'm sure there is some deep symbolism here, and feelings being hurt, and all that. There is nothing wrong with that. It all depends on if you want to read about a bunch of crabs that have it hard in life.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

This was a surprisingly delightful comic. With great humor, fun art, and an effective dose of philosophy, it's an enjoyable adventure story about defying boundaries, having relationships, and chasing your dreams, which also holds plenty of surprises..

I received this book as an Advanced Reading Copy from the publisher in return for an honest review. This has not impacted on my opinion.

This book is worthy of a Pixar movie - it's fun, lighthearted, and humorous. More than once I was laughing at loud as I followed the antics of three simple crabs and their adventures across the beach, while discovering their own potential. And the ending?! Absolutely brilliant and great for a final laugh.

The graphics are gorgeous and simplistic, very fitting to the story and the style of the story. The human characters were brilliantly presented, from the Greenpeace dad, and documentary makers, to the bikini blonde, and the ferry driver.

I loved every moment of it and look forward to more from this talented French author and hopefully the crabs.

I totally didn't expect to like this book so much. The art and story are simple, but gorgeous. There are also twists that I didn't see coming. Especially the ending! Also, try to google it after reading the book, to get more surprises :D
I also like how it's not all about crabs, but also the human life around the crabs. And I like how neatly they are all converge during and at the ending of the book.

Can't wait to read the next volume!

A great graphic novel that explores the perils of being a crab in a human world.

3.5 stars

I was extremely intrigued by the synopsis for this graphic novel and although the story evolved in ways I never would have suspected, I ended up enjoying it quite a lot.

It was around the halfway point of the novel that I decided to research Cancer Simplicimus Vulgaris, only to discover that it was not a real species of crab. Perhaps I was foolish in believing in the first place, but I admit it left me a little deflated. I had been becoming fascinated and eager to learn more about the endangered marble crabs! However, this realisation was also a turning point for me in reading the story. I began worrying less about the symbolism alluded to by the author and just let myself enjoy the story and its quirks.

I really enjoyed the writing, character interactions and dry, often morbid humour. There were even some laugh-out-loud moments, which is usually only a reaction I get from reading a comic strip, not a graphic novel. With a decent cast of characters in play there were quite a few overlapping storylines. It will be interesting to see how these play out in the next two volumes.

The illustrations were not minimalist but had a similar feel with a clean style, but enough detail to prove realistic. The only issue I had was identifying between the three main crab characters – Boater, Sunny and Guitar. Despite one of them having a missing limb, I almost never knew which crab was which unless a particular conversation gave me context.

Unexpected and a little odd... but i'll definitely be looking out for the next volume.

Thank you to Netgalley and Archaia for providing me a copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.