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Mazebook #1-5
Mazebook
A lonely building inspector still grieving the loss of his puzzle-loving daughter receives a mysterious phone call one night from a girl claiming it's her and that she's trapped in the middle of a labyrinth. Convinced that this child is contacting him from beyond this world, he uses an unfinished maze from one of her journals and a map of the city to trace an intricate path through a different plane of reality on an intense and melancholy adventure to bring his daughter back home.
Collects five-issue miniseries and features a sketchbook section and pinups by Andrea Sorrentino, Dustin Nguyen, Dean Ormston, Matt Kindt, and Gabriel Hernández Walta!
Collects five-issue miniseries and features a sketchbook section and pinups by Andrea Sorrentino, Dustin Nguyen, Dean Ormston, Matt Kindt, and Gabriel Hernández Walta!
256 pages, Hardcover
First published June 8, 2022
11 people are currently reading
1244 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Lemire
1,398 books3,867 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Jeff Lemire is a New York Times bestselling and award winning author, and creator of the acclaimed graphic novels Sweet Tooth, Essex County, The Underwater Welder, Trillium, Plutona, Black Hammer, Descender, Royal City, and Gideon Falls. His upcoming projects include a host of series and original graphic novels, including the fantasy series Ascender with Dustin Nguyen.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Jeff Lemire is a New York Times bestselling and award winning author, and creator of the acclaimed graphic novels Sweet Tooth, Essex County, The Underwater Welder, Trillium, Plutona, Black Hammer, Descender, Royal City, and Gideon Falls. His upcoming projects include a host of series and original graphic novels, including the fantasy series Ascender with Dustin Nguyen.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 308 reviews
September 7, 2022
It's Jeff Lemire, so it's about a father and his child, a daughter this time. The dad lost his daughter a while ago, and he now thinks she wants him to find her.
You can probably see where this is going, what the metaphor at the heart of this story is. And it's an okay story. If I have one real criticism of the book, it is that it doesn't really add anything to this particular subgenre, you'll most probably have read something like it before (and the ending feels a bit pat, perhaps).
But it is told well, and with confidence. I'm not the biggest fan of Lemire as an illustrator, but this might be his best work visually.
3.5 stars
(Thanks to Dark Horse Books for providing me with an ARC through Edelweiss)
You can probably see where this is going, what the metaphor at the heart of this story is. And it's an okay story. If I have one real criticism of the book, it is that it doesn't really add anything to this particular subgenre, you'll most probably have read something like it before (and the ending feels a bit pat, perhaps).
But it is told well, and with confidence. I'm not the biggest fan of Lemire as an illustrator, but this might be his best work visually.
3.5 stars
(Thanks to Dark Horse Books for providing me with an ARC through Edelweiss)
February 6, 2022
A depressed building inspector starts receiving phone calls from his daughter in the middle of the night. But… she died over ten years ago! Could he be having a mental breakdown or did his puzzle-loving kid somehow not die and wind up inside a maze-type world?! I mean, obviously the former. But we gotta pretend there’s some question over these things for, y’know, there to be a book.
Mazebook is Jeff Lemire’s shortened retelling of his boring Image series, Royal City, where a relative seems to be dead but is somehow communicating with the living, and it’s no better - though it’s at least only one book long instead of three.
It’s not a particularly interesting story - Will, our protagonist, wanders about in a gloomy fugue most of the time, behaving exactly how you’d expect a man whose life was shattered after the death of his child, so it’s hardly a brilliant look at what trauma does to a person. Nor is it well-constructed. His journey takes him to his ex-wife’s house where he finds a puzzle book where one maze just happened to have been left incomplete - why?? And it just happens to be the one maze that unlocks everything. Gosh, that’s awfully convenient.
He somehow enters the Mazeworld early on in a dream (pretty big hint right there) where he has a maze tattoo on his arm - so why does he feel the need to get the maze tattooed onto his arm in real life for when he tries to enter the Mazeworld again? It’s there anyway, apparently. The path into the Mazeworld isn’t very clever - it’s just going from one manhole via sewer into another - and the map itself turns out to be irrelevant as he just needs to follow the red thread which is clearly visible when he’s in the Mazeworld.
Lisa is a really obvious love interest - eye-rollingly so. Duh, I wonder if they’ll get together and Will will start putting his life back together with her? Speaking of obvious, what do you expect to see in a story about a maze/labyrinth? Think of the most famous story involving a labyrinth. Exactly. I suppose it is a visually striking image but the Minotaur is a pointless addition, and silly given what it turns out to really be.
Also, this might just be a printing error but Wendy calls Will at 3.15am twice early in the story - we see the time on the phone clearly - but shortly afterwards Will insists that she called at exactly 3.12am.
The sloppiness is explained in Lemire’s afterword where he talks about how loosely plotted the book was and how he just made it up as he went along - and it shows! He also mentions that he, quite surprisingly, only just discovered the work of Haruki Murakami in the last few years and that he was going for a kind of Murakami-pastiche, which probably explains the Minotaur and Vern the talking dog.
Lemire’s art is fine - most readers of Lemire’s books that he illustrates himself know by now whether it’s to their taste or not, and I’ve never found it that bad. It is remarkable though how little his art has advanced over the years. It’s exactly as it was on Essex County, nearly 15 years ago, whereas most artists’ styles tend to develop over a similar length of time. The small gaps between the panels showing you the reading order, as if the panels themselves are a maze, was a cute touch I liked.
The pieces that make up Mazebook are intriguing in themselves, as is the idea of the dark mirror land that is the Mazeworld, but Lemire’s execution is lacking so these pieces aren’t assembled in a satisfying or clever way. The end result is another dreamlike story of loss and grief that we’ve seen from Lemire before (Royal City, Frogcatchers, Lost Dogs, et al.) but rendered in a less compelling way that’s wrapped up too neatly to be the least bit memorable or profound. A far from a-mazing effort, Jeff Lemire continues his no-hitter streak with Mazebook.
Mazebook is Jeff Lemire’s shortened retelling of his boring Image series, Royal City, where a relative seems to be dead but is somehow communicating with the living, and it’s no better - though it’s at least only one book long instead of three.
It’s not a particularly interesting story - Will, our protagonist, wanders about in a gloomy fugue most of the time, behaving exactly how you’d expect a man whose life was shattered after the death of his child, so it’s hardly a brilliant look at what trauma does to a person. Nor is it well-constructed. His journey takes him to his ex-wife’s house where he finds a puzzle book where one maze just happened to have been left incomplete - why?? And it just happens to be the one maze that unlocks everything. Gosh, that’s awfully convenient.
He somehow enters the Mazeworld early on in a dream (pretty big hint right there) where he has a maze tattoo on his arm - so why does he feel the need to get the maze tattooed onto his arm in real life for when he tries to enter the Mazeworld again? It’s there anyway, apparently. The path into the Mazeworld isn’t very clever - it’s just going from one manhole via sewer into another - and the map itself turns out to be irrelevant as he just needs to follow the red thread which is clearly visible when he’s in the Mazeworld.
Lisa is a really obvious love interest - eye-rollingly so. Duh, I wonder if they’ll get together and Will will start putting his life back together with her? Speaking of obvious, what do you expect to see in a story about a maze/labyrinth? Think of the most famous story involving a labyrinth. Exactly. I suppose it is a visually striking image but the Minotaur is a pointless addition, and silly given what it turns out to really be.
Also, this might just be a printing error but Wendy calls Will at 3.15am twice early in the story - we see the time on the phone clearly - but shortly afterwards Will insists that she called at exactly 3.12am.
The sloppiness is explained in Lemire’s afterword where he talks about how loosely plotted the book was and how he just made it up as he went along - and it shows! He also mentions that he, quite surprisingly, only just discovered the work of Haruki Murakami in the last few years and that he was going for a kind of Murakami-pastiche, which probably explains the Minotaur and Vern the talking dog.
Lemire’s art is fine - most readers of Lemire’s books that he illustrates himself know by now whether it’s to their taste or not, and I’ve never found it that bad. It is remarkable though how little his art has advanced over the years. It’s exactly as it was on Essex County, nearly 15 years ago, whereas most artists’ styles tend to develop over a similar length of time. The small gaps between the panels showing you the reading order, as if the panels themselves are a maze, was a cute touch I liked.
The pieces that make up Mazebook are intriguing in themselves, as is the idea of the dark mirror land that is the Mazeworld, but Lemire’s execution is lacking so these pieces aren’t assembled in a satisfying or clever way. The end result is another dreamlike story of loss and grief that we’ve seen from Lemire before (Royal City, Frogcatchers, Lost Dogs, et al.) but rendered in a less compelling way that’s wrapped up too neatly to be the least bit memorable or profound. A far from a-mazing effort, Jeff Lemire continues his no-hitter streak with Mazebook.
June 12, 2022
I didn't even realize it until after it was pointed out to me by my sister, but each of the five issues represents a different one of the five stages of grief. Impressive book from Lemire. I loved this even more the second time around. Nothing else to really say besides go read this book, especially if you read this review before actually reading it.
This spiel was written after reading the newly released hardcover. The original review written after reading the singles can be found below:
One of Lemire’s best works ever, and it could easily be debated that this is his Magnum Opus. I’ve read alot of his books over the years, but this one really does hit on all the right spots. A tragic, yet hopeful and beautiful tale, with gorgeous art by Lemire. Loved this so much.
This spiel was written after reading the newly released hardcover. The original review written after reading the singles can be found below:
One of Lemire’s best works ever, and it could easily be debated that this is his Magnum Opus. I’ve read alot of his books over the years, but this one really does hit on all the right spots. A tragic, yet hopeful and beautiful tale, with gorgeous art by Lemire. Loved this so much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2022
I think if you had never read anything by Jeff Lemire and/or if you have experienced a lingering, maybe even unshakable grief over a lost loved one, this would very likely be a powerful story, with some lyrical/magical elements (depending on how you view Lemire's sketchy artwork). I saw at a glance a lot of my comics friends gave this 2 or 3 stars, and I think part of this is that we have all by now read several of his brooding books about parenthood, loss, grief and this seems like it offers nothing new to our understanding of these topics.
I am a fan of Lemire's artwork, but most of the characters in this short book look just like the folks in Sweet Tooth and Royal City and other stories he has constructed. I would say it is good, just not startlingly good.
The appendix features a pretty long discussion of the story's development. It was originally called String Theory, as a string leads us our Dad through a maze of memory, including a confrontation with a Minotaur. All this is ignited by Dad--grieving to the point of psychological destruction for ten years!--getting a call (he thinks) from his dead daughter to go to the center of the maze. . .. she loved mazes, big surprise, he gets a maze tattoo, and walks around or into some kind of understanding. So it's an allegorical maze journey. I might get it for a friend who is still distraught over the death of his wife, a year later.
I am a fan of Lemire's artwork, but most of the characters in this short book look just like the folks in Sweet Tooth and Royal City and other stories he has constructed. I would say it is good, just not startlingly good.
The appendix features a pretty long discussion of the story's development. It was originally called String Theory, as a string leads us our Dad through a maze of memory, including a confrontation with a Minotaur. All this is ignited by Dad--grieving to the point of psychological destruction for ten years!--getting a call (he thinks) from his dead daughter to go to the center of the maze. . .. she loved mazes, big surprise, he gets a maze tattoo, and walks around or into some kind of understanding. So it's an allegorical maze journey. I might get it for a friend who is still distraught over the death of his wife, a year later.
March 4, 2024
Pero qué maravilla acabo de leer 💎
September 7, 2022
Lemire is at it again drawing his own stuff. Like Sweet Tooth, at first glance thumbing through the book, that art looks scribbly and unfinished. However, once you start reading the book, the art kinda fits. Also like most of Lemire’s Indy titles, it’s sad as hell but at least we get a ray of sunshine at the end. The story follows Will who is a building inspector. His daughter died of an illness 10 years ago and he just never fully recovered. Not really caring what he looks like with messy hair and an unshaven beard. He’s just been going through the motions of his daily routine. His wife has even left him. But something ends up happening that makes him think his daughter is out there somewhere and he is now hell bent on trying to find out what he has to do to find her. The story hooked me in and I was along for the ride curious as to what he was going to find. Ended up being one of those situations where he didn’t find what he wanted to find but what he needed to find which lead into that bright ending I mentioned. Solid stuff.
February 12, 2023
4.0 Stars
I don't particularly love this art style but Lemire is a talented storyteller when it comes to emotional narratives.
I don't particularly love this art style but Lemire is a talented storyteller when it comes to emotional narratives.
May 13, 2022
Man loses daughter. Daughter loved mazes. Man begins dreaming of the biggest maze of all time, where his daughter waits in the centre. Also, there's a talking dog, and a minotaur, and it's fucking sad. Of course it's a Jeff Lemire book.
Lemire likes telling these types of stories, and he's hella good at it. Mazebook is an examination of what happens when your entire world falls apart, and the lengths you'd go to to get back even a semblence of what you had, even if you know it'll never fill the hole. But it's also about learning to move on, and how just because it looks like everything's over, doesn't mean that something new can't begin. It's some heavy stuff, especially for a book fairly light on dialogue and description boxes.
Lemire also draws the book; his style's not going to be for everyone, but there's something about his wobbly lines that adds to this already fragile world, and the very sparse use of colour outside of the red threads enhances the world of Mazebook beyond your standard comic book visuals.
Between this and Primordial, it's a good week to be a Lemire fan.
Lemire likes telling these types of stories, and he's hella good at it. Mazebook is an examination of what happens when your entire world falls apart, and the lengths you'd go to to get back even a semblence of what you had, even if you know it'll never fill the hole. But it's also about learning to move on, and how just because it looks like everything's over, doesn't mean that something new can't begin. It's some heavy stuff, especially for a book fairly light on dialogue and description boxes.
Lemire also draws the book; his style's not going to be for everyone, but there's something about his wobbly lines that adds to this already fragile world, and the very sparse use of colour outside of the red threads enhances the world of Mazebook beyond your standard comic book visuals.
Between this and Primordial, it's a good week to be a Lemire fan.
August 9, 2022
Yes, it sucks when someone you love dies. Everything else in this book is just as obvious, from the imagery and symbolism to the ending. Meh.
July 18, 2022
4.5🌟
"Let me tell you a story...
This is the story of a man who had everything.
He had everything and then he lost it all.
He lost everything and then he lost himself.
Then he forgot her face.
And no one's face meant anything to him anymore.
He was all alone.
For ever and ever.
The end."
Another powerful story from Jeff Lemire. Anyone who has felt overwhelmed with grief or has felt on the edge of losing their way can relate to this maze-like metaphore of life. What a great story and as usual I dig Lemire's art.
"Let me tell you a story...
This is the story of a man who had everything.
He had everything and then he lost it all.
He lost everything and then he lost himself.
Then he forgot her face.
And no one's face meant anything to him anymore.
He was all alone.
For ever and ever.
The end."
Another powerful story from Jeff Lemire. Anyone who has felt overwhelmed with grief or has felt on the edge of losing their way can relate to this maze-like metaphore of life. What a great story and as usual I dig Lemire's art.
September 23, 2022
Short and sweet: anything Jeff Lemire does is worth reading! Truly amazing how he is able to 'straddle' the comic industry; from Moon Knight to Sweet Tooth - unbelievable! This is the story of a father who can't get over the loss of his daughter - will review each individual issue by itself.
May 25, 2024
Ten years after the death of his daughter, William is woken in the middle of the night with a phone call... from his daughter? William soon goes on a journey to find his daughter in the center of a maze...
I'm a fan of Jeff Lemire because of his work on Black Hammer and some other books so I picked this up. It's a powerful book about grief, loss, and recovery. Who is trapped in the maze, William's daughter or William himself?
I'm a fan of Jeff Lemire because of his work on Black Hammer and some other books so I picked this up. It's a powerful book about grief, loss, and recovery. Who is trapped in the maze, William's daughter or William himself?
June 23, 2022
Mazebook collects issues 1-5 of the Dark Horse Comic’s series written and drawn by Jeff Lemire.
Will is a building inspector in a large city who is still grieving the loss of his daughter 10 years ago. One night Will receives a call from someone claiming to be his daughter to save her from being trapped in the middle of a maze. Will gathers all of his daughter unfinished puzzle books and mazes and sets out into the city to find his daughter.
This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read - both art and story. This is easily Lemire’s best art to date. I have never been someone who has had a desire to collect comic art, but I would definitely buy a page from this book. The story is hauntingly beautiful and really touched me, and I’m not even a father. But I could find parallels to my own life and depression that I have faced over the last few years. This is a book that could be easily reread many times with the reader continuing to find new connections. I believe this book could go down as one of Lemire’s best works.
Will is a building inspector in a large city who is still grieving the loss of his daughter 10 years ago. One night Will receives a call from someone claiming to be his daughter to save her from being trapped in the middle of a maze. Will gathers all of his daughter unfinished puzzle books and mazes and sets out into the city to find his daughter.
This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read - both art and story. This is easily Lemire’s best art to date. I have never been someone who has had a desire to collect comic art, but I would definitely buy a page from this book. The story is hauntingly beautiful and really touched me, and I’m not even a father. But I could find parallels to my own life and depression that I have faced over the last few years. This is a book that could be easily reread many times with the reader continuing to find new connections. I believe this book could go down as one of Lemire’s best works.
May 19, 2022
Brilliant in both art and story.
December 25, 2024
Superbe BD/roman graphique de Jeff Lemire qui nous conduit dans le labyrinthe de nos vie, la difficulté d'avancer, le temps qui passe, la perte d'un être aimé, le deuil, la vie. Poignant et bouleversant.
August 12, 2022
I really liked Mazebook. I was easily won over by the plot's melancholic atmosphere and pulled in by all the sad and beautiful illustrations.
Lemire's art is nothing short of incredible in this book and the characterisation here is absolutely wonderful. The main protagonist is emotive, genuine and very real, which definitely helps the reader to buy into what is most assuredly a surreal plot. There aren't a lot of characters in play within this story, but they do all seem to have life.
Like most people I'm a big appreciator of both Jeff Lemire's art style and his writing, but this isn't my favourite work of his - if I'm honest it doesn't come close. As beautiful as it is, it does lack the emotional tug-of-war that his work usually achieves with me and because of this I found Mazebook more low key and subtle - something that may just strike a brighter light with some folks.
That said, there's no doubt that this is a beautifully crafted story for both its plot and especially for its art.
Overall, Mazebook is definitely worth your time. If you like beautiful yet low key melancholic stories you should probably jump all over this one if you haven't already.
_______________
My Score: 8/10
My Goodreads: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
_______________
Lemire's art is nothing short of incredible in this book and the characterisation here is absolutely wonderful. The main protagonist is emotive, genuine and very real, which definitely helps the reader to buy into what is most assuredly a surreal plot. There aren't a lot of characters in play within this story, but they do all seem to have life.
Like most people I'm a big appreciator of both Jeff Lemire's art style and his writing, but this isn't my favourite work of his - if I'm honest it doesn't come close. As beautiful as it is, it does lack the emotional tug-of-war that his work usually achieves with me and because of this I found Mazebook more low key and subtle - something that may just strike a brighter light with some folks.
That said, there's no doubt that this is a beautifully crafted story for both its plot and especially for its art.
Overall, Mazebook is definitely worth your time. If you like beautiful yet low key melancholic stories you should probably jump all over this one if you haven't already.
_______________
My Score: 8/10
My Goodreads: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
_______________
September 8, 2022
At this point we know what to expect from a Jeff Lemire story. It's a mystery hinging on an estranged father/daughter relationship. The artwork is nice, Lemire is on top of his game here. For fans only, but also not a terrible place to dip your toes in since its a quick read and has all the usual Lemire tropes.
July 28, 2022
I mean, Jeff Lemire, so -
Depressed dad/mom? Check.
Loss of the relative, most probably a child? Check.
Dripping melancholy? Check.
The essential message you should take from this? Check.
Somehow rushed/weak ending? Check.
Still Lemire, still enjoyable.
4/5
Depressed dad/mom? Check.
Loss of the relative, most probably a child? Check.
Dripping melancholy? Check.
The essential message you should take from this? Check.
Somehow rushed/weak ending? Check.
Still Lemire, still enjoyable.
4/5
January 22, 2022
I never get tired of Jeff Lemire comics. This one in particular really goes into abstract art pieces to tell a big story. The characters genuinely sound like real people trying to move through life. Even if it is mostly Will doing most of the work. But the fact that he's interacting with a premise so big and so psychologically thrilling means a lot.
The art and presentations mean a lot; sometimes there's so much nuance and layers it's enthralling what people can take away from Mazebook. I couldn't tell if Will was going through some memory loss problems or suffering from a nervous breakdown. But you gotta admit being in his head you can really get behind what's going on. Because this series really captures the meaning of feeling stuck in your life/head. The maze imagery just helps submit that all down. Plus the subtle changes make a pretty big difference all of the time. I'm definitely walking away from this with an appreciation on moving forward with life.
The art and presentations mean a lot; sometimes there's so much nuance and layers it's enthralling what people can take away from Mazebook. I couldn't tell if Will was going through some memory loss problems or suffering from a nervous breakdown. But you gotta admit being in his head you can really get behind what's going on. Because this series really captures the meaning of feeling stuck in your life/head. The maze imagery just helps submit that all down. Plus the subtle changes make a pretty big difference all of the time. I'm definitely walking away from this with an appreciation on moving forward with life.
June 12, 2022
By no means is this one Jeff Lemire’s best work. Nor is it in the top 5 even.
Having said that, I loved it for the sheer fact that it was so freely done. The looseness of the storytelling felt so fresh—it was void of the usual family and farm stuff, and it felt as though he was drawing from new inspirations (as it happens, he was inspired by my favorite living author Haruki Murakami as well as his own adult life living in downtown Toronto as opposed to his childhood on a farm).
I wonder what it takes for a writer to just continually produce work and come up with things to designate as completed pieces especially as he gets older. The inspired beauty of his earliest works is gone, but there is a definite tenacity to his storytelling that really only comes from the grind of doing stuff to pay the bills. I’m glad he is enjoying his freedom now!
Having said that, I loved it for the sheer fact that it was so freely done. The looseness of the storytelling felt so fresh—it was void of the usual family and farm stuff, and it felt as though he was drawing from new inspirations (as it happens, he was inspired by my favorite living author Haruki Murakami as well as his own adult life living in downtown Toronto as opposed to his childhood on a farm).
I wonder what it takes for a writer to just continually produce work and come up with things to designate as completed pieces especially as he gets older. The inspired beauty of his earliest works is gone, but there is a definite tenacity to his storytelling that really only comes from the grind of doing stuff to pay the bills. I’m glad he is enjoying his freedom now!
August 20, 2022
Yet another fantastic title from Lemire, a moving reflection on loss and memory that’s a great blend of his realistic and fantasy works. I’m relatively convinced that he can do no wrong.
Read
July 2, 2025Så denne i en bokhandel for lenge siden og omslaget vekket interessen i meg. Jeg er så glad for at jeg endelig fikk lest den! Historien handler om en mann som har mistet datteren sin, og hvordan han ti år senere henger fast i sorgen. Datterens interesse for labyrinter legger grunnlaget for de fantastiske elementene som preger denne historien. Mange jobber med sorg som motiv, men det som gjør akkurat denne fortellingen verdt å lese er kunsten. Tegningene er utrolig uttrykksfulle og spenstige. Anbefaler!
October 9, 2024
You can safely deduct one star if you are not a parent, but this hits right in the feels.
In the afterword, Lemire openly admits his inspiration from Haruki Murakami's books, who is also my favorite author.
It's a fast but powerful read. It's a typical melancholic/depressing Lemire story about a father who is searching for his long-lost daughter, heavily infused with "magical realism".
Lemire is in top form art-wise here. I really enjoyed the paneling, which is subtly influenced by the titular theme.
In the afterword, Lemire openly admits his inspiration from Haruki Murakami's books, who is also my favorite author.
It's a fast but powerful read. It's a typical melancholic/depressing Lemire story about a father who is searching for his long-lost daughter, heavily infused with "magical realism".
Lemire is in top form art-wise here. I really enjoyed the paneling, which is subtly influenced by the titular theme.
August 16, 2022
Jeff Lemire is one of my favorite authors. Where his true genius shines is in books like this one, where he has done the story and the art. Collaboration works very well in the comic world, but being able to control the entire experience by handling everything? Perfection...
Mazebook is the melancholy story of a man who has fallen into routine... until he receives a phone call from his dead (or possibly only supposedly dead) daughter, asking for help getting out of a maze. She loved mazes and in her many books, left one undone. Off on a journey he goes, and we are along for the ride.
Lemire does something amazing here with color, keeping mostly in muted grays, blues, and yellows, but vibrant red to guide him on his path. Read it and you'll see!
I can't rave enough about this book.
Read it now.
High recommend. A must read.
Mazebook is the melancholy story of a man who has fallen into routine... until he receives a phone call from his dead (or possibly only supposedly dead) daughter, asking for help getting out of a maze. She loved mazes and in her many books, left one undone. Off on a journey he goes, and we are along for the ride.
Lemire does something amazing here with color, keeping mostly in muted grays, blues, and yellows, but vibrant red to guide him on his path. Read it and you'll see!
I can't rave enough about this book.
Read it now.
High recommend. A must read.
September 4, 2022
Beautiful tale, great artwork. Lemire at his finest.
September 15, 2022
If he's not working on Black Hammer spin-offs, Jeff Lemire only seems to know how to write sad comics about depressed men with lost children. In Mazebook, Will can't seem to get over the death of his daughter ten years ago. So when he gets a phone call from her in the middle of the night, he immediately embarks on a quest to find her "at the center of the maze."
What is the maze? It's never really clear. Mazebook is deeply embedded in Will's head, to the point that we don't know what's real and what's imagined. The quest chugs blandly along as Will learns that he needs to leave his depressed shell. There are no surprises to be had. Lemire's artwork is as gloomy and sketchy as ever.
I dunno, man. Mazebook is a bummer, and not in a way that makes the reader feel anything. It's just...a bummer.
What is the maze? It's never really clear. Mazebook is deeply embedded in Will's head, to the point that we don't know what's real and what's imagined. The quest chugs blandly along as Will learns that he needs to leave his depressed shell. There are no surprises to be had. Lemire's artwork is as gloomy and sketchy as ever.
I dunno, man. Mazebook is a bummer, and not in a way that makes the reader feel anything. It's just...a bummer.
December 28, 2021
Lemire has the uncanny ability to just hammer the reader with emotion in such tight intimate tales of personal relationships. If you’re an avid reader of his, you’re bound to fall under a familiar spell with Mazebook. This series was so well made from start to finish, and the design of the book along with his ability to carry a story through his own art is one of my favorite things about his work. I went back and forth between 4 & 5 stars on this one, but think it falls just a little short on overall impact. That feels like a nitpick even as I write it, but he’s set that same bar quite high when you stack it up to some of his other work. Mazebook is a story about grief, and if that’s something you’re dealing with it may hit you more than it hit me. Still, Mazebook is a wonderful concise read and one all fans of his work should enjoy.
August 17, 2022
Lemire is back with another family story about loss. Look, Lemire is a great writer and I really enjoyed all his family stories over the years...but to me...maybe...it is finally getting a bit of old hat for me, I don't know honestly at this point.
Mazebook is about a father dealing with loss. The dad takes a strange trip down the old noodle highway to discover what is missing. The story is entertaining but also a bit sparse.
Anyways I DID enjoy the book but I also guessed the plot pretty early on. I think Lemire created a fine world and story but it also felt a bit thin... I would have liked one more layer? or maybe one more twist?
Mazebook is about a father dealing with loss. The dad takes a strange trip down the old noodle highway to discover what is missing. The story is entertaining but also a bit sparse.
Anyways I DID enjoy the book but I also guessed the plot pretty early on. I think Lemire created a fine world and story but it also felt a bit thin... I would have liked one more layer? or maybe one more twist?
January 7, 2022
This was tough, reading about a daddy that lost is little girl, having one myself and losing her (or her little bro) being my worse fear… to the point of losing sleep over the anxiety it gives me… it was hard to read.
Reading this didn’t make me feel like I was facing that fear either, I was afraid of jinxing myself the whole time, afraid to tempt fate by not pretending for a second that this could not happen to me.
So yeah, lots of feelings, a very emotional read about learning to live again after a terrible loss.
Reading this didn’t make me feel like I was facing that fear either, I was afraid of jinxing myself the whole time, afraid to tempt fate by not pretending for a second that this could not happen to me.
So yeah, lots of feelings, a very emotional read about learning to live again after a terrible loss.
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