'Buni:Happiness Is a State of Mind' by Ryan Pagelow is a collection of comics about a happy rabbit and a dark twisted world.

This is a collection of wordless comics. They mostly start with a pretty happy scenario that ends with a pretty dark twist. Buni is in the rain. It turns to bills. Then to coins. Most have a morbid turn full of black humor.

These comics had me laughing. There is something about comedy with an unexpected ending when the timing is good, and this writer has that timing. The art contributes to that because it is so disarmingly friendly.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

This was really cute and fun. It was just what I needed. I thought the artwork was fine.
The dialogue was funny in the writing was witty and strong.I would definitely read more if this continues to be a series

I love Buni so much! Buni is such an innocent soul, so untouched by the evils of the world and so gullible. While the child-like innocence is cute on most days, it can be a great lesson for kids and reminiscent of the childhood for adults.

The comics are very...soft. It makes me feel like I am watching Tiny TV!

I have a lot of respect for artists who can convey jokes without words. It takes a keen sense of timing. What makes this strip is Buni's abiding obliviousness. Funny enough for some simple entertainment.

This book is exactly how my husband and I try to raise our children. Everything is based on how you look at it. Look at the bright side of things. Great little book!

Buni is a graphic novel that contains worldless comic strips that will absolutely make you laugh. Although there are some that I find a little bit off or morbid, I still had a great time checking the rest of this comic book. Moreover, I could also point out several comic panels that are my favorites, particularly the ones with the dog in it. A great companion to ease your boredom or to amuse you even for a while.

Amusing. Not really what I expected and I've read better books of this sort. I was able to get about half way through.

A very cute and satirical collection of graphics. However, the lack of text and repetitive nature of the comics made it a little difficult to finish.

3.5 Stars

This was a super quick ‘read’ of cynical and hilarious cartoons. Buni never talks and so this is basically a picture book for adults. The perfect comic book for someone like me who is ultimately pragmatic leaning towards pessimistic and is pretty cynical of everything in the world. Buni has a way of making you feel better about your own life and problems as he deals with all sorts of negativity and still finds a way to be happy and cheerful.

Received via Netgally in exchange for an honest review.

This was a super charming quick read. Loved the lack of dialogue because the story art was enough to convey the message. The art was simple enough to stand out but we'll thought out and meaningful.

Buni is an incessantly optimictic bunny living in a dark, antagonictic world. No matter what he does, his intentions always fail. He is always optimistic, living in a cute world which is out to get him. He inhabits a surreal world populated by teddy bears, cupcakes, unicorns, and zombies. Although such creatures sound sooo cute but Ryan Pagelow surprises us by showing darks sides of them. He also has a cynical dad and determined dog (which I love that detail so much!) I am not into dark humor but it was really fun to read. I like how it twists against Buni but nothing keeps him down. Good for short readings.

I’m falling in love with this comic so, so, so much.

Some of the comics are about how shitty life is, but how happiness is really a state of mind. How we should always find happiness in even the most horrible and disturbing of situations.

Well, they also show how disturbing life can really be.

You’ll notice I used the word “disturbing” twice in this review. (Well, 3 times now.) If this kind of humor can’t make you laugh, you may want to avoid this book.

But if you can laugh at life and the crazy shit it throws at you, you might really enjoy this.

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel publishing for a copy in return for an honest review.</i>

Remember Happiness is...?

Well this book is also about happiness (and it features unicorns) but it's a little more....mature. This is for those who enjoy dark-humour.


Alright. So I usually think about what to say in my reviews. I didn't really think here. I just felt. This comic is the funniest yet most charming stuff I've seen in a long time. It has the perfect balance of dark humour and the intricacies of life. It's basically me metamorphosed into a book.

So our protagonist(?) is Buni, an optimistic little bunny that just wants to love. Most of the time. He's extremely naive, but he has his friends, Unnamed Bearded Prison Guy 1 (Who is a cynical, withered bunny) and Two-Legged Doggo, who is my favourite character of all time. The illustrator turns tropes and popular sayings on their heads, and then some.

Sometimes I dislike Happiness is...because it really ignores that life can be horrible (But sometimes that utopian view is needed). But this comic doesn't. It shows that life can be horrible, but we can help each other grow stronger. Whether it's a two-legged dog or a man who just got out of jail, you can find love and acceptance.

And life doesn't have to be regular - it doesn't have to follow suit the so-called normal life. I can relate to this so fundamentally because my life has never been normal.

Conclusion
This anthropomorphic, dark-humour fuelled comic is genius and so relatable. I'd recommend this book to anyone who feels different and is in need of alternatives to cutesie self-help comics. There are hard truths about life in here, balanced out by an optimistic realist perspective, sprinkled with some jokes in-between.

I honestly wish I could put every page in my review, but you have got to go read this yourself. Highly recommended.

This is not exactly my type of comedy, but my guy loves it. Buni looks like a Panda with long ears. Sometimes his stripes are sweet, but mostly they are subversive. The title is that Happiness is a state of mind, and the artist does an excellent job of illustrating that concept. For example money from heaven would be lovely, but would you still be thrilled if instead of bills, it started raining coin? It’s not my type of comic, but I know others will love it.

[3.5 stars]
These comics were a nice mix of funny, sweet, and twisted. Just a cute book to flip through for a laugh and a smile.

So much fun & so much wrong bundled into a happy little package.

This turns my cold dark heart all rainbowy.

If you're a fan of Lenore the Cute Little Dead Girl, then you want to check this out too.

*Digital review copy provided by NetGalley & the publisher.

A lot of fun and the artwork is lovely. Who doesn't love a book with bunnies! Especially a bunny full of cynicism.

Personally not very humorous to me. But great colorful illustrations. And sure to make someone laugh!

Not entirely my kind of humour, I suppose. It was so almost sickeningly *happy* ( which is the point, i know), and morbid at the same time....

The cover of this book pulled me in and I am so glad it did. This graphic novel is a collection of comics featuring a bunny named Buni. There are no words, it is just images and it is hilarious. I was laughing out loud and sharing recaps with my husband about it. The humor of this book is very twisted and sometimes overly dark and sad but it is that punch that you sometimes need. Buni is SO optimistic that you feel for him even if you just starting reading his comics.

I really loved this one and would happily own it and laugh along with it again and again. It is for an adult reader though - so keep that in mind.

Blog review will be live on June 4th.