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Forming II
Praise for Jesse Moynihan's "One of the most hilarious and amazing bookshelf features I've ever had the pleasure of reading."—It's Nice ThatCivilization, but not quite as we know it, has started to take shape. And now, in the continuing chaos, the world and most of its inhabitants have brandished their swords and, in various fashions, have charged onto the battlefield.If Forming hailed the birth of civilization and mapped out the genesis of life, mass, time, and space, then Forming II is the raging war that ensues in the Universe's years of adolescence.Epic confrontations between gods and mutants, philosophical reflections, hilarious dialogue, and powerful artwork make for an impressive sequel of galactic proportions. Forming II is as funny, sophisticated, and mind-blowingly beautiful as the first part of Jesse Moynihan's unique trilogy.Jesse Moynihan is a long-time native of West Philadelphia's music/art scene. His previous comics include the Xeric Award-winning comic The Backwards Folding Mirror and Follow Me. He is currently part of the creative team behind cult Cartoon Network show Adventure Time, where he creates storyboards and assists with character design.
Hardcover
First published June 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 16, 2014
Doesn't have the same punch as the first Forming, but that's probably because this is a middle story. Whereas in the first volume, Moynahan was able to juggle mulitple threads without too much getting out of hand, in this one the different events are becoming more complex, and as a result the book has a feeling of almost getting out of hand. I'm hoping that in the next (and subsequent) volume(s), many of these strands will be reigned in or come together.
January 30, 2018
So much more intense than volume one, with brilliant bouts of divine intervention tying story lines together.
May 19, 2015
Calling Forming crude but in depth is a bit of an understatement, and since the subject matter of the book is to mix every theory of origin imaginable into one primordial soup of ancestry, it's only fitting that we need every adjective imaginable to describe it. Every adjective except "bland."
Forming is gorgeous, crude, relentless, deep, celestial, sophisticated, hilarious, touching, and stunning all rolled into one. I'm worried about what Jesse Moynihan has going on in his noggin to create work like this (not to mention his probably unhealthy obsession with jizz). As I read both volumes in one go, let's review them together, shall we?
At the surface, Forming is about the creation of the universe and modern earthly civilization with the help of countless gods, who are more colonizers than benevolent beings. As Earth gets populated by some truly jacked up aliens, their otherworldly influence distorts the order of things. One of the problems, of course, is that the invading forces don't seem to like each other, and Earth gets caught up in the ensuing madness. And what madness it is: Greek figures, biblical figures, alien gods (some hermaphroditic), and robots as ruthless as they are bloodthirsty. I guess these aliens haven't heard about the primary directive.
And as if the plethora of figures isn't enough (the family tree included with each book is a welcome addition), the story is equal parts unpredictable and amazing (I still have NO CLUE where the story is going having read the books twice), not to mention absolutely hilarious at times. This is mostly due to the dialogue that Moynihan juxtaposes with seemingly more evolved and sophisticated beings, and more than once I had to put down the books and wipe tears from my eyes. So, Forming seems like a creative mess (fitting, since we're dealing with a messy topic here), but one that's so unique and put together so well that it's hard to stop reading or even look away.
And as far as the packaging is concerned, Forming is collected in oversized hardcovers (which does the art a great favor), decorated with foil lettering and embossing, and a cloth spine. This book belongs in the libraries of ancient earth.
I normally only reserve hyperbolic expression when dealing with the works of Jesse Jacobs, but Jesse Moynihan has earned it here: my mind is blown.
Forming is gorgeous, crude, relentless, deep, celestial, sophisticated, hilarious, touching, and stunning all rolled into one. I'm worried about what Jesse Moynihan has going on in his noggin to create work like this (not to mention his probably unhealthy obsession with jizz). As I read both volumes in one go, let's review them together, shall we?
At the surface, Forming is about the creation of the universe and modern earthly civilization with the help of countless gods, who are more colonizers than benevolent beings. As Earth gets populated by some truly jacked up aliens, their otherworldly influence distorts the order of things. One of the problems, of course, is that the invading forces don't seem to like each other, and Earth gets caught up in the ensuing madness. And what madness it is: Greek figures, biblical figures, alien gods (some hermaphroditic), and robots as ruthless as they are bloodthirsty. I guess these aliens haven't heard about the primary directive.
And as if the plethora of figures isn't enough (the family tree included with each book is a welcome addition), the story is equal parts unpredictable and amazing (I still have NO CLUE where the story is going having read the books twice), not to mention absolutely hilarious at times. This is mostly due to the dialogue that Moynihan juxtaposes with seemingly more evolved and sophisticated beings, and more than once I had to put down the books and wipe tears from my eyes. So, Forming seems like a creative mess (fitting, since we're dealing with a messy topic here), but one that's so unique and put together so well that it's hard to stop reading or even look away.
And as far as the packaging is concerned, Forming is collected in oversized hardcovers (which does the art a great favor), decorated with foil lettering and embossing, and a cloth spine. This book belongs in the libraries of ancient earth.
I normally only reserve hyperbolic expression when dealing with the works of Jesse Jacobs, but Jesse Moynihan has earned it here: my mind is blown.
January 12, 2015
Moynihan doesn't know when to let a joke go (but I guess 'all characters talk like disaffected white guy assholes' is a schtick that he cannot create a single thing without). The art is still amazing. Recommend these books to people you hate.
Read
January 28, 2020In semen rainbow glops I'm heartbroken.
August 23, 2019
A rollercoaster.
March 1, 2017
Actual Rating: 3.5/ 5 Stars
January 28, 2015
I'd read the first of the Forming series on Moynihan's website as a serial several years ago. At the time, I was taken by the narrative's complexity and outrageous art. In Forming II, the art is still a knock out. I ran across Forming II as I was looking something else up online and saved it for a later purchase.
Upon receipt, the book is certainly a lovely object. The colors certainly pop. The narrative is looser and, honestly, it didn't quite rope me in as it had before. I do appreciate the vagaries of the story telling. This particular volume in the series does, however, seem to be burdened by the task of ticking off the necessary milestones to stay on point.
I would recommend the series, because it is so unique. Not for kids.
Just this month, Jesse has initiated the serial for Forming III on his website. I'll definitely follow it to see where it goes. In addition, I may pick up some of his other offerings.
Upon receipt, the book is certainly a lovely object. The colors certainly pop. The narrative is looser and, honestly, it didn't quite rope me in as it had before. I do appreciate the vagaries of the story telling. This particular volume in the series does, however, seem to be burdened by the task of ticking off the necessary milestones to stay on point.
I would recommend the series, because it is so unique. Not for kids.
Just this month, Jesse has initiated the serial for Forming III on his website. I'll definitely follow it to see where it goes. In addition, I may pick up some of his other offerings.
September 26, 2017
Esoterismos puestos en un leguaje callejero y psicodélico al acrílico y con un entintado final.
Jesse Moynihan es divertido, en un video suyo en internet habla sobre el proceso creativo artesanal de Forming y de su búsqueda de referentes míticos para crear ese universo, pero se interrumpe constantemente para hablar sobre una ruptura amorosa que no ha logrado superar hace como 10 años. Oh, boy. En esos comentarios muestran algunas de las fuentes desde donde nutre la locura sin tablet, poblada de seres míticos mundanos dignos de los capítulos más pesadillezcos de Adventure Time en los que este loco ha participado como guionista o storyboardista.
En comparación al volumen I las cosas se han vuelto mucho más complejas y el universo de Forming parece extenderse sin límites.
Jesse Moynihan es divertido, en un video suyo en internet habla sobre el proceso creativo artesanal de Forming y de su búsqueda de referentes míticos para crear ese universo, pero se interrumpe constantemente para hablar sobre una ruptura amorosa que no ha logrado superar hace como 10 años. Oh, boy. En esos comentarios muestran algunas de las fuentes desde donde nutre la locura sin tablet, poblada de seres míticos mundanos dignos de los capítulos más pesadillezcos de Adventure Time en los que este loco ha participado como guionista o storyboardista.
En comparación al volumen I las cosas se han vuelto mucho más complejas y el universo de Forming parece extenderse sin límites.
May 9, 2015
I don't really know why I finished this, given I wasn't enthralled by the first volume and I actually stopped reading this one midway before deciding to finish it after all. I love the art and there are some really hilarious moments, but all in all the way the storyline meanders and the amount of the detail I just find gross and unappealing makes it not my kind of read. I think I will rate it as a "like," since there are things I enjoyed, but this kind of Graphic Novel is just not my jam.
February 8, 2015
I've followed Jesse's work since Backwards Folding Mirror 1. He's one of the greatest working comic artists, coupling incredibly solid storytelling with serious philosophical/cosmic questions. His work is also insanely funny. Forming is essential reading.
December 23, 2014
A really different comic book
March 26, 2015
STILL INCREDIBLE
May 21, 2015
So weird. So great. But so weird.
October 1, 2015
It's been too long between books, and now I can't wait for the next one!
June 3, 2016
This middle book is funnier than the first and easier to follow. A humorous look at the creation of the universe
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews