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Karmen #1-5
Karmen
Tutto ha inizio con un suicidio causato da un malinteso. Karmen, un angelo non convenzionale, accorre presso Catalina, una studentessa che si è appena uccisa nella sua vasca da bagno. Nell’istante che separa la vita e la morte, ha inizio un viaggio introspettivo e fantastico, con al centro l’amore. Da Guillem March (Catwoman, Batman) un’opera che riflette sulla vita e sulla morte in modo sorprendente, con un filo di speranza e un pizzico di umorismo.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2020
17 people are currently reading
815 people want to read
About the author
Guillem March
448 books50 followersSeudónimo del historietista español Guillermo March.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 230 reviews
October 5, 2025
3,5 Sterne
Ein Comic, der erstaunlich gut durch die Zeichnungen über den doch inhaltlich, philosophisch, psychoanalytisch und sprachlich furchtbar naiven und reduktionistischen Stil hinaus weist.
Ein didaktisches Material, das dennoch sehr zu berühren weiß und seine Message ziemlich gut umsetzt.
Mal ein Ausflug in eine Welt einer speziellen Kunstform (Comic, Manga?) die mir völlig fremd ist.
Bewertung setzt sich so zusammen: Zeichnungen und Effekt 5 Sterne / Sprachliche Umsetzung: 2 Sterne
Ein Comic, der erstaunlich gut durch die Zeichnungen über den doch inhaltlich, philosophisch, psychoanalytisch und sprachlich furchtbar naiven und reduktionistischen Stil hinaus weist.
Ein didaktisches Material, das dennoch sehr zu berühren weiß und seine Message ziemlich gut umsetzt.
Mal ein Ausflug in eine Welt einer speziellen Kunstform (Comic, Manga?) die mir völlig fremd ist.
Bewertung setzt sich so zusammen: Zeichnungen und Effekt 5 Sterne / Sprachliche Umsetzung: 2 Sterne
November 12, 2020
Qué maravilla. Se cuela entre los mejores cómics que he leído este año, sin duda alguna.
Karmen es la personificación del karma, aunque a mí me ha recordado a Muerte, mi personaje favorito de Sandman. Con esa personalidad arrolladora que consigue que las almas reflexionen sobre su paso por la vida sin apenas intervenir.
En este caso acompañamos al alma de Catalina, una joven que acaba de cortarse las venas y se encuentra en ese limbo entre la vida y la muerte, sobrevolando por las vidas de aquellos que luchan día a tras día a pesar de las adversidades. Porque ninguna vida es fácil y todos estamos un poco ciegos cuando se trata de vernos a nosotros mismos.
Una auténtica maravilla. De esas historias que derrochan amor por la vida, que es arte en su totalidad. El dibujo, los colores, la manera magistral que llevarte a través de los rincones de Palma de Mallorca. No tengo palabras, en serio.
Hay que vivir este cómic.
Karmen es la personificación del karma, aunque a mí me ha recordado a Muerte, mi personaje favorito de Sandman. Con esa personalidad arrolladora que consigue que las almas reflexionen sobre su paso por la vida sin apenas intervenir.
En este caso acompañamos al alma de Catalina, una joven que acaba de cortarse las venas y se encuentra en ese limbo entre la vida y la muerte, sobrevolando por las vidas de aquellos que luchan día a tras día a pesar de las adversidades. Porque ninguna vida es fácil y todos estamos un poco ciegos cuando se trata de vernos a nosotros mismos.
Una auténtica maravilla. De esas historias que derrochan amor por la vida, que es arte en su totalidad. El dibujo, los colores, la manera magistral que llevarte a través de los rincones de Palma de Mallorca. No tengo palabras, en serio.
Hay que vivir este cómic.
July 16, 2020
"Sometimes a dream remains clear and leaves us with a sensation of reality for a few brief seconds after we awake, long enough for the disoriented mind to adapt to its new state of awareness. Then, quickly, the memory of it becomes increasingly indistinct and fragmented, until we have completely forgotten it."
Karmen
Guillem March
First, look at the cover! Its GOREgous! The illustrating inside is equally as beautiful.
Karmen comes from High where the assignment is to take your soul and navigate it until it is reincarnated. How cool is that!? There are a bunch of rules and she, of course, pushes just about every boundary.
The story was binge worthy. The art, top shelf. I definitely recommend for guys, gals, dudes, witches, and those that especially love karma in action.
Thank you to Guillem March, Europe Comics, and NetGalley for gifting me an audio copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
Karmen
Guillem March
First, look at the cover! Its GOREgous! The illustrating inside is equally as beautiful.
Karmen comes from High where the assignment is to take your soul and navigate it until it is reincarnated. How cool is that!? There are a bunch of rules and she, of course, pushes just about every boundary.
The story was binge worthy. The art, top shelf. I definitely recommend for guys, gals, dudes, witches, and those that especially love karma in action.
Thank you to Guillem March, Europe Comics, and NetGalley for gifting me an audio copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
January 20, 2025
It was ok.
June 28, 2022
A dead woman becomes entangled with an unconventional angel of death named Karmen. The beautiful art carries the day as the lost soul floats around naked above the beautiful scenery of the Spanish island of Mallorca for most of the book.
The story very effectively builds to a couple strong, emotionally-manipulative moments, but it meanders too much on the way and relies way too heavily on an exposition-dump conversation late in the tale between a couple of stock side characters (the disapproving boss and the rival co-worker).
Definitely a creator to watch for in the future.
Trigger warning:
The story very effectively builds to a couple strong, emotionally-manipulative moments, but it meanders too much on the way and relies way too heavily on an exposition-dump conversation late in the tale between a couple of stock side characters (the disapproving boss and the rival co-worker).
Definitely a creator to watch for in the future.
Trigger warning:
September 6, 2025
Que surpresa. Nunca pensei que iria gostar tanto deste livro.
January 2, 2022
Wow. I feel like everyone is sleeping on this one. What a shame.
The ideas here may be nothing new and that ending may have been totally predictable and longed for, but this was a beautiful story. And it really address how we never have all the information in any given situation and the struggle to understand that can lead to permanent results, but that doesn’t mean we can give up on trying to improve ourselves. There’s always time to try, even if it seems like it’s down to the seconds or it’s too late. It’s never too late.
The ideas here may be nothing new and that ending may have been totally predictable and longed for, but this was a beautiful story. And it really address how we never have all the information in any given situation and the struggle to understand that can lead to permanent results, but that doesn’t mean we can give up on trying to improve ourselves. There’s always time to try, even if it seems like it’s down to the seconds or it’s too late. It’s never too late.
August 22, 2025
Não conhecia o autor, nem tão pouco fazia ideia da temática por detrás deste trabalho. Foi um daqueles típicos casos em que não sabemos o que trazer da biblioteca e há algo que nos faz escolher aquele livro e nenhum outro (neste caso o desenho e as cores da capa).
A arte visual, a coloração e toda a imaginação em torno da trama deram origem a um trabalho bastante coeso e surpreendentemente bem conseguido.
Gostei muito.
A arte visual, a coloração e toda a imaginação em torno da trama deram origem a um trabalho bastante coeso e surpreendentemente bem conseguido.
Gostei muito.
July 13, 2020
I read this in one hour and I absolutely loved this. Thanks to #Netgalley for providing this book to me.
This comic addresses death, suicide, and loss in a way that I have never watched, read or seen before. As much as I enjoyed this book, I felt that Karmen was such as preachy character (which is normal because she more of a grim reaper, or a collector of souls, similar to what is in The Book Thief by Markus Zusak) who made Cata both understand the loss that she has created in the world and how shortsighted and selfish she was for taking her own life. Suicide is a very sensitive topic but at the same time a very important one to have, This book makes me think of a book a read recently "HERE AT DAWN" a particular poem "you matter, you are valuable, your life is not only your gift, but it belongs also to others"
you don't just lose your life, you also steal or deprive millions of people from their gift.
ANYWAYS
Here we see a quick montage of Cata's relationship with Xisco and how they got to a point where he was cheating on her with a friend of theirs and she just felt lost in the relationship. The next thing we know is Karmen (a lady with pink hair and a skeleton customer) walking up the stairs and into a bathroom where we saw Cata had slit her wrist and is in a pool of her own blood. Karmen was very funny and made it easier for Cata to accept the new situation or rather plane that she now was in.
