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Blue Monday #2
Blue Monday, Vol. 2: Absolute Beginners
Things start off bad as a costume party goes all wrong, and the brain-damaged, hormonally-challenged boys videotape Bleu in the bath. From there, Bleu and Clover will stop at nothing to get the tape back, while Erin makes it her personal mission to make sure everything stays screwed up! You see, this deranged action is actually a mating ritual in Alan and Victor's eyes, and Erin can't help but pit them against each other.
112 pages, Paperback
First published December 12, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 29, 2013
I don't know how this book has such high reviews.
It definitely has some creepy vibes. The main character gets filmed taking a bath by some classmates who then spread the news around school and ruin her reputation. The teachers do nothing except ponder how innocent or slutty she is. They don't even spare a thought for the boys or for their creepy voyeuristic tactics. Keep in mind that the boys are supposed to be her friends, and one of them then proceeds to ASK HER OUT!!!!!!! She agrees to go with him to get the tape, but ALL of her girl friends tease her about how she secretly likes the boy. The date goes badly, partly because of a Pooka, and then the boy gives her a copy of the tape and puts the real one on the local access tv.
All of this is treated as just boys having their harmless fun. It's not really funny when you consider where that kind of peeping often leads.
It definitely has some creepy vibes. The main character gets filmed taking a bath by some classmates who then spread the news around school and ruin her reputation. The teachers do nothing except ponder how innocent or slutty she is. They don't even spare a thought for the boys or for their creepy voyeuristic tactics. Keep in mind that the boys are supposed to be her friends, and one of them then proceeds to ASK HER OUT!!!!!!! She agrees to go with him to get the tape, but ALL of her girl friends tease her about how she secretly likes the boy. The date goes badly, partly because of a Pooka, and then the boy gives her a copy of the tape and puts the real one on the local access tv.
All of this is treated as just boys having their harmless fun. It's not really funny when you consider where that kind of peeping often leads.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2020
I legitimately can’t understand how any woman could write this and expect me to be on board with these male characters enough to even entertain the idea of their romantic lives with anything even moderately approaching support. This is apparently a comedy.
Does she actually think these guys are lovable?!?This is like Twilight dating advice for weeaboos or something.
I’m honestly confused about how I am supposed to feel about these kids. Does the author want me to think they are just regular guys messing around, cuz I’m seeing actual budding date rapists, to say nothing of the blackmail, lying, extortion, voyeurism...
I’m not, nor will I ever be, in the camp of supporting women writers just for being women, queer writers just for being queer, poc writers just for being poc etc, but...
...goddamn, this book is an embarrassment to female comic writers everywhere. What a disappointment. :(
Does she actually think these guys are lovable?!?This is like Twilight dating advice for weeaboos or something.
I’m honestly confused about how I am supposed to feel about these kids. Does the author want me to think they are just regular guys messing around, cuz I’m seeing actual budding date rapists, to say nothing of the blackmail, lying, extortion, voyeurism...
I’m not, nor will I ever be, in the camp of supporting women writers just for being women, queer writers just for being queer, poc writers just for being poc etc, but...
...goddamn, this book is an embarrassment to female comic writers everywhere. What a disappointment. :(
February 15, 2022
Like if the six seasons of Riverdale I’ve accidentally ended up watching could laugh at themselves AND guest dj at britpop nite!
August 15, 2015
What if Archie and the gang were mods, punks, and rude boys?
February 7, 2017
Still fun.
November 30, 2017
A...fairly accurate depiction of high schoolers, which is to say it's about children being horrible to each other and screwing up both their lives and other people's. It wasn't my kind of thing, but it'll appeal more to actual teens, I expect. The coloring is excellent!
February 25, 2019
There are certainly bits that wouldn’t fly in the current cultural climate ...
May 23, 2021
I love these comics, the characters are well written and are hilarious for the most part.
December 26, 2016
Disclaimer: I received this volume through a Goodreads giveaway for the purpose of writing this review. No other compensation was offered or requested.
Bleu L. Finnegan isn’t precisely your normal high school girl growing up in 1990s Northern California. For one thing, there’s the blue hair, which she’s had since at least elementary school (though it’s not clear if it’s natural.) She’s also way more into then-contemporary musicians than the average person, and most of the people she hangs out with are equally excited about such things.
Bleu is also very typical of teenage girls, simultaneously interested in and disgusted by teenage boys, and with a schoolgirl crush on handsome Jefferson High teacher Mr. Bishop. Oh, and for some reason a pooka named Seamus has taken an interest in her. Maybe not so typical after all.
This was Chynna Clugston Flores’ first series, created when she was barely older than the characters she was writing. It had a manga-esque art style back when that was uncommon and innovative. It also had musical cues for which songs should be playing at any point in the story–I think that will be most evocative for Nineties kids, as some of the references have faded in the past twenty years.
In many ways, this is like a naughtier version of the classic Archie Comics formula; romantic hijinks, comedy and a touch of the supernatural. The kids are rather more open about the sexual nature of their attractions, use more foul language than I am comfortable with (and yet sometimes use comic-book symbol swearing instead), and consume alcohol. On the other hand, the teenagers are not actually sexually active (as of this volume), and the nudity tends to be peek-a-boo.
In this volume, a fancy-dress party is ruined by too much booze, which leads to a couple of the boys taking a video of Bleu bathing. The fallout of this leads to continued embarrassment for our protagonist, as the contents of the video are vastly exaggerated by gossip. One of the boys, Alan Jackson, finally admits he’s interested in Bleu and tries to ask her out on a date, despite the girls thrashing him in soccer.
That date turns into a disaster, largely because their friends are pulling a series of pranks on the couple. Teenagers are mean!
It seems that whatever town Jefferson High is in, it has a high Irish-American population, though only Clover Connelly’s family appears to be directly from the Emerald Isle. And then there’s “Monkeyboy” whose hairstyle hides his eyes at all times.
The art has been recolored by Jordie Bellaire, who did a very good job except for one obvious goof–or perhaps that happened in post-production.
This will, I think, most appeal to Nineties kids who enjoyed the series when it first appeared, but should be suitable for older teenagers on up who enjoy romantic comedy.
Bleu L. Finnegan isn’t precisely your normal high school girl growing up in 1990s Northern California. For one thing, there’s the blue hair, which she’s had since at least elementary school (though it’s not clear if it’s natural.) She’s also way more into then-contemporary musicians than the average person, and most of the people she hangs out with are equally excited about such things.
Bleu is also very typical of teenage girls, simultaneously interested in and disgusted by teenage boys, and with a schoolgirl crush on handsome Jefferson High teacher Mr. Bishop. Oh, and for some reason a pooka named Seamus has taken an interest in her. Maybe not so typical after all.
This was Chynna Clugston Flores’ first series, created when she was barely older than the characters she was writing. It had a manga-esque art style back when that was uncommon and innovative. It also had musical cues for which songs should be playing at any point in the story–I think that will be most evocative for Nineties kids, as some of the references have faded in the past twenty years.
In many ways, this is like a naughtier version of the classic Archie Comics formula; romantic hijinks, comedy and a touch of the supernatural. The kids are rather more open about the sexual nature of their attractions, use more foul language than I am comfortable with (and yet sometimes use comic-book symbol swearing instead), and consume alcohol. On the other hand, the teenagers are not actually sexually active (as of this volume), and the nudity tends to be peek-a-boo.
In this volume, a fancy-dress party is ruined by too much booze, which leads to a couple of the boys taking a video of Bleu bathing. The fallout of this leads to continued embarrassment for our protagonist, as the contents of the video are vastly exaggerated by gossip. One of the boys, Alan Jackson, finally admits he’s interested in Bleu and tries to ask her out on a date, despite the girls thrashing him in soccer.
That date turns into a disaster, largely because their friends are pulling a series of pranks on the couple. Teenagers are mean!
It seems that whatever town Jefferson High is in, it has a high Irish-American population, though only Clover Connelly’s family appears to be directly from the Emerald Isle. And then there’s “Monkeyboy” whose hairstyle hides his eyes at all times.
The art has been recolored by Jordie Bellaire, who did a very good job except for one obvious goof–or perhaps that happened in post-production.
This will, I think, most appeal to Nineties kids who enjoyed the series when it first appeared, but should be suitable for older teenagers on up who enjoy romantic comedy.
February 12, 2017
1990s adolescents and their problems – continued in this volume
With cartoon-type illustrations, this comic collection deals with adolescents in the 1990s, their problems with relationships, with rivalries, with crushes and Bleu's crush on one of her teachers as well as an unfortunate incident at a party.
It's quite fun and reasonably entertaining although would suit the American reader more than others as there are many references to US culture / high school life. It all gets a bit tiresome unless you are into 1990s pop culture.
