Casanova, Vol. 3: Avaritia

Casanova (Collected Editions)

by Matt Fraction (Writer), Gabriel Bá (Artist)

From the writer of Marvel's smash hit Fear Itself and the artist of the best-selling Umbrella Academy comes the full-colour rebirth of the coolest comic of all time: Casanova. What started as the perfect life has become a nightmare as Casanova Quinn, interdimensional man of mystery, polices the ruins of spacetime at the behest of his father's law agency E.M.P.I.R.E. When he discovers the secret identity of the man who would end the cosmos itself Casanova and his time-loosened girl friday Sasa Lisi embark on a dangerous plan to free themselves from tyranny once and for all.

Collecting: Casanova: Avaritia I-IV

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book, Thriller, Sequential Art

176 pages, Hardcover

First published July 11, 2012

About the author

"How he got started in comics: In 1983, when Fraction was 7 years old and growing up in Kansas City, Mo., he became fascinated by the U.S. invasion of Grenada and created his own newspaper to explain the event. "I've always been story-driven, telling stories with pictures and words," he said.

Education and first job: Fraction never graduated from college. He stopped half a semester short of an art degree at Kansas City Art Institute in Missouri in 1998 to take a job as a Web designer and managing editor of a magazine about Internet culture.

"My mother was not happy about that," he said.

But that gig led Fraction and his co-workers to split off and launch MK12, a boutique graphic design and production firm in Kansas City that created the opening credits for the James Bond film "Quantum of Solace."

Big break: While writing and directing live-action shoots at MK12, Fraction spent his spare time writing comics and pitching his books each year to publishers at Comic-Con. Two books sold: "The Last of the Independents," published in 2003 by AiT/Planet Lar, and "Casanova," published in 2006 by Image Comics.

Fraction traveled extensively on commercial shoots. Then his wife got pregnant. So Fraction did what any rational man in his position would do -- he quit his job at MK12 to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time comic book writer.

Say what? "It was terrifying," said Fraction, who now lives in Portland, Ore. "I was married. We had a house. We had a baby coming. And I just quit my job."

Marvel hired Fraction in June 2006, thanks largely to the success of his other two comics. "I got very lucky," he half-joked. "If it hadn't worked out, I would have had to move back in with my parents.

- 2009. Alex Pham. Los Angeles Times.

Reviews

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this volume is the perfect combination of the traits of the first two in the series.

It was clever, funny, bold, frentic, and (best of all) while I occasionally had to work a bit to follow what was going on, I never felt the story was constructed in such a way to purposely keep me from understanding it.

I hesitate to use the term "post modern" because that's the sort of wankerish thing academics and critics do. Mostly when they're desperately attempting to seem more clever than they really are.

But the truth is, this comic embodies some of the best characteristics of post-modern literature, with very little of the artistic faffery that normally accompanies such things.

Heh. There's a blurb they could use for the book.

Pa-zow.

[CS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bullet Review:

Oddly enough this may be my favorite of this bunch. Casanova is batsh!t insane with a barely comprehensible plot at best, but there are worse things to read out there. Still, if you are a fan, could you please explain what exactly it is that draws you to this series? Not being a d!ck, I'm truly curious.

[Daniel Sevitt · Rating 2 out of 5]

As incomprehensibly frustrating as the previous volumes. If I hadn't picked these all up together I would never have got past the first one. I've like other work by Matt Fraction, but this just left me bewildered. I'm a long-term advocate for letting the reader do some of the work, but I could never shake the feeling that there were panels or whole pages missing or that the band was playing something dissonant and complicated that I need to have explained.

[Stewart Tame · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first started reading Casanova, back in volume 1, I wasn't hugely impressed. It was good, but nothing too special, I thought. I kept reading the collected volumes anyway, because, hey: Fraction, Moon, and Bá. Got to be worth reading at least once, right? Well, it all grew on me, and I found myself liking this volume more than the previous two. It's still, at heart, steeped in 60's spy movies and pop culture, but this volume is much more Jerry Cornelius or The Prisoner than it is James Bond. Fraction is clearly putting his heart and soul into making this the best book possible, and it shows. And the notes and letters and sketches at the end of the book are at least as interesting as the story itself.

[Adam Lewis Schroeder · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the Quinn multiverse, but found this the patchiest volume of the three. I love that the scabby guy on the boat in the previous volume turns out to be Xeno, but the wacky fact that he's only sentient bandages didn't resonate with anything. And do we need to see dozens of different cauterized realities, pages and pages, when we got the point after the first couple? Does the final button push need to take five pages? Mostly I'm just sad Zephyr never came back, unless she happened to be inhabiting some unnamed lab tech off in a corner.

[Artemy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ugh. First two issues were great. Last two? Fuck. That was, again, completely incomprehensible, unfollowable, convoluted whatever. I have NO idea what even happened in those two. And yeah, again, I think Bá's art on this series is not very good. It makes the story even harder to follow than it already is. Sadly, volume 3 was a disappointment overall. Hope that the ongoing volume 4 is going to be better again.

[Kevin Maas · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
"The pain of the past in its pastness converts to the future tense of joy"

[Tony Laplume · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of the three Casanova volumes I've to date, this one's the most rewarding. It's a culmination point, Casanova Quinn versus Newman Xeno in one of the most epic showdowns in comics.

Matt Fraction began Casanova as a kind of independent, psychedelic take on Marvel's traditional spy thrillers (Nick Fury, agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.!), following batshit superhero comic book logic, and embracing it to the fullest, throwing together fast and loose narratives that centered on Casanova's strange existence as his own replacement, pulled from his own timeline to replace the dead version elsewhere, working for a father who asks too much and basically against a sister (dead in his timeline, naturally) every bit his match, with every bit as complicated enemies and allies, and organizations with ridiculous acronyms (in the fine Marvel tradition of being ludicrous excuses to use real words; see above).

But Casanova was also kind of a superhero, with a superpower he unleashes randomly. His archnemesis, Newman Xeno, stands revealed in this volume, and eventually they skip through timelines eliminating each other and/or the timelines themselves. Casanova has to fulfill a paradox along the way, saving one version of Xeno so that all this can be set in motion, and push his internal struggles against father and sister to their logical conclusions, too.

As a superhero story, it's really only possible in a project like this, a standalone concept that can follow its own logic rather than adhere to a continuity that must be preserved. If a mainstream superhero did this sort of thing, it would be either part of a massive crossover event, or a storyline that would have to eventually subsume back to ordinary continuity. But Fraction doesn't have to bother with either. Grant Morrison pulled this off with his Zenith epic, and really, Casanova is the closest equivalent to it I've seen.

Fraction is clearly drawing on the greater world comics experience, and that's hugely refreshing in and of itself. Image (which once and then again held publishing rights, while it temporarily resided at Marvel) often looks for outlandish projects like this, but most of them fade into a sea of commonality (Walking Dead and Saga are notable exceptions), dulled by too many similar conceits. It's the boldness of execution, and willingness to throw everything at the page rather than draw it out for years, that truly sets Casanova apart. It's the most unapologetic thing in comics.

You can get away with reading just Avaritia, but it helps to have also read Luxuria and Gula.

[Rocky Sunico · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm glad that I've finally finished this sort of three-act arc that makes up the core Casanova story. It's pretty crazy even by Matt Fraction standards, but on the whole it's still a great experience.

We start with our titular protagonist destroying whole universes in the hopes for pruning Xeno from the multiverse - a job that he begins to loathe more and more. The wanton killing is taking its toll on him but he doesn't seem to have much of a choice. The mission continues on and on until the threat is truly neutralized. But practically stumbles across a key truth about their adversary that alters his course, but not before most of his sensibility (and potentially his sanity) has been lost, perhaps destroy alongside his victims.

The Casanova books haven't been the easiest material to read and I appreciate the ambition of the series as a whole. This final tries to make all the build-up worth it, and for the most part it does, but it also could have done better. Then again with a book of this narrative scale, it's hard to say if we'd ever be satisfied with any ending.

[Jake Kilroy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike the first two bursts, this volume had a curious underlining sourness that was once breezy giddiness, at least between the characters and their respective outlooks on dimension-hopping espionage madness. There's resentment in these pages that seemed arguably sudden, and even character motivations switched weird. It read off a bit, though I still enjoyed the weirdness and wildness. For all of the fun manic noise the first two volumes were, they somehow managed to seamlessly flow together. This was a rogue within a rogue, I suppose.

[Zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 and this one really focuses the story to one singular moment (if you read it you'll get what I'm saying) and gives a very "Twin Peaks The Return" sort of ending that I feel is fitting for this series. It'll take a sec to recall some of the early references but I feel it was overall rewarding journey this time and space

[Gary Fortuin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story definitely scratched my “I like weird comics” itch. There were times throughout the series I got lost with the dimension shifting and time travel. The art and coloring is amazing. Some of the best out there.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

(sound of spatiotemporal holocaust)

[zackxdig · Rating 2 out of 5]

Assassins killing the same versions of the same person in different realities. I still don’t get this book. Maybe I missed the point.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

All three volumes are pretty meh.

[Jorge Schumacher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uma história meio louca, mas interessante, com uma arte experimental bem legal e fora do lugar comum.

[Evan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.2 Out Of 5 Stars
Writing: ⭐️⭐️
Art: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters: ⭐️
Story: ⭐️⭐️
Pace: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

A writer like Matt Fraction deserves to be let loose every once in a while. His work on such series as Iron Fist, Iron Man, and Thor plays with big, weird ideas in a fairly simple, accessible ways, and comes across as engaging popcorn storytelling. Casanova is a different beast altogether. I don't recommend reading Avaritia unless you have read the previous two volumes of Casanova, and I really don't even recommend reading it unless you've RECENTLY read the other two volumes. Take a refresher course on them before you delve into Avaritia, because it is somehow even denser and more insane than the previous volumes.

After the events of Gula (Casanova vol. 2), we find Casanova trapped in an infinite cycle, carrying out the same exact hit on the same exact person across an infinite number of universes. This is simple enough to understand, but it quickly goes completely crazy. However, you get the feeling Fraction knows that this stuff is impossible to understand. We're dealing with a story set in a multiverse where superspies sometimes go so far as to kill alternate versions of themselves. The reasons are not always clear, the plot becomes increasingly difficult to follow, and somehow it doesn't seem to matter. Fraction has such a great sense of humor (brilliantly coupled by the amazing art of Gabriel Ba) that even when Casanova spins completely off the rails, you trust it. You keep reading, and you enjoy the way it makes you feel as your brain slowly melts and pours out of your ears. It's the kind of stuff Phillip K. Dick would read if he was feeling adventurous.

Casanova is definitely not for everybody. By the end I felt as lost as if someone had made me close my eyes and spin around for 5 minutes and set me loose in a town in the middle of nowhere. But I enjoyed the ride a whole hell of a lot, and I think that's the most important part.

[Helmut · Rating 5 out of 5]

Todsünde 3
Newman Xeno muss weg. Der Erzfeind Casanova Quinns ist nun nicht mehr nur sein persönlicher Erzfeind, sondern steht auf der "most wanted"-Liste von E.M.P.I.R.E. ganz oben. Und mit den technischen Zeit-und-Raumreisemitteln und den Massenvernichtungswaffen von E.M.P.I.R.E. bedeutet das, dass ein paar Milliarden Kollateralopfer keine Rolle spielen...

Gabriel Bás Zeichnungen sind ein Augenschmaus in ihrer Verschrobenheit - endlich wieder mal ein Künstler, den man sofort auf einen Blick erkennt, und der der Serie genau den Spin gibt, den so etwas Abgefahrenes braucht, obwohl mir die Farbgebung in Luxuria besser gefiel.

Gerne würde ich mir von einem klarsichtigen Menschen erklären lassen, inwieweit sich die titelgebenden Todsünden in der Handlung wiederspiegeln - mir ist das nämlich etwas unklar, wo sich im vorliegenden Comic Geiz/Habsucht manifestiert.

Aber vielleicht denke ich zuviel nach statt mich von der wilden Verfolgungsjagd durch Zeit und Raum treiben zu lassen.

Eine großartige Reihe, bei der ich die nächste Installation kaum erwarten kann.

[Eric England · Rating 3 out of 5]

Casanova: Avaritia continues this series' streak of producing original and intricate comic book storytelling. Matt Fraction and Gabriel Ba push their creative talents to the max and create a world unlike any other on comic store shelves. However, the joy and passion that exuded from the previous two volumes is gone with Fraction seemingly plunged into despair. This volume is almost comedically dark and violent with a constant stream of anguish. I very much respect the fact that the creators are letting their innermost emotions out on the printed page but it can make for uncomfortable reading at times. The storytelling continues to be obscure and at times frustrating but that is part of the signature trademark of Casanova at this point. I would recommend this volume to ADULT graphic novel fans but be prepared for a different experience if you enjoyed the first two collections in this series.

[Matías · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably the best volume of them all. The action is really amazing, as well as the art and the overall story. Too bad some characters are still seriously undeveloped and the flow of the story sometimes gets a little difficult to follow, with characters suddenly popping out in the past just like that. I mean, I still can't find the panel where they invented time travel.

Still, the relationship between Casanova and Luther is really great, whereas the one with Sasa Lisi feels completely forced. Actually, Sasa Lisi feels completely forced as a character since she basically did nothing for 11 issues since her introduction.

Then again, Avaritia was better than Gula and, despite all its faults, Casanova is still a unique read that you won't find anywhere else.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the coolest books I barely understand. The art—which I love because it's Gabriel Bá—is what draws me in first, though this time it's a little more frenetic than the first collection. The story, also, is a little more loose than what we've seen heretofore (if you can imagine) but it's still follow-able. Maybe I'm giving this a half-star less ½★ because here I felt longer periods of disconnect from the purpose of things, though I'm already accustomed to that with "Casanova" because it's obvious that sometimes you just have to bear with them while things play themselves out. Otherwise, very enjoyable and strange. Definitely not to be read out of order, mind you.

[Cha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I respect the way the story cycles around on itself and self destructs. I particularly enjoy the parts where dialogue gives way to just descriptions of dialogue. There's so much weariness here. Captures feelings about time and space travel I've rarely seen.

Sasa Lisi is the most boring character in the series, and her role here is apparently to provide enough T&A to offset the number of naked men in this book. And perhaps because it's easier than having Casanova's sister fill that role. Still a sad cop-out on how Casanova's bisexuality is represented, despite it having increasing focus in each volume.

[Jack Reickel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update: my girlfriend became my wife but otherwise this 5-star review needs little change. Love the story and love the art. In the running for my all-time top graphic novel volume.

--

My snapchat friends got slammed with snaps of great panels. My girlfriend had beautiful splashes set in front of her face; Bá out-does himself with the art here.

Writing was interesting enough, and I could follow what was going on reasonably well (a plus in the wild world of cross-dimensional espionage). Of all the Casanova books, I think Avaritia does the best at exploring Cass and Xeno's character--and hey, they're my two favorites, so giddy-up.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fraction does a lot of work at Marvel, but none of it compares to the mad genius of this book.

And this book is beautiful. Ba has come a long way since the beginning of CASANOVA, and the pages ache with beauty. Color helps, as it does not look as sickly as the original green/ black/ white color scheme of Volume 1.

AVARITIA is a complex book on multiple levels: time-travel, double-cross upon double-cross, the sexual spectrum...simply put, the world needs more comics like this one.

[Tj Mcdonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow... I thought after vol 1 and vol 2 that this volume would contain similarly incomprehensible parts that would take away from the whole experience. But, this has to be the best Matt Fraction book I've ever read. And all of the growing pains of the first two volumes were well worth it to get to this, the last (so far) of Casanova.

This volume is full of love, romance, time travel, murder, robots and multiversal genocide. What more can be said. Fantastic!

[Oliver Hodson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reckon its the best one so far. I really like how matt fraction handles the fluidity of casanova quinn- his person, power, sexuality, time space relationship, and it all adds to the supreme attractiveness of the character- more powerful than bond or even the whole austin powers expression of international men of mystery. And the art continues to be amazing! So skillful!

[Alex Sarll]

In places, this has some really bold and experimental work; it doesn't always come off but (as in the Pizza Dog issue of Hawkeye) shows Fraction's keenness to push the boundaries of the comics form.
The rest of the time, it's Indigo Prime for people who like ukuleles, or perhaps the Vice adaptation of Luther Arkwright.
Maddening.

[Shaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another re-read for me. This was easily the strongest of the three Cassanova books in my opinion. Gloriously incomprehensible on an intellectual level, and yet powerfully resonant on an emotional one.

[Brandon Forsyth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm glad there's four volumes of this thing left to go, because if they had stopped here, I would be utterly confused and frustrated. It's the coolest thing I've ever read. One day I hope to understand more of it.