The Squirrel Mother

A treasure for fans of intelligent comics. Kelso's art is wonderfully evocative - the use of color is delightful - but the depth and emotional power of the various stories (written between 2000 and 2005 for different outlets) is what really pulls you in. I love the playful experimental way Kelso presents many of these - she takes full advantage of the liberating possibilities of comics while keeping them grounded in reality. The fact that almost all of these stories get better with repeat readings speaks volumes about the care with which they were written and drawn. The three longer pieces in the middle of the book really took off for me: "The Pickle Fork" is a beautifully drawn black-and-white look at morality and antique cutlery; "Meow Face" is an odd heart-wrencher about family, fabulous clothes and mental illness, and "Aide de Camp" is a fascinating, multi-layered sideways look at Alexander Hamilton and the early American founders. Unlike the other reviewers I didn't find it odd at all; Kelso is at the same time exploring her female characters' fascination with Hamilton as well as presenting info about his life in an engaging way (loved her hilarious homoerotic take on Madison and Hamilton's Federalist papers). It's perhaps not as perfectly organized as some of the other pieces, which may be the fault of trying to cram too much info in, but it's still a wonderful - and seriously gorgeous - comic. I'd love to see her do more like that. Overall, this collection wowed me in ways that rekindle my hope for the medium. Can't recommend it highly enough.

This graphic novel contains several stories on seemingly unrelated subjects, but upon close attention they're softly interwoven with their commentary on American culture. The untitled story that begins on page 133 is especially moving. It tells of a girl seeking regain the freedom of her childhood self while prematurely condemning herself to adulthood through her poor and heart-wrenching choices. "The Squirrel Mother" and "Meow Face" are also thought-provoking, somewhat sad stories about self-realization. "The River" surprised me both in its conclusion and in the tragic retelling of the Green River Killer. The most baffling entries have to be the Alexander Hamilton trilogy, but they're fascinating and also effectively parallel today's society. Upon finishing the book, I immediately re-read it. It's beautiful, baffling, and slightly off-puting but completely fascinating because of this.