With cartoon-type illustrations, this comic collection deals with adolescents in the 1990s, their problems with relationships, with rivalries, with crushes and Bleu's crush on one of her teachers as well as an unfortunate incident at a party.
It's quite fun and reasonably entertaining although would suit the American reader more than others as there are many references to US culture / high school life. It all gets a bit tiresome unless you are into 1990s pop culture.
January 1, 2017
It was about as good as it sounds. Normally, I love reading teen books, but this one was kind of just the disaster that you think high school will be, until you actually get there. No character development to make the conflict more interesting. No side conflicts or stories or anything, really, to distract from the conflict, which I personally didn't feel was a very good one. And... there wasn't really a resolution, either. At the end, the kid whose name I can't even remember now only gave Bleu a copy of the tape he made. And then showed it on TV. What kind of a person does that?
Also, there were little, I suppose I'll call them "side comics", at the bottom of some of the pages, that were really confusing and distracting from the story. Some of them seemed to be making fun of the author, while others featured the characters of the story, hence my confusion.
At the end, there was a page telling you who all of the characters are, which is kind of neat, except it was completely useless at the end of the book. So... just not my favorite book.
Note: I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
Also, there were little, I suppose I'll call them "side comics", at the bottom of some of the pages, that were really confusing and distracting from the story. Some of them seemed to be making fun of the author, while others featured the characters of the story, hence my confusion.
At the end, there was a page telling you who all of the characters are, which is kind of neat, except it was completely useless at the end of the book. So... just not my favorite book.
Note: I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2014
A fun story about teenage crushes. There's plenty of good humour, even if it does go completely off the rails with the addition of a giant talking sea otter that only Bleu and Clover can see. It's a little less out of place given the cartoonish violence. The humour often extends to the margins, as little doodles are sometimes included; quite a few feature the editor, Jamie Rich. The art is very manga-esque, and adds to the overall silliness. This isn't as good as the first volume, but it's still an enjoyable read.
October 24, 2009
Book two in the Blue Monday series.
After her friends Alan and Victor videotape Bleu taking a bath and then spread rumors all over school, Bleu wants revenge. A "hooligan rules" soccer match takes place with Clover getting some payback. What neither girl realizes is that Alan actually LIKES Bleu; yes, like THAT, and wants to ask her out.
When a kilt-wearing Pooka shows up on their date, disaster and hilarity make it a night Bleu will never forget.
After her friends Alan and Victor videotape Bleu taking a bath and then spread rumors all over school, Bleu wants revenge. A "hooligan rules" soccer match takes place with Clover getting some payback. What neither girl realizes is that Alan actually LIKES Bleu; yes, like THAT, and wants to ask her out.
When a kilt-wearing Pooka shows up on their date, disaster and hilarity make it a night Bleu will never forget.
November 21, 2011
Another decent volume from Blue Monday. I wouldn't say the level of crudeness increased, but the quantity did. The stories were decent, and I enjoyed it well enough, but the first volume's Adam Ant story arc had this one beat.
October 7, 2014
OMG, this is getting better... can't wait to read the next one. I got to confess that I love the clothing of the main character and her friend I mean I was so mod too, that remined me so much of my own closet
June 10, 2008
Archie for indie rock kids.
Oh, the name drops!
Oh, the name drops!
July 2, 2009
it was interesting reading these in quick succession, it's clear that clugston was learning and applying that learning. no. 4 really deserves a 6, it's that amazing.
Read
July 5, 2010F CLU bm v.2
July 16, 2014
Mmm pretty darn enjoyable but not as good as the first volume.
November 8, 2022
5 stars
Oh, the John Hughesness of it all.😊
Oh, the John Hughesness of it all.😊
March 4, 2018
Any story with a giant otter pooka spirit animal gets 5 stars. Lol.
April 23, 2017
I received this book from Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review...
I felt like this was a very difficult storyline for being a comic. I'm use to superhero or The Walking Dead comic books, so this challenged my reading-taste-buds. Based off of the 90's pop culture (which did interest me since I'm a 90's baby), it is basically about the challenges and problems of high school teenagers.
I felt like this was a very difficult storyline for being a comic. I'm use to superhero or The Walking Dead comic books, so this challenged my reading-taste-buds. Based off of the 90's pop culture (which did interest me since I'm a 90's baby), it is basically about the challenges and problems of high school teenagers.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews