Outline

by Michèle Fischels

Pour Ben, Clara et Andreas, la dernière année scolaire avant le baccalauréat a commencé. Une période où le monde semble comme d'habitude, mais qui, pourtant, va tout changer... Au coeur de cette ultime parenthèse avant les examens se déploient les errements affectifs et les questions aussi absurdes qu'existentielles de ce triangle amical et amoureux, au-delà des lignes inconnues de l'avenir. Un récit juste et drôle, comme un écho qui convoque l'adolescence en chacun et chacune de nous. .

Genres: Graphic Novels, Bande Dessinée, Comics, Young Adult, LGBT, Graphic Novels Comics, Coming Of Age

208 pages, Hardcover

First published September 9, 2024

Reviews

[lysyzbiblioteki · Rating 5 out of 5]

the gays (me) yearn for another skam/druck experience and this was literally It. i obviously never want to be 18 again ever but it genuinely made me nostalgic for some parts of my teenage life. i felt so seen!!!!!!!

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outline is fascinating. I had no choice but to read it in one sitting. I love the art style and the use of colors are breathtaking. I enjoy how the graphics extend beyond the comic box to give the scenes even more depth. My only complaint is that it wasn’t longer.

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to follow

[libriconfragole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Qualcosa mi è mancato nel racconto di questi tre ragazzi che scoprono se stessi e l’amore lottando con chi vorrebbero essere e chi in realtà sono. Ci sono troppe tavole senza parole che lasciano molto al disegno - tecnica molto apprezzabile, se non fosse che costantemente si ha la sensazione che ci sfugga qualcosa. Amo molto il tratto e questo racconto di indecisione, anche se tante tematiche vengono lasciate in sospeso. Insomma: godibile, ma avrei voluto di più.

[hani · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

Des très beaux dessins, l’utilisation de la couleur est vraiment magnifique. L’histoire reste un peu en surface, ce qui est un peu dommage, mais les personnages restent touchant.

[karlottaaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

„was machst du nach dem abi?“ *eye starts twitching*

[p33€3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

aiii si hagues llegit aquest llibre quan era adolescent… pf mha encantat un grup damics que passen a la uni, les primeres relacions, lamor gei… pf A M O

[Gnapoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Partiamo con lo stile dei disegni: molto bello, quasi uno sketch pulito con dei colori desaturati che evocano un senso di nostalgia, in questo caso dell'adolescenza.
Per quanto riguarda la storia, carina ma a volte la narrazione non è troppo chiara: ci sono dei tagli in cui non è chiaro quanto tempo passi (io pensavo fossero all'università a metà libro e invece ops, sono ancora all'ultimo anno di liceo) e spesso dei passaggi importanti (come l'allontanamento dei due ragazzi) non vengono granché spiegati.
Il finale soprattutto l'ho trovato un po' meh rispetto al resto, però nel complesso è una graphic novel che si fa leggere ed empatizzare.

[nat ꉂ(˵˃ ᗜ ˂˵) · Rating 3 out of 5]

evil and mean and hurtful and mean

[Hannibal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow. That was extremely personal.
Jeżeli chcecie wiedzieć jak naprawdę wygląda koniec przyjaźni w trójkę na "pokojowych" warunkach to ten komiks idealnie to odwzorowuje. Serio.

I’m Andreas kinnie

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

Je pense que ce qui fait que je n’ai pas vraiment apprécié ma lecture c’est le fait que je ne suis pas particulièrement touchée quand je lis des livres sur l’évolution, le changement, la transition entre l’adolescence, la fin du lycée et les études sup. Et ensuite j’ai peut être trouvé l’approche très simple sans vraiment observer un point qui me fasse m’attacher aux personnages ou à l’histoire…

Cependant je tiens tout de même à notifier que le travail graphique est vraiment intéressant et agréable à lire !

[Vincentimes · Rating 4 out of 5]

« Il doit bien y avoir quelque chose quelque part qui me fait vibrer. »

Petite pépite que cette bd au dessin doux, drôle et tendre, qui retransmet à la perfection la fin de l’adolescence.
Avec ses personnages attachants (Andreas mon fils ma bataille), Michèle Fischels nous livre un récit d’une profonde justesse sans jamais tomber dans le cliché. En nous aussi, une petite voix s’élève alors, qui nous rappelle que c’est en vivant, en essayant et en nous perdant que nous nous découvrons chaque jour.

[Lola Cstd · Rating 3 out of 5]

j’aime toujours le thème de coming of age/ comment on choisi son futur/ les relations dans cette période de transition, et c’est ce qu’on retrouve dans la bd mais je trouve que le traitement est assez superficiel. au même titre que le triangle amoureux/amicial aurait pu être davantage approfondi surtout que il était intéressant avec le croisement d’orientation sexuel

en tout cas les dessins étaient vraiment différent de ce que j’aime habituellement, j’ai eu du mal avec les visages mais grave aimé avec les paysages !!

[Leslie · Rating 2 out of 5]

c'est con, ça vend un truc sur l'amitié mais on les voit a peine amis

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This astute coming-of-age graphic novel captures that time in life when everyone and everything is changing, while you struggle to get a handle on your own life. The friendship between white-cued Ben, Andreas, and Clara starts to shift in their senior year when Ben and Clara begin to date. Andreas pulls away from them and hides a dark secret, as they all grapple with what comes after graduation. Will their friendships and new romance survive when they leave school for unknown paths?

Debut author and artist Michèle Fischels illustrates with a limited color palette using greyscale, with pops of orange. Her line art is loose and evocative, while showcasing these teens' lives in minimalist panels. While this story has a European sensibility, as it was translated from German, its themes are universal, for far too many teens are too young to decide with certainty what they want to pursue after high school graduation.

Verdict: A solid choice for YA collections, it includes the melancholy lesson that some youthful friendships don't last forever, but they still were worthwhile while they lasted.

I reviewed this graphic novel for the School Library Journal magazine: https://www.slj.com/review/outline-10...

[Alex Sarll]

Grabbed from Netgalley almost entirely for that cover, to which the backgrounds lived up, woods and streets and trains under vast open skies all rendered in a beautifully bittersweet autumnal palette. The foregrounds...well, my impression was that Fischels was trying to shift the style a little to fit the mood and the moment, so a character can go from sparse to regular to cartoony depending on their role in a given panel, and if so that's a great idea, but it didn't always work for me, not least because the exaggerated noses often implied a more comical story than I seemed to be reading. Which may be part of why the story mostly felt like observing the last year of school from outside, wishing the kids would sort themselves out, rather than achieving that feat of artistic transfiguration which makes you remember how all-important it felt at the time. Still worth it for those backgrounds, though.

[Ness (Vynexa) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Oni Press for providing me with an early copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

a quick graphic novel following a trio on their last few weeks of school before summer vacation and starting their college journey.

there’s not much of a plot, it’s literally just giving you a glimpse of these three student’s lives.

it’s visually fairly nice and again, not much of a story or conclusion. this is more of a pallet cleanser than a story to be fully invested in.

[Lilu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich liebe es und kann es nur empfehlen - die Atmosphäre ist so nostalgisch und authentisch, wie ich es selten (wenn überhaupt) in Coming-of-Age Geschichten gelesen oder gesehen habe. Die Charaktere sind allesamt liebenswert und fühlen sich unglaublich echt an.
Dazu kommen zauberhafte, liebevolle Details, die das Graphic Novel für mich zu etwas ganz Besonderem machen <3 Die Wahl der Schriftart (und Verwendung von Schreibschrift für Sarkasmus), die Möwe, der kaputte Regenschirm des Lehrers ("Bei allem Spaß, das hier ist immer noch eine Studienfahrt"), die gemusterten Pommes ("BÄH!! Gib!"), "O Gott ich seh ja schlimm aus" - "Dachte das wäre Absicht"), die muskulösen Jesuskinder, die gruseligen gleichen Gesichter beim Aufschlagen der Abiklausuren, "Da spricht man doch nur Englisch und Fritjes" und noch so viele Kleinigkeiten mehr - ganz ganz großartig!

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. A unvarnished and organically executed debut graphic novel that follows a group of classmates through their final months before graduation, each wrestling with decisions about the future while realizing their options may be more or less limited than they once imagined. The artwork is especially strong—expressive and imo, more memorable than the story itself. Even so, this is an impressive debut from a creator worth watching.

[Ambre Leray · Rating 4 out of 5]

J'ai beaucoup aimé, les dessins sont beaux avec une coloration douce.
Leurs liens sont touchants, on s'y retrouve vraiment, j'aurais juste aimé avoir un peu plus d'explications sur la dispute entre Ben et Andreas.

[Chloe Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this graphic novel really fell flat. The story line wasn't really there. It was lacking movement and true dialogue to keep everything moving. The illustrations were original but didn't feel very thought out. I wanted to like this book but I just didn't. Not something I would buy for friends etc.

[anna ⭒°｡⋆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

merita anche solo per i disegni, meravigliosi!

[erigibbi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Speravo in qualcosa di meglio.
Non sono impazzita per le tavole, ma nemmeno per la storia. Per me ha troppi non detti e sottintesi che a volte non so nemmeno se ho colto appieno.

[Kaltrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

„Und das machen wir dann so lange, bis wir wissen, was wir wirklich wollen.“

[Beatrice · Rating 1 out of 5]

boh, sarà che vengo da un turno stressante di lavoro, e mi dispiace dirlo visto che amo questa casa editrice tanto quanto amo il mio cane, ma forse ho trovato il primo libro non compreso della BAO.
i disegni sono particolari, potrebbero non piacere a tutti, ma di per se è stata la storia a lasciarmi un po' delusa.
ma cosa mi vuole raccontare?
mi sembra di aver saltato 400 pagine della storia, mi sembra di essermi perso un pezzo per strada boh non lo so

[Sabine Ibing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Das letzte Schuljahr vor dem Abitur ist angebrochen… der Ernst des Lebens beginnt, irgendwo in einer größeren Stadt. Eine Zeit, in der die Welt wie immer scheint, die aber doch alles in der Zukunft ändern wird. Zensuren entscheiden; überhaupt, große Entscheidungen stehen an. Wohin wird dich der Weg des Lebens tragen? Studieren, nicht studieren, wenn ja, was studieren – wo bewirbt man sich? Das Zuhause verlassen, die Familie, den Freundeskreis – vielleicht eine Beziehung. Der Umbruch wird dich verändern – alles kann sich verändern.

Für Ben, der den ausklingenden Sommer unverdrossen mit seiner Freundin Clara genießen möchte, trübt sich die Stimmung schleichend, als diese beginnt, sich mehr und mehr zurückzuziehen. Wie sich eine Weile zuvor schon sein bester Freund Andreas ohne eine Erklärung von Ben abgewendet hatte. Während die Spannungen zwischen Ben und Clara sich zuspitzen und Andreas mit seinen eigenen Dämonen zu kämpfen hat, rücken die Abiturprüfungen unweigerlich immer näher – und mit ihnen der ganze andere Quatsch: «Was machst du nach der Schule? Wo bewirbst du dich? Schreibst du dich ein? Ziehst du aus?» Es wird dringend Zeit für ein Durchatmen…

Die Graphic Novel erzählt von der Zeit vor dem Abi, eine voller Anspannung für jeden Einzelnen. Lernen – wird man es schaffen? Wie gut oder schlecht wird man abschneiden? Die Entscheidung, wie es weitergehen soll; sich für einen neuen Lebensweg zu entscheiden, Bewerbungen schreiben, sich überhaupt für etwas zu entscheiden – für den ein oder anderen bereits eine Überforderung. Nach dem Abi trennen sich die Wege. Was wird bleiben? Welche Freundschaft hält? Kann eine Beziehung als Fernbeziehung bestehen bleiben? Planung der Abschlussfeier, und die Planung für einen Urlaub – die Planung für den nächsten Lebensabschnitt, mitten in den Prüfungsvorbereitungen.

Ben, Clara und Andreas – das C in der Mitte, eine klassische Coming-of-Age-Geschichte. Ben hat nun Clara, nun nicht mehr so viel Zeit für Andreas, was den etwas verdrießlich macht; denn er ist schwul und liebt Ben. Aber auch Clara hat ein Problem – was sie mit Ben nicht teilen mag – was wiederum diesen ärgert. Sie hat sich für einen Studiengang in Rotterdam beworben und eine Zusage erhalten. Es nagt an ihr, denn damit hat sie nicht gerechnet; und sie muss sich entscheiden, Studium in den Niederlanden oder Ben, oder geht beides? Ben spürt die Spannungen; aber er ahnt von beidem nichts. Clara, die Zielstrebige, Ben der Zurückhaltende, der noch nicht genau weiß, was er will; Andreas, der Coole.

Michèle Fischels arbeitet mit zarten Strichen am Tablet, pointierter Zeichenstift mit klarer Linie. Zoomansichten der Gesichter oder mal Haare, Hände, Füße, eine Tafel, eine Menge von Schülern, leere Stühle. Dazu gibt es flächige Kolorierung in zarten Farben, teils Schraffuren, die sich atmosphärisch der Situation anpassen, Naturtöne in Orange und Grün – es kann aber auch mal schwarz werden. Neben üblichen Panels werden auch ganzseitige, stimmungsvolle Naturbilder eingesetzt. Erzählerisch wie zeichnerisch setzt Michèle Fischels die letzte Phase vor dem Abitur hervorragend um. Die Illustrationen des Comics zeigen eine klare eigene Handschrift. Den Namen muss man sich merken! Der Reprodukt Verlag gibt eine Altersempfehlung ab 16 Jahren – passt für mich. Empfehlung!


Michèle Fischels studierte Design an der FH Münster und arbeitet als Illustratorin und Comiczeichnerin.

[Wciągam Książki Nosem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Czy Was czasem też bierze taka jesieniarska nostalgia za dawno minionymi szkolnymi czasami? Jeśli tak, to "Outline" Michèle Fischels pozwoli zaspokoić to melancholijne ssanie.
Nawet kolory są tu charakterystyczne dla tej refleksyjnej rdzawo-złotej pory roku - co jeszcze dodatkowo uruchamia pokłady jakiejś niezaspokojonej "trzewnej" tęsknoty. Do tego ta paleta stonowanych jesiennych barw daje taki vintage'owy werniks, jak byśmy zanurzali się w rozpamiętywaniu przeszłości (choć akcja jak najbardziej dzieje się w teraźniejszości i dotyczy grupy licealistów, którzy coraz bardziej zbliżają się do egzaminu maturalnego i niepokojących pytań: "Co dalej?").

Mamy tu trójkę głównych bohaterów: Dwóch przyjaciół i tę trzecią, która dołączyła do nich na końcu. Domyślamy się, że spędzali ze sobą dużo czasu, dorastali razem, zmieniały się ich relacje i afekty wewnątrz tej małej grupy. W przededniu matury Ben i Clara są już parą, a Andreas dobrowolnie skazuje siebie na "banicję" i zaczyna trzymać z dala od dwójki swoich dawnych przyjaciół. Te niewypowiedziane emocje, napięcia i rozterki meandrujące między tą trójką są tu właściwie osią napędową akcji i nadają tej opowieści pewnego szczególnego zabarwienia, bardzo przejmującego i jedynego w swoim rodzaju. Bez tego "ukrytego poziomu" autorka nie osiągnęłaby takiej emocjonalnej głębi i rozedrgania.

I gdyby nie dość sztampowe, "poprawne" zakończenie, z uwznioślającą przemową na zakończenie roku szkolnego, ten komiks byłby utworem naprawdę niezwykłym. W tym miejscu artystka jednak poległa i nie wymyśliła nic, co zamknęłoby tę historię w sposób mniej dydaktyczny i ugrzeczniony.

Jednak mimo wszystko jest to i tak historia warta poznania, szczególnie dobrze wchodząca o tej porze roku.

To niezdecydowanie, niepewność, pewne rozmemłanie i zagubienie "starych dzieciaków", które los powoli wypycha coraz bardziej na samodzielność, jest tu dobrze uchwycona.
Podoba mi się również to jak Fischels pokazuje młode kobiety - już niekoniecznie chłopak i związek są na pierwszym miejscu, przede wszystkim liczy się, co one naprawdę zrobią ze swoim życiem same, co same wybiorą dla siebie, bez presji "tego jedynego".

Styl artystki idealnie współgra z przedstawioną historią - jest bardzo szkicowy, rysunek jakby zrobiony od niechcenia, choć ta niedbałość jest w rzeczywistości bardzo dopracowana.

[Veron · Rating 3 out of 5]

A moody and nostalgic story of three teens in their final year in high school.

Outline is a graphic novel first released in German back in 2024 that is now to be released in English. It tells the story of three seniors — Ben, Clara, and Andreas — who were once friends with each other but have since diverged as Ben and Clara got together and Andreas drifted away presumably due to his unrequited feelings for Ben. The uncertainties of the final year in school will produce individual and interpersonal issues that they'll have to figure out before graduating.

I'd like to highlight the art first. The pages are rendered in evocative duotones, colors in accordance to the mood of the scene, with the deep maroon and orange of autumn being the default and my favorite. This is paired with wiry and expressive character art that gave distinct profiles for the main characters. There's an absence of narration and dialogues are sparse so the art does the heavy lifting, which I think it succeeded in as it aptly captured the melancholia of that period in life before graduation. My favorite panels include those of class parties, bondings, and conversations about the future.

As for the plot, it follows some familiar beats of coming-of-age stories such as what becomes the main conflict between Ben and Clara. There's an small-town indie teenage film vibe attached to it. On the characters, I believe there was a missed potential on further contextualizing their individual identities and friendship with each other before the events of the book that could've added tension and tragedy to their current situation. I would've love to see who Clara and Andreas were outside of their relation to Ben. There's also a weird lack of adults in the story.

Overall, Outline is a love letter to that period of our lives. There would always be issues that would feel larger than they actually are, and not everything can be resolved as soon as you leave the school and its environs. I think I would've loved this more if I read it during my teenage years. It still managed to endear me, nonetheless.

Thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for the eARC of the English version!

[Tess Hall · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so sad that I didn't like this graphic novel. I thought the synopsis was compelling, given it's focus on the senior year of three teens. The art style on the cover is stunning. However, when I read the novel, I felt a bit surprised by the quality of the story inside. To preface the rest of my thoughts, I am not totally sure about the setting of this story, which would likely better inform some of what I'm detailing in this review.

First, I thought the plot was messy overall. I struggled to understand what was going on between Andreas, Ben, and Clara. No context is given for the tension in their friendship. I suspect it is because of Ben and Clara's relationship, but that is never explained or contextualized. There is a time jump between the beginning and the core part of the story, but that only made things more confusing. It was difficult to distinguish this time jump. I didn't actually register it until later in the story when Clara's POV is somewhat centered.

Second, I barely understood the characters and their motivations. At times, this book had some wonderful artistic frames, but it didn't matter to me. I didn't know what was going on between the characters (the core of the story). I understood each of them had things going on individually, but I didn't see the pulling away described in the synopsis. There was also very little emotional investment on the part of the characters or the reader, in my experience.

Finally, the art style felt extremely inconsistent. As mentioned above, I thought there were a few spectacularly drawn frames. This part of the review is extremely subjective, but I found that the art went from scribbly doodles to well-detailed and artistically styled pieces that reflected the personality of the author. Overall, it contributed to the messy vibe of the book I noticed. It felt rushed.

[ezra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for this ARC!

“Outline” is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel, detailing the lives of Andreas, Ben and Clara as high school graduation approaches. Ben and Clara have been a happy couple for a while now, but suddenly, Clara seems to be pulling away. This especially distresses Ben since the same thing happened with his best friend Andreas, right before he stopped speaking to him completely. Andreas himself is fighting his demons, and plagued by anxieties about his future.

This is a beautiful coming-of-age story. While I must admit that I didn’t find the conflict between Clara and Ben particularly interesting, (JUST TALK!!!!!) I did find it relatable. Much more interesting was Andreas’ internal conflicts.

I don’t think I have to explain much further what demons Andreas is dealing with, when I say that he distanced himself from his best friend Ben completely after Ben and Clara got together. This leads him to exhibit self-destructive behaviours, all of which broke my heart on his behalf (and were also unfortunately relatable).

Another big theme (generally, but more focused in Andreas’ case) is a worry about the future, about what they will and can do after high school. Each of the three characters represents a bit of a different approach to this.

The artwork is the real star here, to me. I’m unfortunately neither an artist nor an art connoisseur, so don’t expect any technical terms here. The artwork has a sort of scribbly style, which really fit the high school setting. I also thought the character designs were wonderful. One of the best parts was how expressive each of the characters was, both with regards to their facial expressions and their body language.

If you are either about to graduate from high school or want to relive that nostalgia, you will absolutely love this stunning little graphic novel.