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Panter
Le prince Panthère, dandy, charmeur, vient réconforter la jeune Christine, dans sa chambre, après la mort de son petit chat. Commence un étrange jeu de séduction entre le félin et sa proie.
Lorsque la jeune Christine rentre de l'école, son père lui annonce que le vétérinaire a dû euthanasier Patchouli, son petit chat. Seule dans sa chambre bleue, elle pleure, peut-être aussi parce que sa mère qui a quitté la maison lui manque. Panthère, le prince héritier du royaume de Panthésia, jaillit tel un djinn du tiroir de la commode et emplit la pièce de toute sa majesté. Commence alors un étrange jeu de séduction entre le beau félin, dandy protéiforme, et sa proie.
Un «Calvin et Hobbes »au féminin, façon Brecht Evens, qui nous plonge dans un monde de l'enfance, troublant et dérangeant.
Lorsque la jeune Christine rentre de l'école, son père lui annonce que le vétérinaire a dû euthanasier Patchouli, son petit chat. Seule dans sa chambre bleue, elle pleure, peut-être aussi parce que sa mère qui a quitté la maison lui manque. Panthère, le prince héritier du royaume de Panthésia, jaillit tel un djinn du tiroir de la commode et emplit la pièce de toute sa majesté. Commence alors un étrange jeu de séduction entre le beau félin, dandy protéiforme, et sa proie.
Un «Calvin et Hobbes »au féminin, façon Brecht Evens, qui nous plonge dans un monde de l'enfance, troublant et dérangeant.
120 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2014
18 people are currently reading
1698 people want to read
About the author
Brecht Evens
23 books186 followersBelgian cartoonist Brecht Evens was born in 1986 and studied illustration in Ghent, Belgium. Important mentors were his illustration teacher Goele Dewanckel and cartoonist/comedy coach/zen master Randall Casaer.
His debut comic book, A Delivery from Outer Space, was released in 2005. The slightly melodramatic Vincent was released in 2006, followed in 2007 by a little nocturnal fantasy called Night Animals. The Wrong Place (2009), started out as a graduation project and was a departure from the more typical comic art of his earlier books. It won the Haarlem Comic Festival's Willy Vandersteen Award for best Dutch-language graphic novel, and an award at the Angouleme International Comics Festival. He followed The Wrong Place up with The Making Of (2012) and the many-year-end-best-of-list appearing Panther (2016).
Brecht lives in Paris in a charming and oh so Parisian garret apartment.
His debut comic book, A Delivery from Outer Space, was released in 2005. The slightly melodramatic Vincent was released in 2006, followed in 2007 by a little nocturnal fantasy called Night Animals. The Wrong Place (2009), started out as a graduation project and was a departure from the more typical comic art of his earlier books. It won the Haarlem Comic Festival's Willy Vandersteen Award for best Dutch-language graphic novel, and an award at the Angouleme International Comics Festival. He followed The Wrong Place up with The Making Of (2012) and the many-year-end-best-of-list appearing Panther (2016).
Brecht lives in Paris in a charming and oh so Parisian garret apartment.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 357 reviews
February 11, 2020
goodreads is telling me it is 'romance week' with a creature that looks a lot like the one in this book and i'm PSA-ing everyone to be careful of your romantic choices because this cat is NOT FOR YOU.
***********************************************
Larisa LJ recommended this book to me on the thread for my review of Beautiful Darkness, because at the end i was marveling at how much i loved the ickiness of the book, and how revolting it was:
but revolting in that way that totally rejuvenates me because i love knowing i can still be horrified.
i really want a sequel to this, or a rec for a book that is as gorgeously repellent, horrifyingly alluring, beautifully dark.
so hit me with 'em.
consider me hit by this one. hit so hard. this book makes Beautiful Darkness seem like a cute little children's adventure story by comparison. all of THAT is less disturbing than this book.
triggers, triggers everywhere.
christine is a little girl living alone with her father after . her beloved cat lucy becomes sick and while christine is at school, lucy dies.
while christine is grieving for lucy in her room, a creature emerges from the bottom drawer of her bureau, attracted by the sound of her crying.
this is panther, the crown prince of pantherland, and he's here to cheer christine up and tell her magical stories and be her playmate to distract her from her loss.
at first, everything is magical and jolly, but there are some red flags popping up - panther already knows christine's name, he keeps adjusting his stories, responding to christine's reactions to them and smoothly backtracking and re-tailoring them accordingly. on the one hand, it could be written off as panther trying to be the best imaginary friend possible - to be everything she needs, but there's a sinister undertone to it - a manipulation, or even a seduction, of a vulnerable little girl, and he is stronger, bigger, more physical than christine.
panther is drawn differently in every panel, emphasizing this chameleonish quality; the way he is able to adapt to each new situation or response from christine, and his speech is written in cursive, while hers is in block print, suggesting that panther is older, more sophisticated and experienced in the world.
christine loves her boisterous imaginary friend, and if he is occasionally inappropriate in his play with her, it can just be written off to the high spirits of a creature unaware of the boundaries and standards of behavior in the human world. no one is outraged when a dog sticks its nose in a human's crotch, after all…
or at a cat for grooming a pal
and it's all good, clean fun, right?
theirs is a close, cuddly relationship, like one would want to have with a giant imaginary cat - lots of snuggling, tickling, and massaging, but there's a secrecy to it that's mildly alarming - christine's hiding of panther's existence from her father, panther's telling her not to open the bureau drawer on her own, and his suggesting that she ask her father for the keys to her room so she can have privacy. it's a friendship with many shadowy areas.
and the thing is - the thing that makes this book so gut-wrenching - is that nothing is overt. there's not much you can point to and say - this is what is happening here. there are hints throughout, but they are brief, ambiguous, quickly twisted-away from with feline dexterity and buried under hearty friendly cheer and bluster, leaving the reader doubting their own suspicions. which doubt, when you re-place the situation into a real-world context, makes the book even more chilling.
but then, one of christine's toys - bonzo - goes missing, after trying to warn her of panther's seductive charms, and when he returns, emerging from the drawer-portal to pantherland, he is … changed: he can talk, he is more aggressive, and he has many vaguely frightening things to say.
and then panther throws a surprise birthday party for christine, attended by several visitors from pantherland, and what was once a subtle dread becomes unequivocally so, and the aftermath of that party is shattering.
it's a dark little book, made more so by the brightly-colored whimsy and kiddie-ness of the artwork. the ending is more suggestive than conclusive, and it kind of dumps the reader abruptly which, after a journey so sick and wrong, is very effective. we're left somewhat complicit, with many conflicting feelings, unsure what is real, what is fantasy, what is coping mechanism, but quite shaken. and, from the interview linked in david's review, this:
Dueben: Why did you decide to make the book in this particular shape? Were you trying to echo the shape of picture books?
Evens: Exactly, a book disguised as a children’s book. Which is not to say that I don’t want children to read it–I do.
me: he DOES?
considering how wretched this book made me feel, i would suggest maybe NOT letting your children read it. again - it's not incredibly obvious what is happening, but there's enough on-page to cause serious discomfort, even to readers who might not be able to extrapolate what is being suggested. and to children who, horribly, may understand what is being implied, that's just gonna be an additional psychic scar they don't need.
four stars because it's so powerful, but it's not a pleasant book, and it's most emphatically not for sensitive readers.
********************************
this book fucked me up big time. i've got a pretty strong stomach for things, but man - creepy, insidious shit right here. review to come, once i can figure out how to talk about this.
come to my blog!
***********************************************
Larisa LJ recommended this book to me on the thread for my review of Beautiful Darkness, because at the end i was marveling at how much i loved the ickiness of the book, and how revolting it was:
but revolting in that way that totally rejuvenates me because i love knowing i can still be horrified.
i really want a sequel to this, or a rec for a book that is as gorgeously repellent, horrifyingly alluring, beautifully dark.
so hit me with 'em.
consider me hit by this one. hit so hard. this book makes Beautiful Darkness seem like a cute little children's adventure story by comparison. all of THAT is less disturbing than this book.
triggers, triggers everywhere.
christine is a little girl living alone with her father after . her beloved cat lucy becomes sick and while christine is at school, lucy dies.
while christine is grieving for lucy in her room, a creature emerges from the bottom drawer of her bureau, attracted by the sound of her crying.
this is panther, the crown prince of pantherland, and he's here to cheer christine up and tell her magical stories and be her playmate to distract her from her loss.
at first, everything is magical and jolly, but there are some red flags popping up - panther already knows christine's name, he keeps adjusting his stories, responding to christine's reactions to them and smoothly backtracking and re-tailoring them accordingly. on the one hand, it could be written off as panther trying to be the best imaginary friend possible - to be everything she needs, but there's a sinister undertone to it - a manipulation, or even a seduction, of a vulnerable little girl, and he is stronger, bigger, more physical than christine.
panther is drawn differently in every panel, emphasizing this chameleonish quality; the way he is able to adapt to each new situation or response from christine, and his speech is written in cursive, while hers is in block print, suggesting that panther is older, more sophisticated and experienced in the world.
christine loves her boisterous imaginary friend, and if he is occasionally inappropriate in his play with her, it can just be written off to the high spirits of a creature unaware of the boundaries and standards of behavior in the human world. no one is outraged when a dog sticks its nose in a human's crotch, after all…
or at a cat for grooming a pal
and it's all good, clean fun, right?
theirs is a close, cuddly relationship, like one would want to have with a giant imaginary cat - lots of snuggling, tickling, and massaging, but there's a secrecy to it that's mildly alarming - christine's hiding of panther's existence from her father, panther's telling her not to open the bureau drawer on her own, and his suggesting that she ask her father for the keys to her room so she can have privacy. it's a friendship with many shadowy areas.
and the thing is - the thing that makes this book so gut-wrenching - is that nothing is overt. there's not much you can point to and say - this is what is happening here. there are hints throughout, but they are brief, ambiguous, quickly twisted-away from with feline dexterity and buried under hearty friendly cheer and bluster, leaving the reader doubting their own suspicions. which doubt, when you re-place the situation into a real-world context, makes the book even more chilling.
but then, one of christine's toys - bonzo - goes missing, after trying to warn her of panther's seductive charms, and when he returns, emerging from the drawer-portal to pantherland, he is … changed: he can talk, he is more aggressive, and he has many vaguely frightening things to say.
and then panther throws a surprise birthday party for christine, attended by several visitors from pantherland, and what was once a subtle dread becomes unequivocally so, and the aftermath of that party is shattering.
it's a dark little book, made more so by the brightly-colored whimsy and kiddie-ness of the artwork. the ending is more suggestive than conclusive, and it kind of dumps the reader abruptly which, after a journey so sick and wrong, is very effective. we're left somewhat complicit, with many conflicting feelings, unsure what is real, what is fantasy, what is coping mechanism, but quite shaken. and, from the interview linked in david's review, this:
Dueben: Why did you decide to make the book in this particular shape? Were you trying to echo the shape of picture books?
Evens: Exactly, a book disguised as a children’s book. Which is not to say that I don’t want children to read it–I do.
me: he DOES?
considering how wretched this book made me feel, i would suggest maybe NOT letting your children read it. again - it's not incredibly obvious what is happening, but there's enough on-page to cause serious discomfort, even to readers who might not be able to extrapolate what is being suggested. and to children who, horribly, may understand what is being implied, that's just gonna be an additional psychic scar they don't need.
four stars because it's so powerful, but it's not a pleasant book, and it's most emphatically not for sensitive readers.
********************************
this book fucked me up big time. i've got a pretty strong stomach for things, but man - creepy, insidious shit right here. review to come, once i can figure out how to talk about this.
come to my blog!
June 20, 2016
Nothing prepared me for this work from Evens. I had read others of his works that I think of as art comics, play, including The Wrong Place and The Making of. They seemed to me work more about art, the world of art, calling attention to itself as art, than narratives, which I can't recall that much about now. Ah, but the watercolor art, tending to surrealism, is gorgeous, and fun. One of the above books features a kind of Lothario, I guess, but he's not evil, and some of the tone is a bit snarky, anti-art world, but playful.
But Panther seems it could be about the sexual abuse of a child. Either way, So it's almost a bit disturbing that Evens sets it up to look like a long children's book, because something about this is "adult themed," but in the interview below Evens says he does hope children read the book. Children do experience abuses of various kinds, of course, so if that is what it is about, it may be a way for them to talk to adults about it.
The Panther is about a little girl whose pet cat has died. One day, in her grief and vulnerability, the girl is visited by a panther who appears to befriend her, and (spoiler? trigger?) alert, seems to seduce her. He tells her whatever she wants to hear, but then some physical things seem to happen that may make you uncomfortable. There are no really graphic physical images in this text (and it's about a girl and a Panther and other animals), but I think even younger kids would realize that some things are happening that are not quite "right". Reading early on I was thinking: This is a kid book about grief, it's sweet, though there are fairly early on also some somewhat troubling images, but I kind of let them go, I thought I must be misreading, maybe, but over time it is clear the "friend" is really a fiend. It's all set in gorgeous watercolors, beautiful to see, but it's over time about childhood's end, innocence, sweetness ruined.
I know I am not being very definitive here, but I am not showing you the images or describing them. It's not absolutely clear what is happening, but it surely seems that not all is well.
There is a color scheme in it I hadn't noticed, but which Evens calls attention to in the interview below; one set of colors for the girl alone; adding yellow for the panther (which overall makes his sections even MORE colorful, to show it is more dangerously seductive), and one, black and white, kind of criminal noir, for the panther and his world, and his friends.
That "imaginary friend" aspect may add another dimension, or another possibility, an allegorical one, about how childhood is innocence, but we lose that innocence over time as we enter or encounter the adult world. It is a panther, after all, coming out of her wardrobe drawer to friend her, but I don't think it is principally a book just about imaginary friends turning evil, a horror story, though that is one possible reading, maybe. Some people do think it is a kind of horror story, and this does seem this possible. If it is sexual abuse, that is horrific, without question. But does the story operate in the psychic plane, primarily? I haven't yet decided.
Parallels in Panther to Lolita do exist, if you take this to be story about sexual assault: Both are gorgeous and wickedly seductive texts about monsters. You might be seduced, too, when you meet him in the beginning. He's nice, he comforts a little girl, he's a (n imaginary) friend! And then turns creepy, just gradually and subtly. And maybe Evens is right, whether this is a story about adults who do inappropriate things with children or its a dark fairy tale, this could be a useful and/or interesting text for them to read and talk about with adults, even. I hope so. But here's where I take a stand: I wouldn't leave it out for my (9-11 yr old) kids to read, because in itself I thought the book might be disturbing. So I'm a bit confused, obviously.
And my rating of the book, like the work itself, is not to excuse the panther, or any kind of abuse generally, of course. It's because sometimes works of literature can be both wonderful and disturbing. They can take you to dark places. Even some children's books do this, as you know, like Grimm, like Gaiman, where horror can have its constructive purposes.
Here's an interview with Evens where he seems to admit the story MAY be about the sexual abuse of a child:
http://www.comicsbeat.com/174814-2/
Here's a review that discusses the work:
http://comicsalliance.com/brecht-even...
But Panther seems it could be about the sexual abuse of a child. Either way, So it's almost a bit disturbing that Evens sets it up to look like a long children's book, because something about this is "adult themed," but in the interview below Evens says he does hope children read the book. Children do experience abuses of various kinds, of course, so if that is what it is about, it may be a way for them to talk to adults about it.
The Panther is about a little girl whose pet cat has died. One day, in her grief and vulnerability, the girl is visited by a panther who appears to befriend her, and (spoiler? trigger?) alert, seems to seduce her. He tells her whatever she wants to hear, but then some physical things seem to happen that may make you uncomfortable. There are no really graphic physical images in this text (and it's about a girl and a Panther and other animals), but I think even younger kids would realize that some things are happening that are not quite "right". Reading early on I was thinking: This is a kid book about grief, it's sweet, though there are fairly early on also some somewhat troubling images, but I kind of let them go, I thought I must be misreading, maybe, but over time it is clear the "friend" is really a fiend. It's all set in gorgeous watercolors, beautiful to see, but it's over time about childhood's end, innocence, sweetness ruined.
I know I am not being very definitive here, but I am not showing you the images or describing them. It's not absolutely clear what is happening, but it surely seems that not all is well.
There is a color scheme in it I hadn't noticed, but which Evens calls attention to in the interview below; one set of colors for the girl alone; adding yellow for the panther (which overall makes his sections even MORE colorful, to show it is more dangerously seductive), and one, black and white, kind of criminal noir, for the panther and his world, and his friends.
That "imaginary friend" aspect may add another dimension, or another possibility, an allegorical one, about how childhood is innocence, but we lose that innocence over time as we enter or encounter the adult world. It is a panther, after all, coming out of her wardrobe drawer to friend her, but I don't think it is principally a book just about imaginary friends turning evil, a horror story, though that is one possible reading, maybe. Some people do think it is a kind of horror story, and this does seem this possible. If it is sexual abuse, that is horrific, without question. But does the story operate in the psychic plane, primarily? I haven't yet decided.
Parallels in Panther to Lolita do exist, if you take this to be story about sexual assault: Both are gorgeous and wickedly seductive texts about monsters. You might be seduced, too, when you meet him in the beginning. He's nice, he comforts a little girl, he's a (n imaginary) friend! And then turns creepy, just gradually and subtly. And maybe Evens is right, whether this is a story about adults who do inappropriate things with children or its a dark fairy tale, this could be a useful and/or interesting text for them to read and talk about with adults, even. I hope so. But here's where I take a stand: I wouldn't leave it out for my (9-11 yr old) kids to read, because in itself I thought the book might be disturbing. So I'm a bit confused, obviously.
And my rating of the book, like the work itself, is not to excuse the panther, or any kind of abuse generally, of course. It's because sometimes works of literature can be both wonderful and disturbing. They can take you to dark places. Even some children's books do this, as you know, like Grimm, like Gaiman, where horror can have its constructive purposes.
Here's an interview with Evens where he seems to admit the story MAY be about the sexual abuse of a child:
http://www.comicsbeat.com/174814-2/
Here's a review that discusses the work:
http://comicsalliance.com/brecht-even...
January 8, 2017
Panther by Belgian cartoonist Brecht Evens tells the wildly imaginative yet subtly poetic, beautifully crafted yet strangely disturbing story of a young girl trying to come to terms with various painful experiences. There is the tabooed disappearance of her mother, the death of her beloved cat, and the trauma of what could have been an eerie hospital stay or, as most have suggested, a case of sexual abuse. It's the best graphic novel I've read in a while, certainly my favorite from 2016, most likely a new all-time favorite. Highly recommended to fans of alternative comics!
April 27, 2025
надзвичайно тривожний і дискомфортний шедевр, у якому кожну сторінку — в рамку й на стіну художнього музею шльоп (кількість великодок також вражає, моя улюблена).
February 11, 2020
Panter is the story of Christine, whose pet cat is put to sleep in the opening pages. She is visited by Panther, a magical emissary from Pantherland, who comes out of her dresser drawer to tell her all about his country and get inappropriately touchy. Panther is never overtly abusive to Christine, leaving the reader with no solid evidence of exactly what his motivation might be, but the fact that he’s grooming her is clear even without knowing to what end and the entire book is permeated with a sense of dread as the reader watches a trusting child be manipulated. Her stuffed toy Bonzo tries to write a warning about Panther on her bedroom wall, then goes missing and comes back from a visit to Pantherland with a lot more teeth than before. Christine’s birthday rolls around, Panther throws her a party with a lot of disturbing guests from the dresser drawer, and things go terribly awry for the little girl. The reader (thankfully) isn’t shown explicitly how Christine is hurt in the end, and she is unable to articulate it herself, simply voicing her sense of violation with words that belie her own naiveté: “Those weren’t real friends!” Panther tries to console her even as he pushes his agenda, but the damage has already been done. Christine doesn’t need to know exactly what happened to her to understand that her body isn’t a safe place anymore.
This is a tough book to review; I’ve seen it compared in many places to Vehlmann’s Beautiful Darkness (dubious thanks to Karen’s comment thread, which was where I first saw this comparison), so this seemed a natural next choice of disturbing graphic novel for me since I adored the savage artwork and grotesque storyline of that book, but this saddened me in a way that BD did not. I'm all for delightful creepiness but this hit a little too close to home for me, both as a mom and a woman.
This is a tough book to review; I’ve seen it compared in many places to Vehlmann’s Beautiful Darkness (dubious thanks to Karen’s comment thread, which was where I first saw this comparison), so this seemed a natural next choice of disturbing graphic novel for me since I adored the savage artwork and grotesque storyline of that book, but this saddened me in a way that BD did not. I'm all for delightful creepiness but this hit a little too close to home for me, both as a mom and a woman.
February 20, 2025
Brecht Evens'ın Panter'i gerek çizimleri gerekse ürkütücü atmosferiyle bayıldığım bir çizgi roman oldu. Kedisini kaybettikten sonra çekmecesinden çıkan Panter'le tanışan küçük bir kızın hikayesi bu. Fakat bu çizgi romanın tamamen yetişkinler için olduğunu eklemekte fayda var. Zira hem çizimler hem de olayın seyri gittikçe ürkütücü bir hal alıyor-ki ben buna bayıldım. Yazar Brech Evens bir röportajında ''I didn’t set out to make a book about child abuse, but I’m not stupid, of course it is about that.'' diyor. Yani karanlık derken gerçekten karanlık bir eserden bahsediyoruz aslında. Tüm o renk cümbüşünün arkasında gizli olan, ajite etmeyen, sinir bozucu bir karanlık...
Çok sevdim. Ağır bir depresyon sürecindeyken başlayıp bitirmiş Evens bu eseri. Bence içinde bulunduğu ruh hali esere de yansımış. Okurken içinizi sıkmıyor asla fakat o karanlık hisler bir şekilde size de geçiyor. Tuhaf ama unutması zor çizgi romanlardan biriydi. Şimdiden 2025 favorilerim arasına girdi.
Çok sevdim. Ağır bir depresyon sürecindeyken başlayıp bitirmiş Evens bu eseri. Bence içinde bulunduğu ruh hali esere de yansımış. Okurken içinizi sıkmıyor asla fakat o karanlık hisler bir şekilde size de geçiyor. Tuhaf ama unutması zor çizgi romanlardan biriydi. Şimdiden 2025 favorilerim arasına girdi.
December 24, 2018
This was so awful, and so well done.
I almost wish I had listened to karen and Greg and not read it, because now I feel icky.
Also, I think it is this sort of Dionysian supernatural panther
and not a leopard, but maybe someone who read this in the original language can comment on that?
I almost wish I had listened to karen and Greg and not read it, because now I feel icky.
Also, I think it is this sort of Dionysian supernatural panther
and not a leopard, but maybe someone who read this in the original language can comment on that?
October 9, 2016
Let's be clear- this is not "5 stars because this brought me joy"- it is "5 stars because it disturbed me so effectively." The artwork in here is thoughtfully executed and gorgeous; the story is subtly terrifying and dreadful and made me doubt myself; like "Did... No, that can't be what is really going on, is it? Surely I'm being overly sensitive...?" And then you read enough other reviews and you realize that, yes, that's EXACTLY what other people also believe was going on and you feel all queasy and gross and of course, it all makes sense- and wow, the world can be so terrible. :( A brilliant book, but not in a feel-good way.
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August 30, 2024Відгук можна знайти тут теж, написала його три дні тому.
Добре, я дочитала "Пантеру" Брехта Евенса.
Я мало що про неї знала перед тим, бо навіть коли я чула на неї відгуки, вони були дуже розмиті. Після прочитання я розумію чому так.
Комікс дуже кольоровий, тому на перший погляд може здатися, що він дитячий. Але це далеко не так. Мальовка часом переходить від яскравої та доброї до моторошно-тривожної.
Історія розповідає про дівчинку на ім'я Христина, яка втратила свого котика (це перші дві сторінки, тому не є спойлером). Крім того у дівчини є й інші психологічні травми. Після цього у своїй кімнаті вона зустрічає пантеру. Він починає говорити дівчинці те, що вона бажає почути, інколи навіть підтримує її. Але разом з тим стаються моменти, через які виникає якийсь дискомфорт.
Свої припущення тут не писатиму, бо це можуть бути спойлери. Не сюжетні, але не хочеться так просто розкривати вірогідний задум автора. Краще, щоб кожен відкривав його самостійно (вони є в телеграмі під спойлером).
Наразі я не знаю як оцінити дану роботу зірочками. З одного боку вона гарно продумала і чудово намальована. З іншого боку читати мені було це не комфортно з самого початку. Поки історія в моєму випадку залишиться без оцінки.
UDP Насправді вже пройшло кілька днів після прочитання і мені є що додати, можливо пізніше відгук допишу.
Добре, я дочитала "Пантеру" Брехта Евенса.
Я мало що про неї знала перед тим, бо навіть коли я чула на неї відгуки, вони були дуже розмиті. Після прочитання я розумію чому так.
Комікс дуже кольоровий, тому на перший погляд може здатися, що він дитячий. Але це далеко не так. Мальовка часом переходить від яскравої та доброї до моторошно-тривожної.
Історія розповідає про дівчинку на ім'я Христина, яка втратила свого котика (це перші дві сторінки, тому не є спойлером). Крім того у дівчини є й інші психологічні травми. Після цього у своїй кімнаті вона зустрічає пантеру. Він починає говорити дівчинці те, що вона бажає почути, інколи навіть підтримує її. Але разом з тим стаються моменти, через які виникає якийсь дискомфорт.
Свої припущення тут не писатиму, бо це можуть бути спойлери. Не сюжетні, але не хочеться так просто розкривати вірогідний задум автора. Краще, щоб кожен відкривав його самостійно (вони є в телеграмі під спойлером).
Наразі я не знаю як оцінити дану роботу зірочками. З одного боку вона гарно продумала і чудово намальована. З іншого боку читати мені було це не комфортно з самого початку. Поки історія в моєму випадку залишиться без оцінки.
UDP Насправді вже пройшло кілька днів після прочитання і мені є що додати, можливо пізніше відгук допишу.
November 6, 2018
That might be one of the most unsettling books I've ever read.
December 13, 2022
Okay, first of all, just feast your eyes on that cover for a minute. Notice how it manages to be both busy and colorful without being overwhelming or muddy. That's not nearly as easy to accomplish as Evens makes it look. Talent, my friends. The whole book is this gorgeous and then some.
So a little girl, Christine, is sad when her cat dies. And then a colorful panther crawls out of the bottom drawer of her dresser. He tells her that he is the crown prince of Pantherland, a seemingly magical place. His very appearance changes from panel to panel, seemingly with his mood. She begins to cheer up. But then we begin to get hints that Pantherland may not be what he tells her, and we begin to suspect his motives ...
This starts off feeling like a children's book, but starts wandering into some pretty dark territory. I would definitely read this yourself first before deciding whether or not to pass it along to any children you know. You know the sorts of things they can handle far better than I, after all ... There's not a lot shown in the art that's too bad, but it definitely gets into some dark mental territory. Think Edward Gorey or Charles Burns crossed with Eric Carle and you kind of get the idea.
This is a story that will get under your skin and itch. Brecht Evens has enormous talent as an artist, taking watercolors to levels previously unknown in comics. He's also an excellent writer, as this book shows. Having read two of his books now, I'm unquestionably a fan. One of the best graphic novels I've read this year ...
So a little girl, Christine, is sad when her cat dies. And then a colorful panther crawls out of the bottom drawer of her dresser. He tells her that he is the crown prince of Pantherland, a seemingly magical place. His very appearance changes from panel to panel, seemingly with his mood. She begins to cheer up. But then we begin to get hints that Pantherland may not be what he tells her, and we begin to suspect his motives ...
This starts off feeling like a children's book, but starts wandering into some pretty dark territory. I would definitely read this yourself first before deciding whether or not to pass it along to any children you know. You know the sorts of things they can handle far better than I, after all ... There's not a lot shown in the art that's too bad, but it definitely gets into some dark mental territory. Think Edward Gorey or Charles Burns crossed with Eric Carle and you kind of get the idea.
This is a story that will get under your skin and itch. Brecht Evens has enormous talent as an artist, taking watercolors to levels previously unknown in comics. He's also an excellent writer, as this book shows. Having read two of his books now, I'm unquestionably a fan. One of the best graphic novels I've read this year ...
April 28, 2025
"Пантера"
Брехт Еванс
Переклад Ірини Коваль
"Мене звати Октавіанус Абракадольфус Пантеріус, я кронпринц Пантерляндії. Але ти можеш називати мене Пантерою!"
Певний час на моїй полиці чекав цей візуальний шедевр хитро блимаючи підступним пантерячим оком. Багато ж наслухався я про цю річ...
І що тут сказати - робота знаменита!
Почат��ові враження - Матісс, Ротко, Міро, Клєє. Або щоб сталося якби ці четверо вирішили написати пчихологічний автопортрет дівчинки, яка переживає смерть своєї кішки, а також відчуженість та життя в неповноцінний сім'ї.
Напевно, в цій книзі кожен трішки згадає малого себе. Наприклад я постійно бачив у нічних тінях та силуетах якихось скоцюрблених монстрів, візерунки килимів та штор шкірилися моторошними мордами. Кожен скрип підлоги відлунював у серці.
А що як з цих тіней виобразиться дивне створіння, що назве себе Пантерою і схоче стати нашим другом?
Не поспішайте давати цю книжку своїм дітям, хоч і формат і яскраві малюнки натякають на дитяче видання.
Це обман. Насправді тут заховані моторошні натяки від газлайтингу і до педофілії.
Особливо цікаво було читати цю книжку після роботи Марії Луїзи Фон-Франц "Архетипові паттерни в казках". Як багато тут можна нааналізувати: первісне магічне мистецтво, звіро-боги, комплекс Електри, фетишизм, і Самість у формі звіра.
Бо не спроста в батька весь одяг чи то в зиґза-заґ ти то в смужку.
P. S. Також в книзі безліч цікавих посилань та цитат з класичного живопису. Мій улюблений - Арчимбольдо на останній сторінці розгортці, яку насправді можна легко пропустити. А так воно й має бути, бо Пантерлядія захована в підсвідомості і потрапити туди може далеко не кожен.
Брехт Еванс
Переклад Ірини Коваль
"Мене звати Октавіанус Абракадольфус Пантеріус, я кронпринц Пантерляндії. Але ти можеш називати мене Пантерою!"
Певний час на моїй полиці чекав цей візуальний шедевр хитро блимаючи підступним пантерячим оком. Багато ж наслухався я про цю річ...
І що тут сказати - робота знаменита!
Почат��ові враження - Матісс, Ротко, Міро, Клєє. Або щоб сталося якби ці четверо вирішили написати пчихологічний автопортрет дівчинки, яка переживає смерть своєї кішки, а також відчуженість та життя в неповноцінний сім'ї.
Напевно, в цій книзі кожен трішки згадає малого себе. Наприклад я постійно бачив у нічних тінях та силуетах якихось скоцюрблених монстрів, візерунки килимів та штор шкірилися моторошними мордами. Кожен скрип підлоги відлунював у серці.
А що як з цих тіней виобразиться дивне створіння, що назве себе Пантерою і схоче стати нашим другом?
Не поспішайте давати цю книжку своїм дітям, хоч і формат і яскраві малюнки натякають на дитяче видання.
Це обман. Насправді тут заховані моторошні натяки від газлайтингу і до педофілії.
Особливо цікаво було читати цю книжку після роботи Марії Луїзи Фон-Франц "Архетипові паттерни в казках". Як багато тут можна нааналізувати: первісне магічне мистецтво, звіро-боги, комплекс Електри, фетишизм, і Самість у формі звіра.
Бо не спроста в батька весь одяг чи то в зиґза-заґ ти то в смужку.
P. S. Також в книзі безліч цікавих посилань та цитат з класичного живопису. Мій улюблений - Арчимбольдо на останній сторінці розгортці, яку насправді можна легко пропустити. А так воно й має бути, бо Пантерлядія захована в підсвідомості і потрапити туди може далеко не кожен.
February 4, 2017
Christine is a young girl who lives with a her father, and when her cat Lucy dies, Christine is grief stricken. In the midst of her grief, something magical happens: a panther pops out of her dresser and tells her that he is crown prince of Pantherland.
Sounds like a sweet story right? Well, it starts out that way indeed, but then this graphic novel starts to take on sinister tones that are quite unsettling. Panther is a master storyteller and manipulator, and he soon has Christine totally enthralled with him.
When I started reading this one, I thought it was for kids, the art is whimsical and lovely, and the way that Panther is illustrated is marvelous. But this is not a kid book, though I think that kids reading it might not pick up on the sinister undertones of the story. I read that the author says that the story might be about the sexual abuse of a child, and I can see how it could be interpreted that way. That this explores the slow burn of an abusive relationship is not in doubt, and as an adult reader I was both sucked in and deeply disturbed with how the story unfolds. The illustrations work to set the right ambiance; that slow seduction and isolation and complete control of a child is especially chilling juxtaposed with those cheery colors.
I would recommend this one for adults and older teens, and if you've read it I want to discuss that ending.
Sounds like a sweet story right? Well, it starts out that way indeed, but then this graphic novel starts to take on sinister tones that are quite unsettling. Panther is a master storyteller and manipulator, and he soon has Christine totally enthralled with him.
When I started reading this one, I thought it was for kids, the art is whimsical and lovely, and the way that Panther is illustrated is marvelous. But this is not a kid book, though I think that kids reading it might not pick up on the sinister undertones of the story. I read that the author says that the story might be about the sexual abuse of a child, and I can see how it could be interpreted that way. That this explores the slow burn of an abusive relationship is not in doubt, and as an adult reader I was both sucked in and deeply disturbed with how the story unfolds. The illustrations work to set the right ambiance; that slow seduction and isolation and complete control of a child is especially chilling juxtaposed with those cheery colors.
I would recommend this one for adults and older teens, and if you've read it I want to discuss that ending.
Read
December 28, 2025Це одна з найбільш некомфортних історій, які я бачила останніми роками. Не можу сказати, що достеменно зрозуміла, про що цей твір, але сприймаю його через призму людини, яка виросла у суспільстві, де чоловіки - це постійний ризик небезпеки для дівчинки/дівчини. (Ну, не ходи ввечері, не вдягайся у коротке і так далі). Тому мені відверто тривожна тримати "Пантеру" на своїх полицях.
Такий ефект викликає поєднання яскравого, харизматичного малюнку та похмурого сюжету. Як доросла, я розумію що дійсно відбувається у житті Христинки. На фоні смерті улюбленої кішки та самотності, оскільки в її батька мало часу, в неї з'являється уявний друг - Пантера. Принаймні, так здається на перший погляд.
Але потім... Чи насправді Пантера - це вигадка? Чи це захисна реакція психіки дівчинки, яка заміняє реальних злих людей - персонажами?
Моє припущення таке: другий варіант. Бо я сприймаю це як історію педофілії, при чому насилля коять близькі до Христинки чоловіки. Але хто це насправді? Батько? Сусід? Не ясно. Але я не можу сприймати цю історію інакше.
Це якісна та неформатна історія, але я б хотіла, щоб вона ніколи зі мною не траплялась.
Без оцінки.
А ще більше думок про книжки читайте у моєму Telegram-каналі.
Такий ефект викликає поєднання яскравого, харизматичного малюнку та похмурого сюжету. Як доросла, я розумію що дійсно відбувається у житті Христинки. На фоні смерті улюбленої кішки та самотності, оскільки в її батька мало часу, в неї з'являється уявний друг - Пантера. Принаймні, так здається на перший погляд.
Але потім... Чи насправді Пантера - це вигадка? Чи це захисна реакція психіки дівчинки, яка заміняє реальних злих людей - персонажами?
Моє припущення таке: другий варіант. Бо я сприймаю це як історію педофілії, при чому насилля коять близькі до Христинки чоловіки. Але хто це насправді? Батько? Сусід? Не ясно. Але я не можу сприймати цю історію інакше.
Це якісна та неформатна історія, але я б хотіла, щоб вона ніколи зі мною не траплялась.
Без оцінки.
А ще більше думок про книжки читайте у моєму Telegram-каналі.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2024
Beautiful illustrations. Has the trappings of a kids book with Peter Pan elements but it's really creepy and dark. After her cat dies a magical Panther from Pantherland appears. At first he's similar to Peter Pan, but it becomes clear he's lying. It's not explicitly sexual, but there are some skin crawling scenes in here as the Panther invites his friends "from Pantherland" to a tea party.
March 20, 2024
Sinister, unheimlich als de pest én magnifieke tekeningen. Zo heb ik mijn graphic novels graag.
April 10, 2021
Uno de los libros más inquietantes y perturbadores que he leído en los últimos tiempos.
April 3, 2020
To rzadki przykład komiksu, który działa na mnie na wielu poziomach - ilustracji, tekstu i opowieści, idei i ukrytych sensów. Mamy tu do czynienia z niezwykłym bogactwem kolorystycznym, jednocześnie wyciszonym przez białe tło czy schematyczność niektórych ujęć. Zachwycające, delikatne operowanie plamą barwną, z fantastycznymi, wielokolorowymi konturami i dopasowanym do niego wielobarwnym liternictwem rzucają się w oczy gdy tylko przerzucamy ten doskonale wydany komiks.
A lektura? Wstrząsająca opowieść, w której do małej, płaczącej dziewczynki przychodzi wielka pantera, sympatyczny z pozoru zwierzak o imieniu Octavianus Abracadolfus Pantherius Książe Koronny Panterlandii. Dla przyjaciół, Pantera. Nowy przyjaciel spełnia wszystkie życzenia dziewczynki, odpowiada na każdą jej potrzebę, tak samo jak ona lubi herbatę i przytulanie, a nawet jest w stanie zrezygnować dla niej z jedzenia mięsa. Krystynka zapomina przez to o Bonzo, swoim różowym misiu, który musi się wyprowadzić. Zaczyna się robić coraz dziwniej.
Pisząc to przeglądam ponownie “Panterę” i nie mogę oderwać oczu od piękna kadrów, na których Pantera bawi się z Krystynką w twistera. Mistrzostwo kompozycji, stosowania barw, drapieżność połączona z delikatnością, dynamika doskonale wygaszana przez elementy statyczne i białe tło kartki. Jest u Evensa piękno ornamentu, abstrakcji, surrrealizm a jednocześnie przerażająco smutna historia, która nie powinna się wydarzyć żadnej dziewczynce. Mam wrażenie, że komiks wydany przez Timofa niesłusznie wyleciał z wielu podsumowań roku, tym bardziej chciałbym was zachęcić do sięgnięcia po ten tytuł - “Pantera” zostanie z wami na długo, a przechodząc obok półki będziecie chcieli jeszcze raz choć na chwilę wejść do świata stworzonego przez belgijskiego twórcę.
A lektura? Wstrząsająca opowieść, w której do małej, płaczącej dziewczynki przychodzi wielka pantera, sympatyczny z pozoru zwierzak o imieniu Octavianus Abracadolfus Pantherius Książe Koronny Panterlandii. Dla przyjaciół, Pantera. Nowy przyjaciel spełnia wszystkie życzenia dziewczynki, odpowiada na każdą jej potrzebę, tak samo jak ona lubi herbatę i przytulanie, a nawet jest w stanie zrezygnować dla niej z jedzenia mięsa. Krystynka zapomina przez to o Bonzo, swoim różowym misiu, który musi się wyprowadzić. Zaczyna się robić coraz dziwniej.
Pisząc to przeglądam ponownie “Panterę” i nie mogę oderwać oczu od piękna kadrów, na których Pantera bawi się z Krystynką w twistera. Mistrzostwo kompozycji, stosowania barw, drapieżność połączona z delikatnością, dynamika doskonale wygaszana przez elementy statyczne i białe tło kartki. Jest u Evensa piękno ornamentu, abstrakcji, surrrealizm a jednocześnie przerażająco smutna historia, która nie powinna się wydarzyć żadnej dziewczynce. Mam wrażenie, że komiks wydany przez Timofa niesłusznie wyleciał z wielu podsumowań roku, tym bardziej chciałbym was zachęcić do sięgnięcia po ten tytuł - “Pantera” zostanie z wami na długo, a przechodząc obok półki będziecie chcieli jeszcze raz choć na chwilę wejść do świata stworzonego przez belgijskiego twórcę.
June 7, 2016
The art in this volume is absolutely stunning. Evens goes through a variety of styles of panther, and his illustrations are vivid and fluid. He captures motion exceptionally well, and his use of colour adds much to the emotional appeal of the book.
The story on the other hand... I had a hard to putting my finger on the story as it was rather abstract. There are books were I appreciate the narrative being hard to unpack (see: Beautiful Darkness), but I felt like Evens was being just abstruse enough to be frustrating. The book flits around darker themes, but gives little to the reader as to why these events are occurring, or even if they are occurring at all. Is the book just the result of the overactive imagination of a little girl who is overwhelmed by grief? Or is something more sinister going on and she's escaping into fantastical explanations? If the book had leaned more heavily towards either realism or fantasy, the story would have been more digestible, but the combination of the two felt messy without much pay off.
But DAMN is it pretty!
The story on the other hand... I had a hard to putting my finger on the story as it was rather abstract. There are books were I appreciate the narrative being hard to unpack (see: Beautiful Darkness), but I felt like Evens was being just abstruse enough to be frustrating. The book flits around darker themes, but gives little to the reader as to why these events are occurring, or even if they are occurring at all. Is the book just the result of the overactive imagination of a little girl who is overwhelmed by grief? Or is something more sinister going on and she's escaping into fantastical explanations? If the book had leaned more heavily towards either realism or fantasy, the story would have been more digestible, but the combination of the two felt messy without much pay off.
But DAMN is it pretty!
August 16, 2017
I want to live in Brecht Evens' creepy, beautiful world.
Also, why is the title misspelled?
Also, why is the title misspelled?
July 5, 2020
I read this book because of its gorgeous cover and high reviews here but refrained from even looking at the summary before reading. This was NOT what I expected, and if you are the kind of person who might benefit from a trigger warning, you should probably read up about the book before reading it. If you don't need trigger warnings and want to see a story unfold one tense and horrifying page at a time, then don't read any further. I probably would not have read this book if I had known what it was about, but I'm also glad I did read it, if that makes any sense?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The truly horrifying thing about the story is that the horror is disguised at first as fun, and only starts to reveal itself a little at a time - so subtly that you are not sure it's really happening. In other words, the book gives you the same feeling as women feel in situations where they're pretty sure they're being sexually harassed or a BIPOC sense microaggressions but things seem too ambiguous to really act on - and you don't want to believe it's really happening anyway. And then things keep progressing, and the worst does happen, and the clues were there the whole time, but you willfully ignored them because you'd rather believe that things can stay pleasant that believe that abuse is ready to pounce and try to destroy you.
For those of you who have read the book - I almost missed the foldout page at the back! Make sure you don't miss it.
Also, I, like other reviewers here were worried that abusive Panther was really Christine's dad. But I don't think he is Here are my reasons:
1. Panther and Christine have to get acquainted. Hence her asking so many questions and Panther having to improvise (lie) on the spot. Panther is grooming her, and trying to gain her trust little by little. This says to me that it's not someone she already knew.
2. The artist has said that the colors are red and blue without Panther, and only when Panther appears there is yellow. There is no yellow in any of the father's scenes.
3. At one point the dad comes to Christine's room and she tells Panther to hide - from her father. So I don't think they can be the same person.
4. At one point Panther says to Christine "Your father doesn't see what I see. That your not his little girl anymore."
5. The author himself says he didn't intend this to be a story of incest, but that he can't prevent one from that interpretation: https://www.comicsbeat.com/174814-2/
/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The truly horrifying thing about the story is that the horror is disguised at first as fun, and only starts to reveal itself a little at a time - so subtly that you are not sure it's really happening. In other words, the book gives you the same feeling as women feel in situations where they're pretty sure they're being sexually harassed or a BIPOC sense microaggressions but things seem too ambiguous to really act on - and you don't want to believe it's really happening anyway. And then things keep progressing, and the worst does happen, and the clues were there the whole time, but you willfully ignored them because you'd rather believe that things can stay pleasant that believe that abuse is ready to pounce and try to destroy you.
For those of you who have read the book - I almost missed the foldout page at the back! Make sure you don't miss it.
Also, I, like other reviewers here were worried that abusive Panther was really Christine's dad. But I don't think he is Here are my reasons:
1. Panther and Christine have to get acquainted. Hence her asking so many questions and Panther having to improvise (lie) on the spot. Panther is grooming her, and trying to gain her trust little by little. This says to me that it's not someone she already knew.
2. The artist has said that the colors are red and blue without Panther, and only when Panther appears there is yellow. There is no yellow in any of the father's scenes.
3. At one point the dad comes to Christine's room and she tells Panther to hide - from her father. So I don't think they can be the same person.
4. At one point Panther says to Christine "Your father doesn't see what I see. That your not his little girl anymore."
5. The author himself says he didn't intend this to be a story of incest, but that he can't prevent one from that interpretation: https://www.comicsbeat.com/174814-2/
/
October 16, 2016
Two things:
1. You will enjoy this more if you do not read reviews containing reader reactions or plot summaries beforehand. Just stop, you'll spoil your enjoyment of it. This applies to all books, but this one particularly so. Don't read the bottom of this review till you are finished.
2. Like Evens's other works, I think this book is for adults, not for children. This is really very good, but I advise you read it first before gifting it or making a book club suggestion.
That is all you need to know. Now if the cover artwork appeal to you, read it, and if not, don't.
-----------------------------
**Major Spoilers Below**
Postread Analysis: Is Panther evil?
**Major Spoilers Alert**
On my first reading I just saw this as a horror story, everything is imaginary, it was too confusing for me to understand... etc.
But I was really just in denial about the monkeyitis treatment procedure.
I'm pretty sure now that this about sexual abuse after reading other reviews and playing closer attention to some things. This interpretation makes the foreword awkward as the book is in part for Helen, 'who once received a visit from Panther'.
I'm going to be pretty 'loose' with terms and filling in blanks. Ultimately it still remains difficult to fully understand the motive and culpability of Panther in the abuse:
•Christine is red/blue, lion is blue/red/green, 'pantherland' is black/white. The most explicit hint of sexual abuse to me is that Christine's underwear changes from red to blue after her 'party nightmare'. Also, I think I can see an outline of a naked female body if you merge the pattern above the headboard and the bedpost leg (made explicitly foot-shaped) in the black and white party nightmare laughing gas two page spread.
Bad Panther
•Though it seems like Panther is quietly sleeping beside Christine, I think he's doing something bad... I think Panther lets others from Pantherland into Christine's room while she sleeps, but otherwise guards her. The sleep scene the night before Chapter 4 Bonzo disappears, Bonzo is in the middle of one of the pages staring at the ceiling frightened. This would explain why Bonzo (and not Flipper) tries to warn Christine and why Panther would eat him rather than take an easier and less severe method (wipe off the message or lie). This would also explain how 'Not-Bonzo' knows Christine's name as soon as he arrives.
Panther enables potential abusers to visit Christine.
•On the first night Not-Bonzo stays over and Christine is lulled to sleep, there is a black/white scene showing Christine, Panther and Not-Bonzo on the bed, and on the next page, Christine wakes bedraggled and says 'I had a dream...You were there and you were mad at me... Like an animal... The sky was...made of tissue paper. And it tore....behind it everything was black'.
To me all this might suggests Panther and not-Bonzo take Christine take back to a part of Pantherland that is made to look like the normal world. Whether sexual abuse occurs is unclear, but here Panther aids in the deception that this was Bonzo and for whatever night event that made her 'feel weird' and scream. In my mind, not-Bonzo abuses here and in the final scene.
Panther at least aids in the deception that leads to the initial abuse by others to Christine while she is asleep.
'Not-bad' Panther
•A point in favour of Panther is that Panther is not the gatekeeper to Christine's room, as 'the mob' manage to enter Christine's room unassisted. However, they knew where to come due to Panther deliberately or inadvertently inviting many other Pantherland creatures to Christine's room while she is sleeping. It is unclear to me whether he actually encourages people (as in Pantherland daemons) to visit at night, but as the dream scenes get more vibrant and blacker with no increase in daytime callers, he probably does in some way bring the attention here by sleeping over.
Panther might have promoted, but is powerless to prevent, abusers entering Christine's room from Pantherland.
•Panther initiates the dances, the game of twister (look at those eyes!), and massages, but backs off at any sign of pain, fear or shame, as he leaves for what seems for good when Lucy hides her body from him for the first time on the last page. After Christine rejects Panther on the last page, he appears an ugly black with spots on—the seductive illusion has been broken. Despite his deviousness I doubt Panther ever had any sexual contact outside of the pages we see. Panther also does try prevent the initial abuse by others to Christine while she is awake.
Though Panther is seducing Christine, he tries to stop anything that is against her 'consent'.
In summary, it seems Panther was a protective paedophile who did not himself 'abuse' Christine, but directly introduced, made alibis for, and failed to prevent the actions of the abuser. In that respect—not excusing the deceit, inappropriateness and creepiness of all of this—I see Panther's greater evil was in being incapable of preventing Christine from the far greater damage from 'the mob' that he was directly responsible for bringing, relative to what he did to Christine himself. Or alternatively, we could just blame f***ing Flipper for keeping his big jaws shut.
1. You will enjoy this more if you do not read reviews containing reader reactions or plot summaries beforehand. Just stop, you'll spoil your enjoyment of it. This applies to all books, but this one particularly so. Don't read the bottom of this review till you are finished.
2. Like Evens's other works, I think this book is for adults, not for children. This is really very good, but I advise you read it first before gifting it or making a book club suggestion.
That is all you need to know. Now if the cover artwork appeal to you, read it, and if not, don't.
-----------------------------
**Major Spoilers Below**
Postread Analysis: Is Panther evil?
**Major Spoilers Alert**
On my first reading I just saw this as a horror story, everything is imaginary, it was too confusing for me to understand... etc.
But I was really just in denial about the monkeyitis treatment procedure.
I'm pretty sure now that this about sexual abuse after reading other reviews and playing closer attention to some things. This interpretation makes the foreword awkward as the book is in part for Helen, 'who once received a visit from Panther'.
I'm going to be pretty 'loose' with terms and filling in blanks. Ultimately it still remains difficult to fully understand the motive and culpability of Panther in the abuse:
•Christine is red/blue, lion is blue/red/green, 'pantherland' is black/white. The most explicit hint of sexual abuse to me is that Christine's underwear changes from red to blue after her 'party nightmare'. Also, I think I can see an outline of a naked female body if you merge the pattern above the headboard and the bedpost leg (made explicitly foot-shaped) in the black and white party nightmare laughing gas two page spread.
Bad Panther
•Though it seems like Panther is quietly sleeping beside Christine, I think he's doing something bad... I think Panther lets others from Pantherland into Christine's room while she sleeps, but otherwise guards her. The sleep scene the night before Chapter 4 Bonzo disappears, Bonzo is in the middle of one of the pages staring at the ceiling frightened. This would explain why Bonzo (and not Flipper) tries to warn Christine and why Panther would eat him rather than take an easier and less severe method (wipe off the message or lie). This would also explain how 'Not-Bonzo' knows Christine's name as soon as he arrives.
Panther enables potential abusers to visit Christine.
•On the first night Not-Bonzo stays over and Christine is lulled to sleep, there is a black/white scene showing Christine, Panther and Not-Bonzo on the bed, and on the next page, Christine wakes bedraggled and says 'I had a dream...You were there and you were mad at me... Like an animal... The sky was...made of tissue paper. And it tore....behind it everything was black'.
To me all this might suggests Panther and not-Bonzo take Christine take back to a part of Pantherland that is made to look like the normal world. Whether sexual abuse occurs is unclear, but here Panther aids in the deception that this was Bonzo and for whatever night event that made her 'feel weird' and scream. In my mind, not-Bonzo abuses here and in the final scene.
Panther at least aids in the deception that leads to the initial abuse by others to Christine while she is asleep.
'Not-bad' Panther
•A point in favour of Panther is that Panther is not the gatekeeper to Christine's room, as 'the mob' manage to enter Christine's room unassisted. However, they knew where to come due to Panther deliberately or inadvertently inviting many other Pantherland creatures to Christine's room while she is sleeping. It is unclear to me whether he actually encourages people (as in Pantherland daemons) to visit at night, but as the dream scenes get more vibrant and blacker with no increase in daytime callers, he probably does in some way bring the attention here by sleeping over.
Panther might have promoted, but is powerless to prevent, abusers entering Christine's room from Pantherland.
•Panther initiates the dances, the game of twister (look at those eyes!), and massages, but backs off at any sign of pain, fear or shame, as he leaves for what seems for good when Lucy hides her body from him for the first time on the last page. After Christine rejects Panther on the last page, he appears an ugly black with spots on—the seductive illusion has been broken. Despite his deviousness I doubt Panther ever had any sexual contact outside of the pages we see. Panther also does try prevent the initial abuse by others to Christine while she is awake.
Though Panther is seducing Christine, he tries to stop anything that is against her 'consent'.
In summary, it seems Panther was a protective paedophile who did not himself 'abuse' Christine, but directly introduced, made alibis for, and failed to prevent the actions of the abuser. In that respect—not excusing the deceit, inappropriateness and creepiness of all of this—I see Panther's greater evil was in being incapable of preventing Christine from the far greater damage from 'the mob' that he was directly responsible for bringing, relative to what he did to Christine himself. Or alternatively, we could just blame f***ing Flipper for keeping his big jaws shut.
December 25, 2017
4.5 stars -- PANTHER is one of the strangest, and indeed unsettling, graphic novels I've encountered. The imagery itself is incredible. The panther never looks the same way twice, constantly shapeshifting in a dreamlike way, and frequently resembling another animal entirely. There are also a ton of little references and familiar imagery hidden throughout the book, such as the upstairs carpet in the girl's home which is lifted directly from The Shining.
The story can be read and interpreted in a variety of ways. It can be read straightforwardly, so becomes the world's darkest version of THE CAT IN THE HAT. Or it can be seen as an allegory of abusive, manipulative people, and the perils of falling in with the silver-tongued stranger.
The story can be read and interpreted in a variety of ways. It can be read straightforwardly, so becomes the world's darkest version of THE CAT IN THE HAT. Or it can be seen as an allegory of abusive, manipulative people, and the perils of falling in with the silver-tongued stranger.
Read
July 2, 2025Не знаю як оцінити цей комікс. Було дуже дискомфортно.
Фінал залишає стільки інтерпретацій, що можна втратити глузд додумуючи що то воно було.
Фінал залишає стільки інтерпретацій, що можна втратити глузд додумуючи що то воно було.
October 26, 2016
Around the Year Reading Challenge Item #50: A book originally written in a language other than English
Yes, this is a deeply unsettling book.
The artwork is garish and creepy, nightmare-like, really. There is far more going on than either the cluttered, overlapping images or the text will say. There are no easy answers, and ultimately I gave this book four stars instead of five because I was left with a few TOO MANY questions.
This is a book best read in the light of day, although that won't be enough to keep you from filling icky. There's just a better chance you'll be able to shake it off by bedtime.
Yes, this is a deeply unsettling book.
The artwork is garish and creepy, nightmare-like, really. There is far more going on than either the cluttered, overlapping images or the text will say. There are no easy answers, and ultimately I gave this book four stars instead of five because I was left with a few TOO MANY questions.
This is a book best read in the light of day, although that won't be enough to keep you from filling icky. There's just a better chance you'll be able to shake it off by bedtime.
December 10, 2019
По всем превью и отзывам было похоже, что "Пантера" - один из тех представителей артхауса, авторы которого жертвуют смыслом в угоду высокому искусству (не заботясь особо о том, поймёт ли кто-нибудь их гениальную идею), и вот только "Спайдермедия" убедила меня, что в данном случае всё совсем не так.
И действительно, книга просто невероятная. Она мастерски маскируется под детскую (до такой степени, что её вполне можно читать детям), там изобретательные, забавные диалоги, всем своим существом она захватывает тебя прямо как главную героиню и утягивает в своё сюрреалистичное зазеркалье с подложкой из липких страхов и жутких намёков.
Потрясающий комикс, с великолепной акварелью, невероятной каллиграфией и продуманными деталями, которые подсознательно нагнетают атмосферу, а сознательно становятся заметны большей частью лишь при повторном прочтении. Превосходная локализация от "Бумкниги" - и перевод, и шрифты. Удручает лишь преступно малый тираж в 2500 экземпляров. Лучший комикс года для меня.
И действительно, книга просто невероятная. Она мастерски маскируется под детскую (до такой степени, что её вполне можно читать детям), там изобретательные, забавные диалоги, всем своим существом она захватывает тебя прямо как главную героиню и утягивает в своё сюрреалистичное зазеркалье с подложкой из липких страхов и жутких намёков.
Потрясающий комикс, с великолепной акварелью, невероятной каллиграфией и продуманными деталями, которые подсознательно нагнетают атмосферу, а сознательно становятся заметны большей частью лишь при повторном прочтении. Превосходная локализация от "Бумкниги" - и перевод, и шрифты. Удручает лишь преступно малый тираж в 2500 экземпляров. Лучший комикс года для меня.
July 18, 2024
Яскравий комікс, як на мене абсолютно не дитячий, виключно для дорослих, і то не для всіх. Поміж барвистих малюнків заховані такі сенси і натяки, від яких мурахи по шкірі бігають табунами. І сама мальовка має неначе подвійне дно, двоякість сприйняття тощо. Кольорова гамма чудове відображає суть і головне настрій, вона змінюється по ходу розповіді.
Маленька дівчинка доволі рано пізнала почуття втрати, і ми спостерігаємо як воно – справлятися з дитячим горем. Тут і історія дорослішання, уявних друзів і багатої дитячої фантазії, що витісняє реальність, як результат – можливі психічні розлади тощо. Є і нші сенси, але вони якісь наче завуальовані, з таких, що питаєш себе чи не привиділось тобі…
Атмосфера – тривожно неспокійна, така, що турбує і липкими від страху нитками пронизує свідомість. Але, попри всю важкість сприйняття, це чудовий образчик мальопису, фактично штучний товар, що трапляється рідко.
Маленька дівчинка доволі рано пізнала почуття втрати, і ми спостерігаємо як воно – справлятися з дитячим горем. Тут і історія дорослішання, уявних друзів і багатої дитячої фантазії, що витісняє реальність, як результат – можливі психічні розлади тощо. Є і нші сенси, але вони якісь наче завуальовані, з таких, що питаєш себе чи не привиділось тобі…
Атмосфера – тривожно неспокійна, така, що турбує і липкими від страху нитками пронизує свідомість. Але, попри всю важкість сприйняття, це чудовий образчик мальопису, фактично штучний товар, що трапляється рідко.
February 2, 2025
Etkileyici bir girişi var. Kapaktan itibaren görseller ve renkler çok vurucu. Tatsız bir takım şeylerin haberi verilse de ilk sayfalarda biçime vuruluyorsunuz, dikkat etmiyorsunuz. Küçük bir kız ve hayali arkadaşı panter gibi düşünüyorsunuz. Hatta ilk diyalogları öyle beğendim ki “bu küçük kızla bir panter konuşsa işte tam böyle olurdu” dedim. Gerçekçi bir absürtlük :) Bir panter böyle konuşur, evet dedirtti bana, sanki bir panter nasıl konuşur biliyormuşumcasına :) Panterin her panelde girdiği şekiller, renkler müthişti. Sonra gidişat farklı bir yöne evrildi. Doğrusu kendi okumamla bir yere oturtamadım. Goodreads deki yorumlardan da bir ortalama çıkaramadım. Spoiler olmadan kitabın farklı bir yöne gittiğini, bir çocuk kitabı olmadığını, totalde ise kapaktaki kadar renkli kalmadığını söyleyebilirim. Finale doğru ucu açık değişimler sebebiyle bir parça da puan kırıyorum. Fakat ciltli baskı tercih ettiğim ve bundan da memnun olduğum kitabı grafik roman severlere öneriyorum.
December 26, 2021
I am.... reaaaally uncomfortable. This story was terrifyingly horrifying. Almost on the same vein as 'Coraline' in that it seems to be a children's book but is most definitely NOT.
The introduction of the Panther brings about a creature that is charming, witty and sophisticated. Slowly but surely you begin to truly realise that something is horribly off about it all. It becomes sinister, creepy and disturbing.
The art is bright, busy and interesting. The panther's design is never the same, with each iteration altering and everchanging which really emphasises on his slippery nature - he is not what he seems. And don't get me started on his companions. Absolutely terrifying. But executed SO WELL.
The introduction of the Panther brings about a creature that is charming, witty and sophisticated. Slowly but surely you begin to truly realise that something is horribly off about it all. It becomes sinister, creepy and disturbing.
The art is bright, busy and interesting. The panther's design is never the same, with each iteration altering and everchanging which really emphasises on his slippery nature - he is not what he seems. And don't get me started on his companions. Absolutely terrifying. But executed SO WELL.
February 4, 2025
Wow this was so quickly intense and eerie. Amazing art! The Panther is drawn differently in every panel and it gives an incredible vibe of uncertainty and fantasy that was just so creepy. Highly recommend
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