Tommysaurus Rex: A Graphic Novel

Though I put this story in 2nd place behind Ten Napel's, what I consider to be, masterpiece, "Creature Tech," it is still an excellent story in its own right. My only quib was that it seemed somewhat short, but I guess if you can tell a story in fewer words then do it. The thing I like about Ten Napel's stories is that he doesn't tell a story just for the sake of telling a story and making money, there is always something going on with Ten Napel's stories and they are lessons that are not discussed or presented nearly enough in today's world. Its why his works will be kept for years to come and I'll be passing them onto my kids and perhaps even read them to them! =)

Wonderful art, characters you fall in love with, down to earth life lessons...and the ability to make you cry with a book about a dinosaur. Doug really is one of our best storytellers...and an amazing artist.

Doug TenNapel has done it again!!! From the man who brought us earthworm Jim, the Neverhood, gear, and creature tech comes a book so unforgettable that you have to be crazy not to buy it. This book has it all witty humor, an enchanting story, hidden Easter eggs, poop jokes! But most importantly: the moral in the end of the book. It will make you sad and happy at the very same time. Who knows, maybe you'll even squeeze out a tear or two.... i did. Anyway, Tommy. Is a story about a kid named Ely who loses his dog in a tragic accident and is sent to his grandpa's farm for the summer. There he meats randy and gets of to a bad start with him instantly. Luckily he also finds a friend at the farm, a big and smelly friend who acts suspiciously like his dead dog Tommy. And so begin the series of events that will make more then one person happy. The thing I liked most about Tommysaurus rex was how the bad guy had reasons to do what he did, he wasn't a mindless zombie of a character he had feelings as well, and in the end he was both the ultimate hero, and the ultimate villain. Ladies, and gentlemen (drum-roll) Tommysaurus Rex!!!!

Doug TenNapel and Flannery O' Connor have a lot in common. Though they use different genres to get their point across, their message is truly one that uses outlandish characters and situations to bring the tiny barbs of truth that eventually set our hearts free. Tommysaurus Rex is not simply a `boy and his dog' story, it is much, much more. As I read this book for the first time, some of the nuances were lost on me, but as I reread, and looked carefully at the words and the artwork, I realized something was happening on a much larger scale than a boy spending the summer with his grandfather and stumbling across a rare find. There was something more cosmic, more apocalyptic, and grander in scheme that was interwoven into this friendship. The `Easter Eggs'-both figurative and literal-that are scattered throughout the pages reveal statements about love, faith, redemption, and forgiveness one doesn't often find in a `mere comic book'. Ely's journey is summed up so perfectly by his father when he tells him that a boy does a lot of growing up when he loses a dog. For the theologically minded, Tommysaurus Rex brings questions to bear that might not always be easy to answer, but sure are fun to think about. In short, Tommysaurus Rex is a great story that keeps getting better every time I read it. Well done, Mr. TenNapel. Creature Tech made me an admirer, Tommysaurus Rex has made me a fan.

With GEAR, artist/author Doug TenNapel populated his story with talking cats, dogs, and mantids. In Creature Tech, an athiest scientist battles an effeminate mad scientist and his legion of demonic cats and space eels. This time around, save the large T-Rex of the novel's title, the story contains only humans. And it is human emotion that TenNapel focuses on his third graphic novel outing. The story follows Ely, a young boy with youthful energy and a pure heart like we haven't seen since "Leave it to Beaver." He goes to spend the summer on his grandfather's farm after his dog is accidentally run over and from there, his journey begins. He is faced with not just hard farm work, but the taunts of Randy, the bully. After a particularly ruthless prank, Ely stumbles across Tommy, a living, breathing, life-sized Tyrannosaurus Rex who acts a bit like a dog. Ely must then convince the town that his dinosaur is safe. Fans of Creature Tech's tight drawings and richly developed story may be disappointed upon a first reading. The drawings are looser and less refined than CTech and the story moves along at a break-neck pacing. Upon a second and third reading, the story shines through. This story is less about spectacle and much more about heart. For those needing a break from superheroes, have finished reading their Bone saga, and are looking for some fine reading and great artwork, then look no further. TenNapel delivers again in his most accessible work to date.