Beautiful Scars

by Durwin Talon (Illustrator), Guin Thompson (Illustrator)

Every scar tells a story

Scars are the signs of a life well lived. Ridley Bourne is in the twilight of his life. Born before 1900, he has lived through some extraordinary times in human history, and witnessed some of man’s greatest and worst moments, from the birth of the automobile to the horrors of WWI. And his long life has left him with scars, each of them a testament to these moments. In his English garden, Ridley sits down with his granddaughter, Maddie, and starts to tell her the stories of this scars, and those stories become the basis of a journey into both her grandfather’s past and the soaring heights of imagination, as she learns that scars are just one more way to hold on to a memory.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics

128 pages, Hardcover

First published May 8, 2012

About the author

Durwin S. Talon is an illustrator, comic book creator, educator, graphic designer, and computer artist. He has done work for DC Comics, Oni Comics, White Wolf Publishing and Wizards of the Coast. He created Bonds for Image comics and is co-creator on Beautiful Scars for Archaia Studio Press.

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first part of the book with the parallel stories, one fantasy, the other a kind of memoir/historical fiction. The story of the grandfather was especially touching. However, the last part of the book with the illustrated prose story kinda ruined it for me. It seemed tacked-on and unnecessary. It detracted from what came before, being just a more in-depth retelling of the fantasy adventure part of the graphic novel. I found myself skimming it and annoyed that it took away from the emotional climax of the graphic novel part of the story.

[Clare B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a lovely story. I liked the grandfather's stories! And I loved how the end was Madeline's book, I enjoyed all the different artwork that was in the book, it was awesome!

Overall, quite enjoyable with a beautiful message! :)

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm still getting into graphic novels, and this was a nice story. Although the correlation between the top story and the bottom story still escapes me.

[Imran Mahmud · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two parallel stories, and yet, very related to each other.
Every real life story can be imagined as a fairy tales, and vice versa.

[Kacee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautiful, sweet, and sentimental story. I enjoyed it, but the side by side stories distracted me and got a little confusing.

[Jessica Joines · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good story

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

the parallel stories work really well i think but having the prose version at the end seemed kind of tacked on since the story had already been told along the way ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Look at this artwork!



Absolutely gorgeous! The whole layout and packaging of the book was such a keepsake. It felt like it was some old illustrated scrapbook left behind for you to discover. It was a superb design in the hardcover edition. My usual self will sorta abuse books and they might wind up all over the place, needless to say, I took special care of this one.

On to the story review! Beautiful scars is a few stories within stories...



that centers around how our scars shape us. The overview story, is a now adult child reminiscing about the stories her grand father shared concerning his scars. She, as a child, gets a few scars of her own, and with her grand fathers guidance learns to appreciate the lessons and memories that came with each scar. The parallel story is how her grandfather fosters her imagination by telling her of a faraway land where a huntsmen and princess battle dragons, weird ebil creatures (yes, i said ebil) and become friends with a scarred troll. The story is cute, quick, and definitely has kid-friendly appeal. The book's flow may seem out of place near the end, just remember, ultimately---



adkhaiehlgjelkgjioed; side note----the authors (in real life) really doooo look like this!

[Michael]

This is a short, sweet graphic novel about a girl who learns the importance of looking beneath scars to find the stories behind them. The story uses the framing device of a newly published author remembering when her grandfather first began encouraging her storytelling. In that afternoon, he also told her the stories behind his four scars, from climbing a tree as a young boy, to serving in the RAF during WWI. These stories are told in tandem with the girl’s fantasy story about a woodsman’s quest to rescue a princess and save his land. It’s a visually intriguing idea, with the realistic stories spanning the top half of the pages and the fantasy story spanning the bottom half. The last few pages of the book serve as an excerpt from the grown girl’s new book, told in prose with delightful illustrations from guest artists with a range of styles. Like the story and writing, Talon and Thompson’s own visual style is charmingly simple, and they do a great job of balancing the parallel stories to create a book that’s more than the sum of its parts. Recommended for readers looking for an all-ages fantasy graphic novel with lots of heart.

[Susannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a charming wee storybook and graphic novel about a young girl who is inspired to become a writer after listening to her grandfather's tales about how he obtained his 4 scars.
The story is bookended by Maddie as an adult attending her grandfather's funeral and reflecting on how his stories inspired her own imagination as a storyteller.
A nice touch is added by the two authors: as the grandfather's 4 stories are told across the top half of each page, Maddie's fledgling fairytale of a princess, a dragon, a woodcutter and a troll, is told along the bottom. Then, at the end of the book it is revealed that the adult Maddie's published story is the same fairytale. This fairytale is included in full, albeit in a more sophisticated way, at the end of the book. It is interesting seeing the additions the adult Maddie has made to the tale. However, the events are basically the same as the childhood version, so there is not much suspense.

[Annemarie Donahue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cool graphic novel that I bought at Quarterstaff Games in Burlington, VT (awesome store and staff if you are in the area, check 'em out!). I liked the book, thought the double narration of a straight history tale of the grandfather juxtaposed against the granddaughter's fantasy tale was a really nifty idea. Worked well and didn't get confusing. The end of the book is a series of different artist's takes on stills from the fairy tale. Very beautiful artwork. Glad I bought it, only 19.99 and worth it. Would recommend to those who aren't sure if they like graphic novels or not, this is a good starter-kit.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - Very nice graphic novel about how our past injuries, although hurtful, can become a positive part of our lives. The book also celebrates the power of storytelling across generations using two parallel stories. The final third of the book - a combination of prose and isolated illustrations - unfortunately takes away from the power of the work as a whole. Even so, Beautiful Scars does a lot of things right and is definitely worth a look.

[WinterStars · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this. The side-by-side story telling was a bit distracting.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful side-by-side of Fantasy and War. Surprisingly short book, which makes it great for kids and art appreciators alike.
All in all, it's a lovely story & a beautiful edition.

[beau · Rating 1 out of 5]

2.5/10
Underwhelming, i dont like that its 2 stories at once.

[Leedemort · Rating 3 out of 5]

sweet story