Ancient Joe: el bizarron

by Scott Morse

He never should've taken the Devil's silver. Now his wife's passed away, and though Joe fears the worst--that she's trapped in Hell, he's determined to find her and deliver her from the Devil's clutches, whatever the cost. Aided by a down-and-out repairman and a little girl with a tragic secret, Joe follows a path that leads him through the afterlife and beyond. A God? Myth? Man? Well, who can know? Not a soul, but Ancient Joe...

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics

120 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Scott Morse (sometimes known as C. Scott Morse or C. S. Morse) is an American animator, filmmaker, and comic book artist/writer.

Much of Morse's published work consists of stand-alone graphic novels, although he is perhaps best known for his epic series Soulwind, a story serialised in a sequence of graphic novels, which was nominated for both the Eisner and Ignatz awards.

Reviews

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't really put my finger on why I decided this short (I think I read it in less than 10 minutes) book was so charming, but I did, so four stars it is.

Reminded me a lot of Calamity Jon Morris's work, actually.

[Henry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this in 25 minute single sitting, gave me the feeling of partaking in some weird psychodelic dream. It even left me with the same feeling of instantly forgetting what it was all about. Lots of frames of merely palm trees.

Strangely effecting in a few brief frames, an enigmatic "hero" searching for reassurance that his wife is not suffering in hell, a brutish old man, and a traumatised dead girl, and a strangely passive devil.

"el bizarron" just about says it all really, but not sure I could tell you what I was left with other than that feeling of looking at something I don't quite understand what it is all about.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an odd book I found at the library. In the beginning I wasn't sure if Joe was dead or not...that would have been an interesting book. But the introduction was the part that grabbed me. It gave his background in three pages of rhyme like a myth or tall tale.

The rest of the book gave me the odd feeling I get from Grendel and sometimes Hellboy. Slightly alien although the character is, as the author says, more human than the "regular" humans in the story. And by the end it did feel this way.

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

A graphic novel that seems to be searching for an identity. After the book I didn't really feel that I had gone anywhere or learned anything. I was under the impression that this was exploring the theme of finding out who "Joe" is and yet I don't feel that that happened at all. Perhaps I'm just not getting it. Many others seem to enjoy it. I'll agree to disagree.

[Firda Beka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love how Ancient Joe loves his wife so much that after she died, he has to make sure she doesn't end up in El Diablo's hell. Also love the twists and turns of the story. I just wish it were longer.

Another graphic novel recommended to me by my husband, the graphic novel aficionado.

[Kes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This should be 4 and a half stars. It was amazing, not life altering, but amazingly good. Great story, GREAT characters & great drawings, if you don't like this book YOU have issues.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A neat island legend. Plus, it's a book that leads me to other books. I love bibliographies!

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute little book, vaguely thematically similar to Hellboy, but with much a completely different art style. I really wish there was more.