A delightful collection of comics! I've followed them on Instagram so I knew I'd like this, but the organization by season for theme was really lovely and well done. The author is so creative and really nails the human experience via bird

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of Ew, It’s Beautiful: A False Knees Comic Collection by Joshua Barkman for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Loved the illustrations! Not sure what audience would appreciate this collection of bird (and other animal) related comics best, but come for the art and stay for the insight, humor, and one page tales. A lot of thought was put into portraying the different types of birds and their personalities as well as the stink bug and it was astounding! What a skill to be able to put your ideas to paper with so few words and to have your images tell a story. Very clever and I’d be curious to read another of the author’s works. Suggested purchase for public library collections and a suggested read for those who like short stories, birds, or nature.

Cute and funny short comics. Each short comic gives a good laugh, fun easy read especially for those who don't like a lot of words.

Witty, playful, and snarky. This graphic novel is more like a tableau of scenes with various birds (and a few other random critters). I appreciated its playfulness and found some of the scenes insightful and/or humorous, but ultimately I missed the cohesion of a story.

The art varied. Some of it was rather basic. But there were also some very nice monochromatic illustrations and a few other pieces of note.

Good if you just have a couple minutes here and there to read a scene or two.

⊰ 4 stars

First of all, I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I finished this book in one sitting. "Ew, It's Beautiful" is a collection of comics with birds as the overall theme. The book is divided into the seasons of the year. Every new page is a new comic, some have a more meaningful message than others while some are more of a meme.
Overall this was a very fun and easy read

I've liked False Knees for a while, so I was excited to see this book was available. It's a quick but fun read, very bird-centric but featuring other animals as well. I recognized some of the comics from Instagram, but many were new to me and the humor is always on point. I also really like Barkman's art style, and some of the illustrations are truly stunning.

Definitely recommend.

Ew, It's Beautiful is the perfect title for this book, hands down.

Remember how when you were young you wondered what animals DO all day long? Like, do they just...LIVE? What do they think? Well, I know I did. Still do!
And, if you're like me, in this not-so-scientific book you have a chance to get some of those answers! It's like getting a glimpse of the secret (and often hilarious) life of wildlife.

While for the most part I laughed out loud, there were some moments that felt like a punch to the gut. Like, sir, I WAS NOT prepared to get emotional over a bird today. But I loved it. While it might be a quick read, I feel like I'd be happy to return to some panels every once in a while. And the art is so well done! The different drawing styles and smart usage of colors are unique and fun. Even some of the not-so-pretty stuff (the Ew part) was done with care. I really appreciated it, and generally enjoyed the aesthetic of the book. Reading this book while hearing birds from the outside side made the experience even better for me. 10/10, would recommend it.

The one thing I would have loved to have (besides more pages, obviously) is a page dedicated to the different species shown in the book. I'd love to know the names of some birds which aren't native to my local area. But! Not knowing the names of all the animals wasn't necessary to enjoy this book! It would be a bonus. It made me laugh on a regular day, and distracted me from a stressful one.

I believe this book would be a perfect gift for nature and animal lovers, people with a good sense of humor, art and comics lovers. And mainly for yourself. This book is also great for a non-native English speaker/reader, with an easy-to-read font, and simple put sentences.

Thank you Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me an ARC and allowing me to read this book!

This is my first book by Joshua Barkman, and I am a fan. I blazed through this comic so quickly (for anyone that's curious, the e-book was 148 pages for me!). I've always been a fan of memes and comics and animal themed ones have always been a favorite of mine as well (I think the cover should give it away, but in case it doesn't- this book is very bird-centric). I like that the book was split into season. Summer was my favorite, I chuckled with almost every page lol. Also getting to the "Ew, It's Beautiful" comic was very satisfying.

Thank you, Netgalley for the ARC!

I know need to go back in Barkman's catalogue and catch up with his other works. Also, the art is gorgeous! You can tell each comic was thoughtfully planned out.

Thank you Joshua Barkman, Andrews McMeel Publishing, and NetGalley for this ARC! I've been following False Knees on Instagram for 4 years now and I've enjoyed Barkman's works. I love the way he illustrates animals and I really appreciate the amount of detail that's put into them. My humour doesn't quite match his but I do find the crow panels in particular to be the most compelling, usually because of the deeper commentary (THE BEST FRIENDS IN OTHER UNIVERSES ONE). Mostly whimsical, slice of life stuff!

I’ve been following the False Knees comics by Barkman online for a few years now, and this book did not disappoint. I liked that the book was divided by seasons, and so many felt relatable. I set out thinking I’d pick a favorite to mention in my review, but I simply couldn’t. This is a great find for folks who enjoy the comic series, love birds, enjoy snark with underlying commentary… So many options.

I know Joshua Barkman from his social media profiles and I have loved his work from the start, so when I saw that his new collection was available on NetGalley I knew I had to request it.

I believe it is truly a work of art, both for his incredible drawing ability and for the topics he faces through his feathered characters: the way he marvels at everyday life is heartwarming.

Super recommended.

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

This book is a series of vignettes of animals (mostly birds) having short conversations or just showing a little moment in time for them. The tone ranges from silly to sarcastic to reflective. I liked that it featured a range of art styles to create a distinct separation from one topic to the next and help set the tone for that particular story. I feel like I've seen some of the life observation- type humor subjects in other comics, especially since the animal type didn't always have a bearing on what was being said. But overall, I still found this to be enjoyable and nice to look at. It's a quick read that doesn't take much brain power to enjoy.

Finished this in a flash. Good graphic and colors, great story and it feels satire. But because English is not my first language, somehow i feel i lack of humour

I kindly received this comic collection from the publisher in return for an honest review.

This is a super cute book about the every day life and thoughts of birds with the occasional cat thrown in.

It's so beautifully drawn and the humour is on point. The amount of times I laughed at a pointless thing a pigeon said or a different birds inner thought.

Then there is the crows. I just love the crows! they have the funniest comic shorts and the expressions were hilarious.

Super entertaining read.

False Knees is one of my favorite comics online. I will always read ANY collection of theirs. The topics are subtle but funny and hopeful.

This was a light-hearted and bubbly collection of short comics.

The differing artstyles kept this interesting and fresh. Some of the artwork I would have enlarged and hung on my wall.

Many parts had my chuckling and after reading, it brought me a much-needed moment of relaxation and joy.

Ew, it's beautiful encapsulates the day to day human activities in the charming layer of humour and mirth. Joshua Barkman entices the readers with witty dialogues and equivalent fun retorts that will definitely satisfy everyone's tickle bone. The book shows these moments with the passage of seasons and how the birds highlight the themes of loneliness, creativity, astute observations, philosophical divulgence border lining comicality and irony.

This was a fun, lovely collection of comics! The art is stunning and a lot of the comics had me giggling a little. I'll be looking to pick this book up when it's published!

I love these so much, I’m so buying this in print if its printed. Its such a fun little comic collection and brings me joy

Joshua Barkman is hilarious, and I adore these comics. I could read 100 pages more. The art is actually really good for a comic, which is even more impressive.