They go on a journey around the city and Cata learns to fly and also accepts the situation and how she had contributed to her depression and social anxiety. A particular line that Karmen said that stuck with me was
"Think about it, there are only advantages (i.e. to being dead) you can't tell anyone what is happening to you (being Cata was a ghost), but that's okay because it turns out that no one is worthy of hearing your secrets anyway" This just made me think about people who bottle things up and don't share their worries (I cannot claim that there are certain people who cannot tell other because they have no one around them who is willing to listen, however, there are many helplines that everyone should be aware is available, don't be alone)
While reliving memories and meeting another person who was not necessarily remarkable but was taking life by the horns and giving it all he can. He ends up dying and that was an eye-opening experience for Cata even though it was too late.
"Your own existence only has any meaning when you're part of other people's lives"
This comic addresses death, suicide, and loss in a way that I have never watched, read or seen before. As much as I enjoyed this book, I felt that Karmen was such as preachy character (which is normal because she more of a grim reaper, or a collector of souls, similar to what is in The Book Thief by Markus Zusak) who made Cata both understand the loss that she has created in the world and how shortsighted and selfish she was for taking her own life. Suicide is a very sensitive topic but at the same time a very important one to have, This book makes me think of a book a read recently "HERE AT DAWN" a particular poem "you matter, you are valuable, your life is not only your gift, but it belongs also to others"
you don't just lose your life, you also steal or deprive millions of people from their gift.
ANYWAYS
Here we see a quick montage of Cata's relationship with Xisco and how they got to a point where he was cheating on her with a friend of theirs and she just felt lost in the relationship. The next thing we know is Karmen (a lady with pink hair and a skeleton customer) walking up the stairs and into a bathroom where we saw Cata had slit her wrist and is in a pool of her own blood. Karmen was very funny and made it easier for Cata to accept the new situation or rather plane that she now was in.
They go on a journey around the city and Cata learns to fly and also accepts the situation and how she had contributed to her depression and social anxiety. A particular line that Karmen said that stuck with me was
"Think about it, there are only advantages (i.e. to being dead) you can't tell anyone what is happening to you (being Cata was a ghost), but that's okay because it turns out that no one is worthy of hearing your secrets anyway" This just made me think about people who bottle things up and don't share their worries (I cannot claim that there are certain people who cannot tell other because they have no one around them who is willing to listen, however, there are many helplines that everyone should be aware is available, don't be alone)
While reliving memories and meeting another person who was not necessarily remarkable but was taking life by the horns and giving it all he can. He ends up dying and that was an eye-opening experience for Cata even though it was too late.
"Your own existence only has any meaning when you're part of other people's lives"
January 15, 2023
The story is a little cheesy, but the art is very beautiful. March's layouts soar across the page, weightless and nimble. One thing that should be a negative, but endears this book to me more: March tells the story of a suicide, but clearly just wanted to draw naked women for 160 pages. I love it.
July 22, 2020
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It's honestly so funny how cis men think they have a comic-worthy story just because they want to draw naked women. The skeletons had HIGH HEELS AND BOOBS for fuck's sake.
Neither the story nor the characters were good and/or original enough to make up for the fact that this was made by a horny man.
It's honestly so funny how cis men think they have a comic-worthy story just because they want to draw naked women. The skeletons had HIGH HEELS AND BOOBS for fuck's sake.
Neither the story nor the characters were good and/or original enough to make up for the fact that this was made by a horny man.
August 21, 2020
⭐ 3.5/5 ⭐
This was closer to 4 stars but the content is somewhat heavy to me. It in no way means this wasn't incredibly well done.
This was not at all what I expected, in the best way possible.
The art was really interesting and well done and the story is dark but really thought provoking. I hope to read the next installment of this as I didn't realize there was another part!
Catalina is in love with her childhood friend, Xisco, but he's in a serious relationship with someone else. Something shifts in Catalina's life and she decides to end her own life, as no one cares about her anyway.
Then enters Karmen, what can only be described as a grim reaper, but she decides to give Catalina time to see why she chose wrong and what the world is like with her not in it anymore.
When I first read that this discussed suicide and death, I was quite iffy as it's a relatively tough subject. This story was sometimes funny and it tried to bring a light to the hard facts of death/suicide. It touched on why it's important to reach out and to see that you are never truly alone. I ended up enjoying this quite a bit and would recommend it to those that are not upset by death or semi graphic content.
*Note to those that need it: There is nudity throughout the book (the main character goes around nude), there is death/suicide talk, some blood and death scenes.*
✨Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.✨
This was closer to 4 stars but the content is somewhat heavy to me. It in no way means this wasn't incredibly well done.
This was not at all what I expected, in the best way possible.
The art was really interesting and well done and the story is dark but really thought provoking. I hope to read the next installment of this as I didn't realize there was another part!
Catalina is in love with her childhood friend, Xisco, but he's in a serious relationship with someone else. Something shifts in Catalina's life and she decides to end her own life, as no one cares about her anyway.
Then enters Karmen, what can only be described as a grim reaper, but she decides to give Catalina time to see why she chose wrong and what the world is like with her not in it anymore.
When I first read that this discussed suicide and death, I was quite iffy as it's a relatively tough subject. This story was sometimes funny and it tried to bring a light to the hard facts of death/suicide. It touched on why it's important to reach out and to see that you are never truly alone. I ended up enjoying this quite a bit and would recommend it to those that are not upset by death or semi graphic content.
*Note to those that need it: There is nudity throughout the book (the main character goes around nude), there is death/suicide talk, some blood and death scenes.*
✨Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.✨
July 22, 2024
„Karmen” Giljem Mark
Karmen (karma?) javna službenica nebeske administracije, ima zadatak da sprovede dušu u drugi nivo/reinkarnaciju sa što manje preživljenog stanja šoka. Ona odbija da njene duše budu samo broj i puki izveštaj nadređenima. Ona je sama po sebi “vajb”.
Autor nas vodi u paralelnu ravan postojanja gde Karmen treba da sprovede dušu devojke koja je sebi oduzela život.
Priča je prožeta prelepim crtežom, humorom, filozofijiom i promišljanjem o smislu života a u nekim trenucima zna da zaboli.
Ovaj grafički roman vam se može dopasti ako volite Smrt iz Sendmena, priče iz Dilana Doga, priče sa “unhinged” ženskim likovima“ i Lanu Del Rey(praštajte, morala sam ovo😄).
„Da li uopšte vredi živeti na samom rubu života? Da li je život uopšte vredan življenja?”
Karmen (karma?) javna službenica nebeske administracije, ima zadatak da sprovede dušu u drugi nivo/reinkarnaciju sa što manje preživljenog stanja šoka. Ona odbija da njene duše budu samo broj i puki izveštaj nadređenima. Ona je sama po sebi “vajb”.
Autor nas vodi u paralelnu ravan postojanja gde Karmen treba da sprovede dušu devojke koja je sebi oduzela život.
Priča je prožeta prelepim crtežom, humorom, filozofijiom i promišljanjem o smislu života a u nekim trenucima zna da zaboli.
Ovaj grafički roman vam se može dopasti ako volite Smrt iz Sendmena, priče iz Dilana Doga, priče sa “unhinged” ženskim likovima“ i Lanu Del Rey(praštajte, morala sam ovo😄).
„Da li uopšte vredi živeti na samom rubu života? Da li je život uopšte vredan življenja?”
December 14, 2025
Karmen è una di quelle opere-viaggio che, una volta partiti, non vuoi più scendere, o comunque lo fai a malincuore.
Non è una storia semplice, anzi, tutt'altro: è un pugno nello stomaco, uno bello tosto. Ma per come è raccontata – e mio Dio – per come è disegnata, vale la pena anche commuoversi un po'!
Una lettura consigliata a chi ama i disegni che sembrano fotografie e le storie tanto tristi quanto belle.
Non è una storia semplice, anzi, tutt'altro: è un pugno nello stomaco, uno bello tosto. Ma per come è raccontata – e mio Dio – per come è disegnata, vale la pena anche commuoversi un po'!
Una lettura consigliata a chi ama i disegni che sembrano fotografie e le storie tanto tristi quanto belle.
May 24, 2022
Karmen collects issues 1-5 of the Image Comics series written and drawn by Guillem March.
Cata is a young woman who has lost her faith in her only friend and decides to leave this world. She is visited by an angel-like being, Karmen, who guides her through a purgatory state in which Cata cannot interact with those around her and can only watch as a bystander as she reflects on what life meant.
I wasn’t really sure what to expect going into this but I was very pleasantly surprised. I’m not a religious person at all, but this book did connect with me on a spiritual level. This was a powerful story on showing that what you think is happening around you can all be in your head, and the world isn’t always out to get you. It really pulls at the ol’ heartstrings. The art is absolutely beautiful and a great study of anatomy. Guillem March comes up with some absolutely gorgeous pages spreads.
Cata is a young woman who has lost her faith in her only friend and decides to leave this world. She is visited by an angel-like being, Karmen, who guides her through a purgatory state in which Cata cannot interact with those around her and can only watch as a bystander as she reflects on what life meant.
I wasn’t really sure what to expect going into this but I was very pleasantly surprised. I’m not a religious person at all, but this book did connect with me on a spiritual level. This was a powerful story on showing that what you think is happening around you can all be in your head, and the world isn’t always out to get you. It really pulls at the ol’ heartstrings. The art is absolutely beautiful and a great study of anatomy. Guillem March comes up with some absolutely gorgeous pages spreads.
September 12, 2022
Quand je pense que j’ai failli remettre ce livre sur l’étagère à la librairie ! J’aurais raté une histoire sensible, magnifiquement illustrée et qui a su tirer une larme de mes yeux.
July 17, 2021
Si hicieran la película de este comic superaría ampliamente a Ghost.
Increíble cómo llegamos a conocer los personajes y como nos hace vivir lo que le pasa a Cata.
Las composiciones de cada página son increíbles
Comic #Top2020
Increíble cómo llegamos a conocer los personajes y como nos hace vivir lo que le pasa a Cata.
Las composiciones de cada página son increíbles
Comic #Top2020
August 3, 2024
CW: Self-harm, suicide, death, hit and run, nudity.
I jumped into this without any expectations, borrowing a library copy in English after I had learned it got translated to my mother tongue - so I intended to just check it out lightly, as I saw it didn't have that many readers/reviews so far.
But this is not a light story. It's a story of life and death told through what's in between the two as we follow Catalina, the girl who committed suicide, and Karmen, who is supposed to write up a karma report for her and help her transition - but rushing souls is just not her style.
This is a creatively drawn atmospheric and emotional story that reflects on the power we can have in the lives of others when we choose not to be selfish but make just a few acts of kindness and with it make a difference.
I especially liked the unusual and innovative panel use in a few places in this piece, how motion was presented, and the few beautiful panorama drawings of Mallorca (as I learned). Not everyone appreciated this, but I liked how the characters were imperfect and human, as well as how the story was messy and not just rushing straight to make a point. It was a bit funny that Karmen was a kind of a skeleton with heels sticking out of her feet - that was an obvious male gaze esthetic choice, as well as the nudity - but if you're not one to get triggered by it, it plays into the story well.
I jumped into this without any expectations, borrowing a library copy in English after I had learned it got translated to my mother tongue - so I intended to just check it out lightly, as I saw it didn't have that many readers/reviews so far.
But this is not a light story. It's a story of life and death told through what's in between the two as we follow Catalina, the girl who committed suicide, and Karmen, who is supposed to write up a karma report for her and help her transition - but rushing souls is just not her style.
This is a creatively drawn atmospheric and emotional story that reflects on the power we can have in the lives of others when we choose not to be selfish but make just a few acts of kindness and with it make a difference.
I especially liked the unusual and innovative panel use in a few places in this piece, how motion was presented, and the few beautiful panorama drawings of Mallorca (as I learned). Not everyone appreciated this, but I liked how the characters were imperfect and human, as well as how the story was messy and not just rushing straight to make a point. It was a bit funny that Karmen was a kind of a skeleton with heels sticking out of her feet - that was an obvious male gaze esthetic choice, as well as the nudity - but if you're not one to get triggered by it, it plays into the story well.
July 18, 2022
Was geschieht mit der Seele nach dem Tod? Ihre Situation nicht direkt begreifend, findet sich die junge Studentin Catalina nach ihrem Tod in einer Zwischenebene. Die titelgebende Karmen, deren Aufgabe es ist Seelen weiterzuleiten, nimmt sie an der Hand und möchte sie auf die Weiterreise vorbereiten.
Guillem March erzählt eine emotionale Geschichte über Liebe, Verlust und Reue.
Dabei nimmt er sich ausreichend Zeit seine Hauptfiguren einzuführen und sich entwickeln zu lassen. Das Erzähltempo ist ideal gewählt. Über nur 160 Seiten wird so eine herausragende emotionale Tiefe erreicht.
Auch zeichnerisch überzeugt March auf ganzer Linie. Insbesondere die ausgefallenen Perspektiven liefern besondere Momente. Palma de Mallorca als Schauplatz wird durch die detaillierte Darstellung der Architektur von March gekonnt in Szene gesetzt. Die Farben erzeugen eine sommerlich mediterrane Stimmung. Das wirkt alles sehr erfrischend.
Guillem March erzählt eine emotionale Geschichte über Liebe, Verlust und Reue.
Dabei nimmt er sich ausreichend Zeit seine Hauptfiguren einzuführen und sich entwickeln zu lassen. Das Erzähltempo ist ideal gewählt. Über nur 160 Seiten wird so eine herausragende emotionale Tiefe erreicht.
Auch zeichnerisch überzeugt March auf ganzer Linie. Insbesondere die ausgefallenen Perspektiven liefern besondere Momente. Palma de Mallorca als Schauplatz wird durch die detaillierte Darstellung der Architektur von March gekonnt in Szene gesetzt. Die Farben erzeugen eine sommerlich mediterrane Stimmung. Das wirkt alles sehr erfrischend.
October 24, 2023
Die Zeichnungen und vor allem die gewählten Perspektiven und das Spiel damit waren sehr beeindrucken. Leider war die Handlung harter Tobak, und dar Umgang mit den Themen Selbstmord, Depression und Seelenwanderung hat mir insgesamt nicht ganz so gut gefallen, da es sehr in eine Richtung ohne viel Spielraum gedacht war.
Trotzdem ein spannendes Konzept mit irren Bildern und ungewollten Emotionen.
Trotzdem ein spannendes Konzept mit irren Bildern und ungewollten Emotionen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2021
⭐️4.5⭐️
He devorado está novela gráfica. Me ha apasionado la ilustración, la historia y los personajes. Me ha resultado perturbadora y siniestra al mismo tiempo que esperanzadora. Totalmente recomendable.
He devorado está novela gráfica. Me ha apasionado la ilustración, la historia y los personajes. Me ha resultado perturbadora y siniestra al mismo tiempo que esperanzadora. Totalmente recomendable.
April 1, 2024
Adorei a arte.
Adorei a história. O fio condutor.
Tendo por base um assunto delicado (o suicídio) o autor conseguiu que a história não fosse deprimente, mas sim que tivesse uma nuance de esperança no meio de tanto desencontro, de tanta incompreensão.
May 29, 2021
Não é o meu tipo de história... E não consegui perceber a razão de vermos o esqueleto da Karmen, o sistema circulatório da colega Karmela e o sistema digestivo da supervisora...!
January 7, 2023
me ha encantado! es la primera vez que leo un cómic y me ha gustado mucho: los colores, el trasfondo de la historia, todo. os lo recomiendo mil si estáis empezando como yo a leer cómics
June 14, 2022
Firstly, let me point out that this book is definitely not for kids. There are some mature and triggering themes included here regarding suicide, the afterlife and a whole lot of nudity. So you'll need to tread carefully if those things cause upset to you as a reader.
That said, Guillem March does deliver a seemingly profound if somewhat bonkers story out of these elements. The sadness feels poetic and the atmosphere is surreal, which for sure will likely divide some people. Personally, even though I could sense the profoundness throughout reading, I'll be honest, and say I think the deeper messages were hidden just a little too deep for me and I feel like they went over my head.
That said, March's artwork here is nothing short of phenomenal. Much like all of his other work to-date it's beautiful, vivid and incredibly full of life. If you're a fan of his illustrations you will undoubtedly be in for a treat with Karmen.
Overall, Karmen was an average read for me. I wanted to be blown away here given the themes and the profoundness of it, but sadly I think the plot and characters just didn't hit. The artwork however is truly incredible and made for a worthy experience.
______________
My Score: 5/10
My Goodreads: ⭐⭐⭐
______________
That said, Guillem March does deliver a seemingly profound if somewhat bonkers story out of these elements. The sadness feels poetic and the atmosphere is surreal, which for sure will likely divide some people. Personally, even though I could sense the profoundness throughout reading, I'll be honest, and say I think the deeper messages were hidden just a little too deep for me and I feel like they went over my head.
That said, March's artwork here is nothing short of phenomenal. Much like all of his other work to-date it's beautiful, vivid and incredibly full of life. If you're a fan of his illustrations you will undoubtedly be in for a treat with Karmen.
Overall, Karmen was an average read for me. I wanted to be blown away here given the themes and the profoundness of it, but sadly I think the plot and characters just didn't hit. The artwork however is truly incredible and made for a worthy experience.
______________
My Score: 5/10
My Goodreads: ⭐⭐⭐
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July 24, 2020
The story took me most of the comic to get into, and by the time I felt like things were getting interesting, the volume was over. I really doubted continuing with it at about 1/3 way in, but decided to push through to the end. I’m glad I did, and I considered raising the score to 4/5 stars for the last 1/3 of the book and for the artwork, but decided to stick with a 3.
Death is weird and strange and quirky. I glanced at another review, and they said this isn’t Neil Gaiman’s Death from Sandman but more like Delirium. I suppose she might seem like a mash up of the two, with Karmen being more zany and bizarre than Sandman’s Death. But all I could think of while reading was how similar she was the Gaiman’s Death. A quirky, beautiful Death who is helps guide her charge to the afterlife and tries to connect with them. In this, there are other Deaths as well, so seeing her juxtaposed against the harsher, more no-nonsense versions of Death only made her seem more like Gaiman’s Death to me.
But that’s when the story got most interesting. We saw another version of Death, Karmela, who seemed cold and beautiful and to the point. She was the first time we saw that Karmen handled death differently, and it gave us some depth to Karmen’s character. By this point, the graphic novel was nearly over. Everything with Cata was suddenly wrapped up quickly after her resisting passing on and struggling with her suicide for 90% of the book. The last 20 pages are my favorite part, and I felt like it was over too quickly. I still haven’t decided if I want to read the next volume when it’s available.
The artwork is beautiful. The colors are rich, and pink and red are a heavy theme through the story. The woman who died by suicide is naked and exploring the city for most of the novel. I enjoyed the dynamic way they drew the exploration and the poses they chose when she was swimming and flying around.
However, something about her being nude the whole time and the only one who is (besides brief glimpses of a couple in a hot tub and what I assume is other dead people waiting for the afterlife), it felt like an excuse to draw a naked, beautiful woman over and over again. Sometimes, the close up panels were shots of her breasts or groin. I have mixed feelings about how this was handled. I loved the art style and all the beautiful women. I believe we should be more comfortable with human bodies and not sexualize nudity. Figure drawing is one of my favorite art forms. But something about it sat strange to me. Of course it was beautiful, flawless looking woman who were naked. We saw a crowd of people waiting for the afterlife in various states of dress with various bodies, but none of them were ever zoomed in on, the panel cropped to only show breasts or groin or buttocks. There were harry butts and dimples skin and chubby women in these pages, and I wish there was more of that. At one point, Cata yells at a random woman on the street for how she’s dressed, saying “You must be really brave to go out dressed like that. Your taste in clothes sucks!” to test if anyone could hear her. I’m not sure why they chose for her to target another woman for her appearance.
I just really have mixed feelings overall. It started off at a 2.5/3 for me but picked up near the end, but was over soon after that. The art was gorgeous, but sometimes felt indulgent. I’m interested in Karmen’s story, but not sure if I will continue or not.
I received this for free on NetGalley in exchange for a review.
Death is weird and strange and quirky. I glanced at another review, and they said this isn’t Neil Gaiman’s Death from Sandman but more like Delirium. I suppose she might seem like a mash up of the two, with Karmen being more zany and bizarre than Sandman’s Death. But all I could think of while reading was how similar she was the Gaiman’s Death. A quirky, beautiful Death who is helps guide her charge to the afterlife and tries to connect with them. In this, there are other Deaths as well, so seeing her juxtaposed against the harsher, more no-nonsense versions of Death only made her seem more like Gaiman’s Death to me.
But that’s when the story got most interesting. We saw another version of Death, Karmela, who seemed cold and beautiful and to the point. She was the first time we saw that Karmen handled death differently, and it gave us some depth to Karmen’s character. By this point, the graphic novel was nearly over. Everything with Cata was suddenly wrapped up quickly after her resisting passing on and struggling with her suicide for 90% of the book. The last 20 pages are my favorite part, and I felt like it was over too quickly. I still haven’t decided if I want to read the next volume when it’s available.
The artwork is beautiful. The colors are rich, and pink and red are a heavy theme through the story. The woman who died by suicide is naked and exploring the city for most of the novel. I enjoyed the dynamic way they drew the exploration and the poses they chose when she was swimming and flying around.
However, something about her being nude the whole time and the only one who is (besides brief glimpses of a couple in a hot tub and what I assume is other dead people waiting for the afterlife), it felt like an excuse to draw a naked, beautiful woman over and over again. Sometimes, the close up panels were shots of her breasts or groin. I have mixed feelings about how this was handled. I loved the art style and all the beautiful women. I believe we should be more comfortable with human bodies and not sexualize nudity. Figure drawing is one of my favorite art forms. But something about it sat strange to me. Of course it was beautiful, flawless looking woman who were naked. We saw a crowd of people waiting for the afterlife in various states of dress with various bodies, but none of them were ever zoomed in on, the panel cropped to only show breasts or groin or buttocks. There were harry butts and dimples skin and chubby women in these pages, and I wish there was more of that. At one point, Cata yells at a random woman on the street for how she’s dressed, saying “You must be really brave to go out dressed like that. Your taste in clothes sucks!” to test if anyone could hear her. I’m not sure why they chose for her to target another woman for her appearance.
I just really have mixed feelings overall. It started off at a 2.5/3 for me but picked up near the end, but was over soon after that. The art was gorgeous, but sometimes felt indulgent. I’m interested in Karmen’s story, but not sure if I will continue or not.
I received this for free on NetGalley in exchange for a review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2021
Mira que la idea no es que sea lo mas novedosa del mundo, que una persona se mate y su alma se encuentre con un avatar de la muerte y repasen su vida, es mas, lei este libro despues de ver SOUL y bien, los dos estan bien pro...aca todo es mejor contado, y no es que sea un SOUL para adultos , no, son dos animales distitos, aca la historia es hermosa, y esta cargada de emoción y sentimiento, todo es contado con una maestria y sientes que Guillem March te toma d ela mano y te cuenta una historia que nunca te abandonara, recordare imagenes que estaran tatuadas para siempre en el alma y pide varias relecturas, volver aperdrme en esas personas que exhudan realidad en cada pagina.Una obra maestra.
September 15, 2023
Karmen is a comic that explores suicide, death, and selfishness. It's also a comic that feels the need to have it's titular character have rock hard nipples and make a lot of fart jokes. The art style is stunning and it had incredible world-building, but it's overall message was shaming people who consider suicide and was written by an obviously misogynistic man. There was no need for the man character to be naked for most of the novel. The message also was so on-the-nose and cheesy at the climax. I would have loved to see the story fully fleshed out without the sexism and mental health shaming, but that's incredibly ubiquitous so I can't recommend it.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 14, 2021
I'm in fucking awe.
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