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Vertigo Resurrected
Finals
"LA UNIVERSIDAD ES UN INFIERNO...... y en Knox State se lo toman muy a pecho. ¿Hasta dónde llegarías para graduarte? Tu futuro está en juego en los examenes finales, en un proyecto fin de carrera... ¿Dejarías que ALGO se interpusiese en tu camino hacia el título? Disparos, cultos destructivos, asesinatos, chantajes, novatadas... ¡Todo lo que hace grande a una universidad! ¡Knox State te espera!
¡FUERZA MEDIANTE ESTUDIO! Los autores Will Pfeifer (H.E.R.O, Y El último hombre), y Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother, Sandman), hacen una divertida y ácida crítica a la institución de la enseñanza y a los valores reales que ésta imparte."
¡FUERZA MEDIANTE ESTUDIO! Los autores Will Pfeifer (H.E.R.O, Y El último hombre), y Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother, Sandman), hacen una divertida y ácida crítica a la institución de la enseñanza y a los valores reales que ésta imparte."
98 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
28 people want to read
About the author
Will Pfeifer
312 books23 followersWill Pfeifer was born in 1967 in the town of Niles, Ohio. He attended Kent State University and graduated in 1989. He has resided in Rockford, Illinois since 1990, with his wife, Amy.
Pfeifer, along with his comic writing duties, is the assistant features editor at the Rockford Register Star. He also writes a weekly DVD column for the Sunday paper.
Pfeifer, along with his comic writing duties, is the assistant features editor at the Rockford Register Star. He also writes a weekly DVD column for the Sunday paper.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 11, 2018
Finals by Will Pfeifer is proof that being zany with an off the wall sense of humor is not enough to make for an enjoyable story. If this comic isn't proof of that I don't know what is. And I'll eat my sock to prove it!
The bizarre trials and tribulations of a cadre of college seniors sets the stage for the narrative. Their even weirder panoply of senior honors projects ranging from time travel (really!) to devolution (really(er)!) push the narrative ahead at a speed that would frighten the Little Train that Could. Topping off this illustrated sundae of freakishness is a series of professors that are almost as weird, including a dean of affairs who has direct resemblances (in character at least) to Dr. Strangelove, of the eponymous movie (sans the charm of course).
Have I used enough synonyms for weird yet?
Because if I haven't, I'd have to utilize every single one in the goddamn English language in every other sentence to describe this horrific coll(a)(e)ge of a comic.
Needless to say the characters are emotionally uninviting at worst, utterly outlandish at best. Their conflicts are incomprehensible at best, and kooky at worst. (I'm running out of synonyms for weird!) And worst of all, this all takes place on a campus where completely unfunny jokes about murder, religion, and even terrorism (Yikes!) are in fashion (a la mode - as it were).
Bu-, bu-, why is it two stars instead of just one you bastard?!
Well I'll tell you.
Unlike utter garbage such as, Junk Culture, that are utterly irredeemable (and that's actually putting it nicely) there are actually some positive aspects to this comic.
- The artistic styles used here are actually perfect for this type of comic and fit into it snugly.
- Although completely nonsensical, there is a decent level of verisimilitude (you can at least kinda sympathize with the main characters.)
- Although a bit splotchy at parts, I did feel as though the colorer did an above average job.
In conclusion, I am not an asshole. However, for a comic that's trying (to hard?) to be an edgy illustrated version of National Lampoon's Animal House (presumably), its falls flat on its face with excessive servings of absurdism and a paper thin approach to cohesion.
One Thumb down!
The bizarre trials and tribulations of a cadre of college seniors sets the stage for the narrative. Their even weirder panoply of senior honors projects ranging from time travel (really!) to devolution (really(er)!) push the narrative ahead at a speed that would frighten the Little Train that Could. Topping off this illustrated sundae of freakishness is a series of professors that are almost as weird, including a dean of affairs who has direct resemblances (in character at least) to Dr. Strangelove, of the eponymous movie (sans the charm of course).
Have I used enough synonyms for weird yet?
Because if I haven't, I'd have to utilize every single one in the goddamn English language in every other sentence to describe this horrific coll(a)(e)ge of a comic.
Needless to say the characters are emotionally uninviting at worst, utterly outlandish at best. Their conflicts are incomprehensible at best, and kooky at worst. (I'm running out of synonyms for weird!) And worst of all, this all takes place on a campus where completely unfunny jokes about murder, religion, and even terrorism (Yikes!) are in fashion (a la mode - as it were).
Bu-, bu-, why is it two stars instead of just one you bastard?!
Well I'll tell you.
Unlike utter garbage such as, Junk Culture, that are utterly irredeemable (and that's actually putting it nicely) there are actually some positive aspects to this comic.
- The artistic styles used here are actually perfect for this type of comic and fit into it snugly.
- Although completely nonsensical, there is a decent level of verisimilitude (you can at least kinda sympathize with the main characters.)
- Although a bit splotchy at parts, I did feel as though the colorer did an above average job.
In conclusion, I am not an asshole. However, for a comic that's trying (to hard?) to be an edgy illustrated version of National Lampoon's Animal House (presumably), its falls flat on its face with excessive servings of absurdism and a paper thin approach to cohesion.
One Thumb down!
May 14, 2020
Uno que me había quedado pendiente de leer de mi raid de compras en Buenos Aires del año pasado, compuesto por ofertas de la Feria del Libro y de los inagotables saldos de Corrientes. Aunque jamás en mi vida había escuchado de este libro, sólo el combo de sus autores alcanzaba y sobraba para tirarme de cabeza y pagó con creces dicha confianza. Que sea poco conocido no es casual. Cuenta el propio Pfeifer en el cierre de este tomo -edición de la española Recerca, cómo parte de ese rescate de material tan bueno que hizo durante un buen tiempo- que les costó sangre, sudor y lágrimas convencer a Vértigo de publicar estos cuatro números y para el momento de esta edición en castellano no existía otra que recopilara toda la obra (cosa que cambió en 2011). ¿De qué va Finals qué tan difícil fue su publicación? Pues es una distopía futurista extrema, cómo tantas, pero el hallazgo de Pfeifer es ambientarla en una universidad donde no existe correlación ninguna de cómo se estudian las materias con nuestra realidad, pero sí con el submundo, la fauna que integra las universidades gringas (y que la cultura popular se ha encargado tantas veces de difundir). Entonces, mientras nuestros protagonistas estudian cine, religión, antropología, ciencias, etc. lo que nosotros vemos es a un creador de documentales ultraviolentos (que propicia la misma violencia para filmarla), un culto creado por una propia estudiante que se va de mambo, un retroceso a un estado primitivo de otro, la construcción de una máquina del tiempo, etc. Y todo realizado totalmente para la chacota, la sátira descarnada y cruel, la risa y la carcajada. El guión de Pfeifer es impredecible y brutalmente imaginativo -imaginen Community, la serie ahora en Netflix, pero todavía más descontrolada y con un alto índice de mortandad para sus protagonistas- respaldado además en el arte de Thompson, volcada por completo a la narrativa y dinamismo de sus páginas. De Thompson yo tenía muy presentes trazos hermosos y colores cálidos, por lo que sorprende (al menos a mí) un trabajo tan visceral, hermanado por completo con salvajes cómo Kevin O´Neill o Bill Sienkiewicz. La miniserie funciona por completo, divierte, horroriza y deja muchísimas ganas de más. Algo que lamentablemente y por el momento, no ha ocurrido.
April 13, 2017
[Reading individual issues, not trade]
Finals follows the final-project adventures of a group of seniors at a bizarre, (literally) cutthroat university. A comparative religion major starts her own cult. An anthropology student attempts to "devolve", losing his thumbs and hunting animals with his teeth. A criminal justice major robs convenience stores for his final project. Best of all, a wannabe theoretical-engineer winds up carting around his own corpse.
Finals doesn't really go anywhere or attempt to say something profound. It's just a goofy quick read, a nutty what-if scenario (what if college were as brutal literally as it is metaphorically). The writing and illustration really are second tier at best. But what fun.
Finals follows the final-project adventures of a group of seniors at a bizarre, (literally) cutthroat university. A comparative religion major starts her own cult. An anthropology student attempts to "devolve", losing his thumbs and hunting animals with his teeth. A criminal justice major robs convenience stores for his final project. Best of all, a wannabe theoretical-engineer winds up carting around his own corpse.
Finals doesn't really go anywhere or attempt to say something profound. It's just a goofy quick read, a nutty what-if scenario (what if college were as brutal literally as it is metaphorically). The writing and illustration really are second tier at best. But what fun.
July 13, 2018
La premisa me pareció muy original, y la historia divertida. Siento que se presta a contar más historias de esta universidad.
September 20, 2019
3.5 stars
September 30, 2018
Finals is one of the lesser known works that came out from Vertigo. It's absurd and over the top, but that's probably what makes it such an interesting read. It might not have the most complex storyline or character development, but what it gives is enough to capture the attention of the readers. Also, I'm not sure if it has a deeper meaning. You could take it as criticism of the college educational system. Then again, this might not have been completely intentional.
Enjoyable and zany comic. Kind of an appropriate read considering my current position.
Enjoyable and zany comic. Kind of an appropriate read considering my current position.
January 14, 2022
Fun satire: a more explosive Animal House, blessed with the comic art of the great Jill Thompson.
Highly recommended. But:
Out of print, hard to find, even in this fine reprint (the original was a four-issue Vertigo miniseries) with no ads and nice print job.
Highly recommended. But:
Out of print, hard to find, even in this fine reprint (the original was a four-issue Vertigo miniseries) with no ads and nice print job.
February 23, 2021
I see what they were going for here, but what's meant to be gonzo and subversive just ends up reading like a bad SNL skit.
October 20, 2023
Edición española que emula la portada USA.
June 12, 2023
El clásico de Vertigo de perfil bajo en castellano por Recerca, en su sello De entre los muertos.
July 15, 2012
Nice idea, worst possible execution. Bad dialogues, poor lettering. In a few words - not a fan.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews