Echo Gear #1

The illustrations in this novel were stunning. I absolutely loved it. I also loved that it was interactive in a way, but I do think having a hard copy of it would have made it more enjoyable.

So, my immediate reaction to this comic is something along the lines of "lolwut?"

The art is is very pretty, I'll give it that. Rough but in an elegant way. I mean, look at this kid. This image was what drew me to this title to begin with. Unfortunately I still feel like I know nothing about her, or if she is even a character.

That mostly has to do with the lack of... I don't even want to use the word "plot" here, so I'll go with "cohesive story". Most of this novel seemed to be either poetry:

Or part of an elaborate puzzle which would have been easier to decipher in printed form. See the crossword puzzle hints below.

I could catch the gist of a few stories here and there, but honestly I just felt confused by the end. Maybe if this had been a compilation instead of just the one issue...?

Nick Sousanis reflects on the power of images in his graphic novel titled Unflattening (the first-ever Harvard comic book dissertation); he wrote:
"In relying on text as the primary means of formulating understanding, what stands outside its linear structure is dismissed... The visual provides expression where words fail. What have we been missing? And what can be made visible when we work in a form that is not only about, but is also the thing itself."

I do feel a bit of envy as well as concern when I see a great visual illustration, especially when it is something extraordinary. The envy is self-explanatory, but the concern stems from imagining how long the artist must have spent on it, labouring away. The concern always eventually gives way to respect. I believe illustrators are a blessing and it's awesome when it's not just dead dudes getting praised for great works of art.

Echo Gear #1, a graphic novel by Vincent Sammy, is an example of this. Though the words in the book are scanty and the flow sounds like a stream of consciousness poetry, the illustrations are some of the best I have ever seen in recent times - the dark, pencil-line sketches are smoothed and detailed, illustrating landscapes and pensive faces. The dark pencil style of Vincent Sammy is expressive, haunting and commands reflection. Such is its power that I spent time on the drawings on each page, trying to decode their meanings and enjoy what they have to offer. Echo Gear is a mash up of imagery, text, sequential art, editorial and advertorial nodes. It is a story told in codes, puzzles, wordplay, and cross-referenced archaic media.

Great book illustrations make you relax into a book. It feeds your excitement and makes you feel like you've just seen a long lost friend. Some hold you spellbound, giving more dimension to whatever story you are reading. Words can sometimes restrict the imagination, mapping out a linear dream for your mind to follow, but a good drawing opens your mind to a more expansive interpretation and can give you more freedom to think outside of the box.

As part of the western society that espouses the supremacy of words over images, I am trying hard to pull away from that mentality. I have read a few inspirational paragraphs this year, but I have seen equally powerful design concepts that have changed the way I think and, more importantly, stayed in my memory for longer. It is difficult to forget an event or a picture that made a strong impression on you. Even words are meant to form images in your mind to construct understanding. That is why you remember images more consistently than words.

When last did you pick up a book full of illustrations, read a graphic novel or visit an art gallery? Try giving one of these a chance in the coming months.

This was such an interesting take on what a comic can be. The art was great, and although the "story" is vague I found myself wanting more. I can't wait to see what comes next.

A bonus star for bravery, for I can't say I particularly liked this piece. It certainly has a lot going for it in the way of novelty – it's been decades since a publishing house so close to the standard mainstream has given us something like this – cut and paste illustrations, no hint of narrative for the larger part, and a script that seems to introduce us to several relevant characters (named, of course, in Cyrillic) and some form of script in the form of rhyming couplet crossword clues. In seeming to latch on to the tale of a soldier thought dead and the woman he left behind, it might or might not have a coherent story in the end. It might end up the comic equivalent of something like La Jetee, or it might be La Jetee as remade by Ed Wood. Who's to tell? – and even with multiple readings this first extract doesn't offer nearly enough in the way of clues.