Optic Nerve # 3

Optic Nerve #3

by Adrian Tomine

"Dylan & Donovan" (11 pages), the first of four stories, recounts the difficult adolescence of two twin sisters and their life with an aging hippie father; in "Supermarket" (6 pages), a blind man attempts to befriend a young woman at the checkout counter; "Hostage Situation" (3 pages) is an account of a miserable bus ride with two unruly passengers; in "Unfaded" (3 pages), a young man ponders a life gone by after his grandfather is admitted to a senior's home.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Comic Book, Short Stories, Graphic Novels Comics, Comics Manga

Unknown Binding

First published August 1, 2000

About the author

Adrian Tomine was born in 1974 in Sacramento, California. He began self-publishing his comic book series Optic Nerve. His comics have been anthologized in publications such as McSweeney’s, Best American Comics, and Best American Nonrequired Reading, and his graphic novel "Shortcomings" was a New York Times Notable Book of 2007. His next release, "Killing and Dying" will be published by Drawn and Quarterly in October 2015.

Since 1999, Tomine has been a regular contributor to The New Yorker. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and daughters.

Reviews

[Matt Graupman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A near-perfect issue, just half a step below “Optic Nerve” #2. The only story I didn’t really care for was “Hostage Situation,” about two teenagers making a bus load of commuters uncomfortable with their comments; it just felt like it was trying a bit too hard. The other three stories were more subtle, particularly “Supermarket,” about a blind man being assisted with his grocery shopping by a seemingly friendly employee. That comic was sublime and gentle, but devastating by the final page, and it featured some of Adrian Tomine’s most painterly art in a long while; it’s definitely one of his strongest stories.

[AZRGHZL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aku sebenarnya kagum dengan setiap naratif yang Adrian Tomine lakarkan. Perihal bagaimana banality yang lazim dilihat dalam kehidupan harian dan tidak biasa mendapat tempat di bibir manusia diangkat dan disuntik unsur enigma pada setiap hujung naratifnya.

Setakat tiga siri Optic Nerve yang telah aku baca, setiap antologinya bikin aku berhari-hari berfikir akan kesudahannya. Cerpen grafik ini mengajak kamu berfikir berkali-kali, bukan ajak-ajak ayam.

[Hannasol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un univers très désenchanté, à la fois distant et étrangement familier.

[Meem · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first story sucked, but the last one won me over.

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four different short stories: I am loving rediscovering Tomine.
Highest recommendation.