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Rock Bottom
What would you do if you discovered you were turning to stone? What would that extraordinary circumstance do to your life? Writer Joe Casey (Wildcats Version 3.0, X-Men, Superman) and Eisner Award-nominated artist Charlie Adlard (Walking Dead) answer these questions and more in this long-awaited, gut-wrenching original graphic novel drama. Thomas Dare was an ordinary man with ordinary problems, until fate steeped in to turn his life upside-down.
- GenresGraphic NovelsComics
112 pages, Paperback
First published October 25, 2006
31 people want to read
About the author
Joe Casey
972 books86 followersLibrarian note: there is more than one author with this name
Joe Casey is an American comic book writer. He has worked on titles such as Wildcats 3.0, Uncanny X-Men, The Intimates, Adventures of Superman, and G.I. Joe: America's Elite among others. As part of the comics creator group Man of Action Studios, Casey is one of the creators of the animated series Ben 10.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Casey
Joe Casey is an American comic book writer. He has worked on titles such as Wildcats 3.0, Uncanny X-Men, The Intimates, Adventures of Superman, and G.I. Joe: America's Elite among others. As part of the comics creator group Man of Action Studios, Casey is one of the creators of the animated series Ben 10.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Casey
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 10, 2009
This book fails -- at least as the "epic of human proportions" the back cover proclaims it to be. In reality, it's good, or at least good enough -- meaning, it meets my relatively low standards for graphic novels: attractive visuals (Okay, pretty pictures), an interesting story, and a manageable length (so I can read it in one or two sittings).
In reality, it is not the story of "every man" -- a story which captures and depicts a deep something of human nature to which we can all relate. It is the story of one man: a young-ish musician and recent divorcee who seems a bit of a prick (obviously, he was the one who cheated).
That is, until he starts turning to stone. Yep, stone. You know, I do wish they explained that aspect better, but, though he soon ends up at his doctor's office and they run plenty of tests, we never get anything approaching an explanation on this mysterious new disease. Fine. That's fine. Clearly, the author has gotten a little too used to writing super hero stuff, but it's forgivable.
The guy, the protagonist, soon accepts his fate: there is no hope and he will soon turn completely into stone. I generally liked that approach: there is no denial or fighting against the inevitable, as is so common these days both inside and outside of literature. Instead, the guy tries to enjoy what little time he has left, with the help of his lawyer/best friend and, eventually, his doctor.
There are a few touching moments, and some enjoyable, if not startling, developments and twists. But really, we all know what is going to happen, though the author does manage to spice up the ending a little*.
You know, this could have been better, but I understand how could it have been a lot worse. I don't like an overly-preachy story, especially when it's coming from a comics writer. Nor do like too much sap. Somehow, this GN found a nice balance and pleased me enough to earn itself three stars.
*
In reality, it is not the story of "every man" -- a story which captures and depicts a deep something of human nature to which we can all relate. It is the story of one man: a young-ish musician and recent divorcee who seems a bit of a prick (obviously, he was the one who cheated).
That is, until he starts turning to stone. Yep, stone. You know, I do wish they explained that aspect better, but, though he soon ends up at his doctor's office and they run plenty of tests, we never get anything approaching an explanation on this mysterious new disease. Fine. That's fine. Clearly, the author has gotten a little too used to writing super hero stuff, but it's forgivable.
The guy, the protagonist, soon accepts his fate: there is no hope and he will soon turn completely into stone. I generally liked that approach: there is no denial or fighting against the inevitable, as is so common these days both inside and outside of literature. Instead, the guy tries to enjoy what little time he has left, with the help of his lawyer/best friend and, eventually, his doctor.
There are a few touching moments, and some enjoyable, if not startling, developments and twists. But really, we all know what is going to happen, though the author does manage to spice up the ending a little*.
You know, this could have been better, but I understand how could it have been a lot worse. I don't like an overly-preachy story, especially when it's coming from a comics writer. Nor do like too much sap. Somehow, this GN found a nice balance and pleased me enough to earn itself three stars.
*
September 28, 2010
Joe Casey really should be bigger than what he is in the medium of comic books. Works like his run on WILDcats, and this original graphic novel, Rock Bottom, go largely unnoticed, as fanboys go after whatever crossover mega-events are being orchestrated by DC and Marvel. It's not really anything you haven't read before, but Casey does a superb job in conveying what it means to suffer from a terminal illness ... yes, I realize it's petrification, but Casey examines friendship, and ultimately, carpe diem.
March 23, 2018
Joe Casey's ambition sometimes gets the better of his talent, but not this time. Rock Bottom is one of his strongest works, with some really great character moments, a little well-played action, and an emotionally satisfying payoff.
Adlard's art is a little more open than I prefer, particularly in the beginning, but I can see why he made that choice. The grey-tones really make Tom stand out when his body begins to turn to stone. As his inevitable death approaches, Tom makes amends with his soon-to-be ex-wife, and the woman he accidently impregnated (and since his condition is hereditary, it's a HUGE moment). The development of his doctor who struggles to find balance between handling the fame of discovering a unique disease and the battle to find a cure was excellent, and Tom's best friend/lawyer played well against the protagonist.
Recommended.
Adlard's art is a little more open than I prefer, particularly in the beginning, but I can see why he made that choice. The grey-tones really make Tom stand out when his body begins to turn to stone. As his inevitable death approaches, Tom makes amends with his soon-to-be ex-wife, and the woman he accidently impregnated (and since his condition is hereditary, it's a HUGE moment). The development of his doctor who struggles to find balance between handling the fame of discovering a unique disease and the battle to find a cure was excellent, and Tom's best friend/lawyer played well against the protagonist.
Recommended.
May 11, 2022
This is a story of man who is turning to stone. No he's not becoming a super hero; he's becoming a stone.
This is not a story celebrating power or overcoming anything; it's a tale of loss and impotence.
A man who once saw others as objects, slowly becoming nothing more than an object: a disease to study, a thing to be looked at.
This is not a story celebrating power or overcoming anything; it's a tale of loss and impotence.
A man who once saw others as objects, slowly becoming nothing more than an object: a disease to study, a thing to be looked at.
May 1, 2011
Cross posted from ComicsForge
When you look at this book it has such a simple front cover that you really don't expect much from it. I mean it's a picture of a hand with what looks like a weird shadow underneath it, broken and disjointed. But...its a pretty powerful work and while the tale has been told before, this provides a unique look at the age old question...what would you do if you knew you were going to do die? What would you do to try to live?
This is the story of one man, Tommy, and his life. Everything is normal, well at least as normal as life can be. Tommy's going through a divorce after being caught having an affair, he's trying not to be his dad, and he plays the piano at a blues and rhythms club. But something is happening to him. He's getting stiff and sore and tests reveal...he's turning into stone, literally. It's not a magic spell or some long lost object, just a strange genetic mutation. They discover his dad had it and died from it, and it's likely that his unborn son also has it. We see how the world deals with the revelation of his disease when he becomes a hero. And we see how he wants to deal with the disease. Worlds collide as the battle over life, health, egos, friendship, and death all come to a head. In the end though friendship wins.
The writing is...different. At first I was a bit disappointed that they didn't focus more on Tommy and what he was going through, but I started to think about what they did focus on. Tommy wanted to be normal. Nothing else. He didn't want to be a hero, he didn't want to go down in the history books, nor did he want to get back together with his ex-wife. He just wanted to live. What Joe Casey shows us is how he interacted with the world and how it interacted back with him. The lawyer who protects him and does his best to be a good friend. The doctor who attempts to treat him and eventually goes against the medical community to give his friend some peace in the end. Casey tells a powerful story that isn't highly dramatized, no last minute cures, no man wanting to be seen as a hero or a villain. Casey captures real life and expertly answers, for the real world, what would you do if you were dying?
Adlard's drawings are phenomenal. At first glance you would say they were simplistic or looked a bit weird, but what he's done is brilliant. He's used blind contour drawing, this is where the pen never leaves the page as the picture is being drawn, and everything is just one line. And while some of the details are drawn in with separate lines, the use of blind contour drawing gives the characters a certain amount of depth and humanity that other styles might lack. Adlard expertly draws human emotions with such simple lines and nothing else. No shading, no colors, just the line and it displays so much humanity and hope and sorrow.
It's an interesting book and I think I would recommend people read it at least once regardless of genre type they normally like...because this just doesn't fit in to any normal genre. And I would hope that they would hold onto it and ponder more upon the story told.
When you look at this book it has such a simple front cover that you really don't expect much from it. I mean it's a picture of a hand with what looks like a weird shadow underneath it, broken and disjointed. But...its a pretty powerful work and while the tale has been told before, this provides a unique look at the age old question...what would you do if you knew you were going to do die? What would you do to try to live?
This is the story of one man, Tommy, and his life. Everything is normal, well at least as normal as life can be. Tommy's going through a divorce after being caught having an affair, he's trying not to be his dad, and he plays the piano at a blues and rhythms club. But something is happening to him. He's getting stiff and sore and tests reveal...he's turning into stone, literally. It's not a magic spell or some long lost object, just a strange genetic mutation. They discover his dad had it and died from it, and it's likely that his unborn son also has it. We see how the world deals with the revelation of his disease when he becomes a hero. And we see how he wants to deal with the disease. Worlds collide as the battle over life, health, egos, friendship, and death all come to a head. In the end though friendship wins.
The writing is...different. At first I was a bit disappointed that they didn't focus more on Tommy and what he was going through, but I started to think about what they did focus on. Tommy wanted to be normal. Nothing else. He didn't want to be a hero, he didn't want to go down in the history books, nor did he want to get back together with his ex-wife. He just wanted to live. What Joe Casey shows us is how he interacted with the world and how it interacted back with him. The lawyer who protects him and does his best to be a good friend. The doctor who attempts to treat him and eventually goes against the medical community to give his friend some peace in the end. Casey tells a powerful story that isn't highly dramatized, no last minute cures, no man wanting to be seen as a hero or a villain. Casey captures real life and expertly answers, for the real world, what would you do if you were dying?
Adlard's drawings are phenomenal. At first glance you would say they were simplistic or looked a bit weird, but what he's done is brilliant. He's used blind contour drawing, this is where the pen never leaves the page as the picture is being drawn, and everything is just one line. And while some of the details are drawn in with separate lines, the use of blind contour drawing gives the characters a certain amount of depth and humanity that other styles might lack. Adlard expertly draws human emotions with such simple lines and nothing else. No shading, no colors, just the line and it displays so much humanity and hope and sorrow.
It's an interesting book and I think I would recommend people read it at least once regardless of genre type they normally like...because this just doesn't fit in to any normal genre. And I would hope that they would hold onto it and ponder more upon the story told.
February 22, 2010
Really nice little character piece. The fantastic plot element of the main character turning to stone adds a hint of magic realism to the story, but it really is just a metaphor for any type of fatal illness. It doesn't pull any punches in its portrayal of the main character; he's not always the nicest guy, just because he's sick. But that's what makes the book noteworthy. And it is nice to see Charlie Adlard's art at this early stage in his career and compare it to the more polished work he does on Walking Dead today.
March 20, 2013
Un musico empezando sus treintas descubre que tiene una enfermedad hereditaria que poco a poco lo convierte en piedra. Realmente la historia no es gran cosa, y el arte de Charlie Adlard (primeros tomos de The Walking Dead) tampoco es nada fuera de lo comun, me gustaron algunos detalles, el final me parecio bueno y el circo mediatico que se creo alrededor de la historia.
May 23, 2012
Une manière originale de parcourir la vie sentimentale d'un homme. Des dessins bien maîtrisés et un scénario orchestré avec habilité. Mais au final ça reste mineur comme le plaisir de deux auteurs de comics.
December 26, 2007
Fresh story, unique art. Highly recommended for the reveling in holiday blues crowd.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews