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The Bend of Luck
Some guys have all the luck… but not all luck is good. The award-winning duo behind Coin-Op Comics return with a mind-bending tale of fortune and family.
Imagine a world where Luck, the most ephemeral of ideas, has a physical form. Precious stones of luck, mined like gold, are worn as bringers of fortune. But luck breaks both ways. While the blue gems may grant advantage to those who wear them, their blessing is fickle and unpredictable. In the blink of an eye, good luck can turn to bad. We follow the life of a man who comes into possession of some powerful stones — but the success enjoyed by the father goes awry when he tries to pass this luck onto his son. In alternating scenes between the two generations, The Bend of Luck follows felicity's course, like an arrow, through a family's destiny.
Imagine a world where Luck, the most ephemeral of ideas, has a physical form. Precious stones of luck, mined like gold, are worn as bringers of fortune. But luck breaks both ways. While the blue gems may grant advantage to those who wear them, their blessing is fickle and unpredictable. In the blink of an eye, good luck can turn to bad. We follow the life of a man who comes into possession of some powerful stones — but the success enjoyed by the father goes awry when he tries to pass this luck onto his son. In alternating scenes between the two generations, The Bend of Luck follows felicity's course, like an arrow, through a family's destiny.
188 pages, Paperback
First published August 2, 2022
50 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 12, 2023
*sigh*
i love surreal shit, but this... didn't do it for me.
i think i just wanted more. if something is a 'snapshot in time' i want it to leave me feeling a certain kind of way. not just... 'ok?' at the end.
it was a definite 1 star last night when i finished it, but a 2 star after seething about it and trying to work out how i felt about it last night.
the son didn't even realize luck was real/physical! why the fuck did he kill himself? oop, luck turns bad and seeps into your body and will be bad for your kids and your wife! the last part just didn't feel... hefty/believable enough.
annoying.
i love surreal shit, but this... didn't do it for me.
i think i just wanted more. if something is a 'snapshot in time' i want it to leave me feeling a certain kind of way. not just... 'ok?' at the end.
it was a definite 1 star last night when i finished it, but a 2 star after seething about it and trying to work out how i felt about it last night.
the son didn't even realize luck was real/physical! why the fuck did he kill himself? oop, luck turns bad and seeps into your body and will be bad for your kids and your wife! the last part just didn't feel... hefty/believable enough.
annoying.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2025
Luck, and by that we usually mean good luck, seems to come and go however it likes, but what if it were a real thing and we could hold onto it? In this story luck takes the form of beautiful blue stones that are real and will last as long as they are kept immersed in water. Two prospectors searching the desert find a cache of these luck stones and plan to build their fortunes with them. Everyone knows how infinitely valuable these stones are and the men know they will have to act secretly, especially as it appears that the selling of the stones is illegal. The story follows two generations of the surviving miner and what happens to him and his luck.
What would happen if the luck switched and became bad luck?
I found the switching back and forth between the generations a little confusing but I enjoyed the artistic style of the drawings and the ending while broadly predictable was satisfying.
What would happen if the luck switched and became bad luck?
I found the switching back and forth between the generations a little confusing but I enjoyed the artistic style of the drawings and the ending while broadly predictable was satisfying.
August 25, 2022
With a little luck we can help it out
We can make this whole damn thing work out...
In the world of this unique graphic novel, luck is something that can be discovered and possessed like a precious gem. Naturally, luck is more coveted than gold and men are willing to steal and kill to own it. Eventually, luck begins to turn on its owner.
This is a a creative, well-plotted story.
We can make this whole damn thing work out...
In the world of this unique graphic novel, luck is something that can be discovered and possessed like a precious gem. Naturally, luck is more coveted than gold and men are willing to steal and kill to own it. Eventually, luck begins to turn on its owner.
This is a a creative, well-plotted story.
July 19, 2022
My thanks to both NetGalley and the publishers IDW Publishing, Top Shelf Productions for an advanced copy to this graphic novel story about luck, life and love.
Luck is not something that a person is born with. No, luck is created in the furnace under the Earth's crust, ejected out under pressure as tiny blue stones that disapper when exposed to air, sometimes found in small streams, or encased in amber under a hat band. This kind of luck can help two people find each other and fall in love, or tell a person to duck when riding atop a train heading into a tunnel. Luck is something that can be held, and something that can be lost, or taken away. The Bend of Luck is a graphic novel written and illustrated by the brother and sister team of Maria and Peter Hoey, about family, fathers and sons, adventure, loss and moving on, if they are lucky.
Two prospectors are looking for gold together in the wilderness, when one finds a vein of luck in a small stream. They make plans for their new found luck, but in the morning only one prospector remains, the other taking off in the night with both the horse and the luck. In the future a young man finds love and the courage to open up his dream store, a haberdashery that sells only hats that he designs. With the love of his wife and her support, with a little help from his father, the business does quite well, selling out his stock, and the future looks bright. Till he goes missing, his favorite hat found one day out at sea in a fishing net, by a young sailor who hopes to return the hat to its owner. Soon the lives of all these characters intersect in many different, advantageous ways.
The book is beautiful. I enjoyed the art, the way the panels look so simple, and yet tell so much. The writing, especially for the wife I thought was really good, I felt more for her than I have for a lot of characters in larger prose books. The story is not simple, I omitted a bit in my summary, but is really quite interesting and where they might be a few questions at the end, I really enjoyed it. I can't imagine how two people, especially siblings can work together so well.
Recommended for fans of quirky graphic novels. I would like to see more stories set in this world, see how luck plays out for others, or how a lack of luck effects people. Actually I just want to read more by both the Hoeys. I've read most of their Coin-Op Comics and Animal Stories, but this just seemed like a bigger broader story. And again the art really is wonderful.
Luck is not something that a person is born with. No, luck is created in the furnace under the Earth's crust, ejected out under pressure as tiny blue stones that disapper when exposed to air, sometimes found in small streams, or encased in amber under a hat band. This kind of luck can help two people find each other and fall in love, or tell a person to duck when riding atop a train heading into a tunnel. Luck is something that can be held, and something that can be lost, or taken away. The Bend of Luck is a graphic novel written and illustrated by the brother and sister team of Maria and Peter Hoey, about family, fathers and sons, adventure, loss and moving on, if they are lucky.
Two prospectors are looking for gold together in the wilderness, when one finds a vein of luck in a small stream. They make plans for their new found luck, but in the morning only one prospector remains, the other taking off in the night with both the horse and the luck. In the future a young man finds love and the courage to open up his dream store, a haberdashery that sells only hats that he designs. With the love of his wife and her support, with a little help from his father, the business does quite well, selling out his stock, and the future looks bright. Till he goes missing, his favorite hat found one day out at sea in a fishing net, by a young sailor who hopes to return the hat to its owner. Soon the lives of all these characters intersect in many different, advantageous ways.
The book is beautiful. I enjoyed the art, the way the panels look so simple, and yet tell so much. The writing, especially for the wife I thought was really good, I felt more for her than I have for a lot of characters in larger prose books. The story is not simple, I omitted a bit in my summary, but is really quite interesting and where they might be a few questions at the end, I really enjoyed it. I can't imagine how two people, especially siblings can work together so well.
Recommended for fans of quirky graphic novels. I would like to see more stories set in this world, see how luck plays out for others, or how a lack of luck effects people. Actually I just want to read more by both the Hoeys. I've read most of their Coin-Op Comics and Animal Stories, but this just seemed like a bigger broader story. And again the art really is wonderful.
August 14, 2022
**Disclaimer: I received a free early access copy of The Bend of Luck by Peter Hoey through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity.
The Bend of Luck by Peter Hoey is a fantasy graphic novel about a physical manifestation of luck and how it changed the course of a family's life. It is was published on August 2nd, 2022. I rated it 4 stars on Goodreads.
Here's the summary from Goodreads:
Some guys have all the luck… but not all luck is good. The award-winning duo behind Coin-Op Comics return with a mind-bending tale of fortune and family.
Imagine a world where Luck, the most ephemeral of ideas, has a physical form. Precious stones of luck, mined like gold, are worn as bringers of fortune. But luck breaks both ways. While the blue gems may grant advantage to those who wear them, their blessing is fickle and unpredictable. In the blink of an eye, good luck can turn to bad. We follow the life of a man who comes into possession of some powerful stones — but the success enjoyed by the father goes awry when he tries to pass this luck onto his son. In alternating scenes between the two generations, The Bend of Luck follows felicity's course, like an arrow, through a family's destiny.
This story was really well structured. It gave you snippets of various seemingly unconnected stories, and then slowly tied them all together and by the end you were easily able to see how all of the pieces of the puzzle fit together. It was well done in that sense. The plot was pretty fantastical, but I liked the idea of luck being a physical concept. There would definitely be serious repercussions for a hot commodity like that. It made logical sense.
I really liked the art style. The characters were fairly generic in their design, but it worked for the story. It was a really clean art style. The panels had good flow to them, and they worked well with each other. It was, overall, very nice in how it was done. I liked how it was paced, and how I was able to keep trying to put all the pieces together.
The characters weren't the most well developed, but it made sense for the context of this story. It was pulling together a lot of threads into one complete picture. It did a pretty decent job giving you a good idea who the characters were at a solid surface level.
It was a fun read, and it really kept me interested as I read all the way through. If you're at all intrigued by the premise, I definitely suggest that you check it out.
The Bend of Luck by Peter Hoey is a fantasy graphic novel about a physical manifestation of luck and how it changed the course of a family's life. It is was published on August 2nd, 2022. I rated it 4 stars on Goodreads.
Here's the summary from Goodreads:
Some guys have all the luck… but not all luck is good. The award-winning duo behind Coin-Op Comics return with a mind-bending tale of fortune and family.
Imagine a world where Luck, the most ephemeral of ideas, has a physical form. Precious stones of luck, mined like gold, are worn as bringers of fortune. But luck breaks both ways. While the blue gems may grant advantage to those who wear them, their blessing is fickle and unpredictable. In the blink of an eye, good luck can turn to bad. We follow the life of a man who comes into possession of some powerful stones — but the success enjoyed by the father goes awry when he tries to pass this luck onto his son. In alternating scenes between the two generations, The Bend of Luck follows felicity's course, like an arrow, through a family's destiny.
This story was really well structured. It gave you snippets of various seemingly unconnected stories, and then slowly tied them all together and by the end you were easily able to see how all of the pieces of the puzzle fit together. It was well done in that sense. The plot was pretty fantastical, but I liked the idea of luck being a physical concept. There would definitely be serious repercussions for a hot commodity like that. It made logical sense.
I really liked the art style. The characters were fairly generic in their design, but it worked for the story. It was a really clean art style. The panels had good flow to them, and they worked well with each other. It was, overall, very nice in how it was done. I liked how it was paced, and how I was able to keep trying to put all the pieces together.
The characters weren't the most well developed, but it made sense for the context of this story. It was pulling together a lot of threads into one complete picture. It did a pretty decent job giving you a good idea who the characters were at a solid surface level.
It was a fun read, and it really kept me interested as I read all the way through. If you're at all intrigued by the premise, I definitely suggest that you check it out.
September 6, 2022
"We don't need no stinking badges"--The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Brother and sister act Peter and Maria Hoey create their most conventional work here and it--thus far--pays off in a higher collective Goodreads rating. More accessible, let's say, but still interestingly weird. The Hoeys create bizarre, sort of hyper-real comics with a nod to fifties and early sixties advertising. Coin-Op and Animal Stories are more surreal and experimental than The Bend of Luck, which reads to me like a kind of fantasy/surreal homage to The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, both of which are kind of anti-capitalist allegories about greed.
The story, like Treasure, is set in the west, and involves two guys panning for gold, with no luck, but then they find, in a bend in the river, something else that sparkles: Luck, in the form of little blue marbles. This would sell like crazy on the black market, they realize. What ensues is the story of a man and his father, who passes down his access to "luck" to his son, until, as we know, luck can change. So it's kind of a simple allegory, well executed, and to me somewhat less interesting to me than the more experimental Animal Stories or the Coin Op Anthology.
As with Nick Drnaso's slightly surreal world-making, there's a kind of eerie/creepy Stepford Wives feel to the artwork, a point about conformity that is good, but also can be a tad confusing in that a lot of the characters look similar and emote similarly very little. It's not about characterization, these books, but an abstract conception of the universe as sort of vapid and hollow. The Bend of Luck has a little more warmth than the previous two books, as there is a father-son connection here.
Brother and sister act Peter and Maria Hoey create their most conventional work here and it--thus far--pays off in a higher collective Goodreads rating. More accessible, let's say, but still interestingly weird. The Hoeys create bizarre, sort of hyper-real comics with a nod to fifties and early sixties advertising. Coin-Op and Animal Stories are more surreal and experimental than The Bend of Luck, which reads to me like a kind of fantasy/surreal homage to The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, both of which are kind of anti-capitalist allegories about greed.
The story, like Treasure, is set in the west, and involves two guys panning for gold, with no luck, but then they find, in a bend in the river, something else that sparkles: Luck, in the form of little blue marbles. This would sell like crazy on the black market, they realize. What ensues is the story of a man and his father, who passes down his access to "luck" to his son, until, as we know, luck can change. So it's kind of a simple allegory, well executed, and to me somewhat less interesting to me than the more experimental Animal Stories or the Coin Op Anthology.
As with Nick Drnaso's slightly surreal world-making, there's a kind of eerie/creepy Stepford Wives feel to the artwork, a point about conformity that is good, but also can be a tad confusing in that a lot of the characters look similar and emote similarly very little. It's not about characterization, these books, but an abstract conception of the universe as sort of vapid and hollow. The Bend of Luck has a little more warmth than the previous two books, as there is a father-son connection here.
March 24, 2025
The Bend of Luck (2022)
By Peter Hoey, Maria Hoey
Genre – Drama, Adventure
Synopsis: A widow is left to ponder why her husband disappeared, while we follow a generational long story of a miner who comes into possession a lucky stone.
The Bend of Luck follows two stories about a man who finds a couple of lucky gems. In this world, these gems are considered lucky. At the same time, luck comes along with a price as it attracts unwanted attention. The second story follows a couple decades after the first tale, and follows a widow trying to piece together her life after her husband goes missing.
Both tales follow a nonlinear structure interlinking with each other and delivering an emotional punch by the end.
The highlight of the book is the fleshed-out story that paints a strong picture on the main characters and their lives. The style and design of the story is well done and makes for a smooth reading process.
The unique aspect of the story was that luck generated in the world in the form of blue stones. This while being interesting wears out pretty fast in terms of utilization in the story. While initially the tales are distinguishable from each other, it undergoes a messy integration which makes the entire story go off rails. This isn’t helped by the artwork which makes characters hard to distinguish.
The story also is left with a weird end that seems unnecessary. Overall it is a one time read.
RJG Rating – 2/5
Goodreads – 3.22/5
By Peter Hoey, Maria Hoey
Genre – Drama, Adventure
Synopsis: A widow is left to ponder why her husband disappeared, while we follow a generational long story of a miner who comes into possession a lucky stone.
The Bend of Luck follows two stories about a man who finds a couple of lucky gems. In this world, these gems are considered lucky. At the same time, luck comes along with a price as it attracts unwanted attention. The second story follows a couple decades after the first tale, and follows a widow trying to piece together her life after her husband goes missing.
Both tales follow a nonlinear structure interlinking with each other and delivering an emotional punch by the end.
The highlight of the book is the fleshed-out story that paints a strong picture on the main characters and their lives. The style and design of the story is well done and makes for a smooth reading process.
The unique aspect of the story was that luck generated in the world in the form of blue stones. This while being interesting wears out pretty fast in terms of utilization in the story. While initially the tales are distinguishable from each other, it undergoes a messy integration which makes the entire story go off rails. This isn’t helped by the artwork which makes characters hard to distinguish.
The story also is left with a weird end that seems unnecessary. Overall it is a one time read.
RJG Rating – 2/5
Goodreads – 3.22/5
March 8, 2025
Why did The Lucky Stone go ‘Bad’ ( ? )
I have accepted that in these modern times of overly convoluted cinematography, with every little piece of furniture or book on a coffee table inferring some necessary clue to an invisible plot twist — being lost on my aging brain…
But is this true as well for graphic novels ( ? )
Or do isolated authors just carelessly write stories that are missing all The information required to put them together,while adding additional details that were never intended to mean anything ( ! ) ?
I have accepted that in these modern times of overly convoluted cinematography, with every little piece of furniture or book on a coffee table inferring some necessary clue to an invisible plot twist — being lost on my aging brain…
But is this true as well for graphic novels ( ? )
Or do isolated authors just carelessly write stories that are missing all The information required to put them together,while adding additional details that were never intended to mean anything ( ! ) ?
May 29, 2025
This book is kind of confusing to read.
I got that the 2 timelines are color coded and that's the only good thing about this book.
The artwork makes difficult to follow, all man (dad, son, the son in past, captain) looks the same, the only thing is the eye color change but its so subtle you can hardly tell.
I couldn't connect and it felt flat.
The ending was just weird, sudden and no closure.
I think they had an interesting concept but the execution and art was not good.
I left disappointed after finishing the book.
I got that the 2 timelines are color coded and that's the only good thing about this book.
The artwork makes difficult to follow, all man (dad, son, the son in past, captain) looks the same, the only thing is the eye color change but its so subtle you can hardly tell.
I couldn't connect and it felt flat.
The ending was just weird, sudden and no closure.
I think they had an interesting concept but the execution and art was not good.
I left disappointed after finishing the book.
February 18, 2023
I had high expectations because I enjoyed Animal Stories quite a bit, and while this story was similarly endearing (luck you can put in a bottle, a haberdasher) and also had a connective story amongst seemingly unrelated vignettes, it didn't have that extra slightly dark or twisted and demented element that Animal Stories had, which was disappointing. This one is more charming I'd say, but not as weird or surprising.
October 5, 2024
I read this book because I tabled next to the author at the SF Zine Fest.
A prospector and his partner find magic luck rocks while looking for gold. Luck can be both good and bad though, or rather, it can turn at any point.
Luck follows one until he tries to pass it on to his son, and luck decides to turn.
It starts off as two seemingly unrelated stories, and then you start seeing how they relate.
Sometimes the characters looked the same to me, and it could be hard to tell them apart.
A prospector and his partner find magic luck rocks while looking for gold. Luck can be both good and bad though, or rather, it can turn at any point.
Luck follows one until he tries to pass it on to his son, and luck decides to turn.
It starts off as two seemingly unrelated stories, and then you start seeing how they relate.
Sometimes the characters looked the same to me, and it could be hard to tell them apart.
October 30, 2022
I absolutely loved the writing!!!!! What a great story that tied together generations to a faster and faster pace until it merged into the present. I love reading this story and the artwork is amazing. It reminds me of Daniel Clowes style, which is one of my favorite authors.
June 24, 2024
A short, melancholy book about what happens when a father tries to pass his luck onto his son. The two stories were intertwined together in a beautiful way. I really loved the illustrations and the ambiguity of the entire narrative.
September 2, 2025
Hmm .. flat and boring I fear. I love abstract concepts like the idea of "luck," but this story had no charm, no whimsy, and ultimately fell so very short. The graphics and writing style worked together to make a poor publication, I dare say.
However .. cheers for my first one star post ! 🤓☝🏼
However .. cheers for my first one star post ! 🤓☝🏼
August 7, 2022
Absolute page turner! Must read!!!
December 10, 2022
This is an absolutely beautiful and well-plotted graphic novel that showcases the mature stage of the genre or art form. I really enjoyed this and highly recommend to any graphic novel fans.
January 25, 2023
A delightful and charming story. The artwork is simple but very well done and works really well with the story. Luck comes in two forms...
February 20, 2023
I love the way this book depicts luck. Very interesting.
July 2, 2023
Good luck, bad luck, it’s all explored here. I appreciated the deliberate storytelling and the interesting framing of the panels on each page.
August 16, 2023
3.5/5 stars. Written and illustrated like a mockery of a children's book, though still managing some poetry.
January 19, 2024
original story and artwork
Thoroughly enjoyed the story from beginning to end. The art work is very ‘intentionally’ neat and geometric and the story is original.
Thoroughly enjoyed the story from beginning to end. The art work is very ‘intentionally’ neat and geometric and the story is original.
March 31, 2024
I liked the way the story was told — with no dialogue — but the story itself was relatively flat. I didn’t really care for the characters and hated the art style.
March 22, 2025
Loved the way the two stories intersected. The panels at the start of each chapter were really cool too.
August 10, 2022
Another winner from the Hoey siblings. I completely enjoyed the book -- the narratives, told equally by illustration and copy, are compelling, unexpected and curious. Absolutely original.
April 3, 2025
I liked this for what it is. I enjoyed reading it, but I wouldn't read it again nor is it really a memorable read. Just a quick fun read for when you need a break from heavier reads!
September 5, 2025
Two men in the Old West find some rocks that infer luck. This is the story of what happens as this story intersects with a man who jumps off the Golden Gate bridge leaving his wife behind. It's fine. Not as good as some other Hoey stories.
August 25, 2025
The idea of physical luck is cool and the dual stories in this weaved together well, if not a little predictably so. I think theres a little too much ambiguity for ambiguity sake which makes ghe characters feel a little empty. overall though I thought it was clever.
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