REVIEW: The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil (graphic novel) by Stephen Collins

The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil is a fantasy black comedy graphic novel. I bought my copy used.

Review:

Dave is one of the many orderly and neat residents of Here. When he isn't at work, looking at data and arranging it into neat charts and graphs that he then turns into presentations, Dave likes to spend time looking out at the street in front of his house and drawing what he sees. When he wants to relax, Dave listens to his favorite song, the only one he ever listens to, "Eternal Flame" by the Bangles.

There are odd moments, however, when Dave finds himself thinking about There, a place of chaos and disorder. It lies just outside of Here, and stories have been told of the horrible things that befell anyone who tried to journey to There. Unfortunately for Dave, one day his only bit of untidiness, the small hair growing under his nose that keeps coming back no matter how many times he plucks it, starts growing into a massive, bushy beard. It can't be trimmed, tamed, or removed. Its unruliness calls to mind the chaos of There, and the residents of Here can't help but be horrified and fascinated.

The title and cover art for this snagged me. Thankfully, the story and artwork turned out to be worth the impulse purchase. I loved the black-and-white artwork, with its thick linework and use of appealing shapes.

There were some great black comedy moments. My absolute favorite was Dave's reaction to Professor Darren Black's verbal slip-up/attempt to establish an ominous atmosphere. Overall, the story was weird and quirky. You could choose to take it all at face value, but there was also plenty there to inspire conversation about the deeper meanings the author might have intended. I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending. 

And now I have "Eternal Flame" stuck in my head.