The Origin of the World

King of the Flies #2

by Mezzo (Illustrator), Mezzo

Readers have had to wait nine months for the second chapter in Mezzo and Pirus’s creepily sexy suburban soap opera ― but here at last is the second installment. (The concluding third volume will appear in 2011.) Eric the fly-head-wearing teenager is back (as well as his hapless mother and her “fiance”), as are not-quite-ingenue Marie, the worldly Sal, Denis the drug dealer and his now one-handed father, and of course the loopy retro bowling thug Ringo... plus several new cast members, including one who died at the very beginning of the first volume and has now returned to roam the earth. Once again, the story is told through a series of seemingly unrelated short stories which eventually become intricately braided into one sprawling tale of a community haunted by obsession,rage, regret and despair ― in sum, a graphic novel for the 21st century.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Bande Dessinée, Ghosts

64 pages, Hardcover

First published February 7, 2011

About the author

Pascal Mesemberg, who uses the pseudonym Mezzo, was born in Drancy in 1960. His comics appeared in magazines such as Zoulou, L'Echo des Savanes and Métal Aventure. In 1989 he started working together with Pirus, creating a collection of dark stories for the collection Frank Margerin présente and eventually the comic 'Les Désarmés', of which two volumes appeared in 1991 and 1993. Other titles by Mezzo and Pirus are 'Deux Tueurs', 'Un Monde Étrange', 'Mickey-Mickey' and 'Le Roi des Mouches'. In addition to his comics work, Mezzo makes illustrations for Le Journal de Mickey and for the book covers of Stephen King novels. Mezzo lives in Paris and is influenced by Chester Gould, Robert Williams and Orson Welles.
[source: http://lambiek.net/artists/m/mezzo.htm]

Reviews

[Nate D · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ageless, placeless American Suburbs, via a duo of French pulp comics purveyors. The immediate eye-catcher, then slight disappointment, here is the obvious debt to Charles Burns and Black Hole. This does have its own voice, though, the narration and visual lapses from fantasy to reality (and, in a nice touch, manifestations of the dead, half ghost and half lurking presence in memory) binds this together into a series of compact, cohesive looks into middle class ennui and nihilism. The writing hits a natural voice of disenfranchisement across multiple narrators, but gets a little forced when it heads further into pulp territory (which is odd given the creators' apparent backgrounds). Still, totally enjoyable, and enjoyably placeless -- have these guys been to America, or is France somehow exactly like this too?! This was the middle section of a triptych which I'll be happy to complete when the other parts fall into my hands.

[Lucas · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this was... Something else?

The format and subject matter are largely the same as the first book: a succession of shorts following bunch of depraved human beings trying to cope with life the only way they know. Namely drugs, sex and a little bit of violence.

But while the first book was mostly down to earth, aside from the occasional drug induced psychedelia, this one takes the surreal and supernatural to the next level. Dead characters come back full force to haunt our live ones. People's psyches start breaking down. Some become self aware of their situation, other act out, or act in. It get freaky.

This series was first sold to me as David Lynch meets the Coen Brothers. This book is where this starts to creep in. There's a lot more humor in this one, without it clashing with the bleak and jaded tone. And, while it's not quite Lynch levels of incomprehensible randomness, a certain level of discomfort that I associate with some of his work (mostly Twin Peaks) is definitely present.

And as I figured, I'm dying to read the last book, which I don't own yet. Just couldn't wait, could I?

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Makes a lot more sense than the first book. The art is still top-notch and the narrative is just as confusing as book 1. There is some weirdness going on with angry ghosts, unexplained murder, terrible parents, and a cast of the most unlikable characters you will ever meet. Biggest miss is that Fantagraphics dropped the ball by not ever getting volume 3 printed, so readers can't find the conclusion in English. I was hoping that a conclusion would explain what the hell I just read.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bleak, angry, nihilistic. But utterly compelling. Pirus and Mezzo create a universal suburb, and populate it with teenagers with no viable futures whose lives sometimes intersect with adults who've done nothing interesting or worthwhile. In short, it's a tale of sad, horny, desperate people living sad, tiny lives, cheating one another, taking advantage, and getting by with little regard for anything outside of themselves. Strong script, detailed artwork - well worth it.

[StrictlySequential ArtNarrative · Rating 3 out of 5]

FormGrand 'Drugstore' ¦ A.I.+D.L. 09/2008 ¦ Prix DR50 = eo

This jumps through too many characters, in too vague a fashion, for my taste but there's something so aesthetically (and regularly sexually) seductive about this suburban protractragedy that keeps me ready for the availability of tome three.

Converting the mostly prose story of it into the top boxes, with the characters joined to their resultant dialogue, into eight/nine panels per page takes serious talent to do so well!

[Daniel Mossop · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the first one better but I would still read the third.

[Stewart Tame · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art is lovely. The writing is good. I just find that I don't really care about any of the characters. Everyone seems either full of self-loathing or in serious denial. As with volume 1, the story is told via a series of interlocking vignettes. The artwork is lovely and seems inspired by the work of Charles Burns. I just wish it were in the service of a more interesting story.

[George Marshall · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with volume one- A mixed bag- the cynical "slacker" plots drag, but the art is, to my eyes, excellent, especially the colouring by 'Ruby' who is absolutely superb. Like movies, sometimes something can still be good because it is great in just one respect. I would love Mezzo and Ruby to drop Pirrus and team up with someone better.

[Koen Claeys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mijn mening over De Vliegenkoning blijft na lezing van het tweede album overeind : dit is striplectuur van de bovenste plank, prachtig uitgegeven door Sherpa. Het zal wel nooit een "feel good comic" worden maar ik meende toch wat hoop en een tikkeltje meer humor in dit album te ontwaren... Op naar het derde en afsluitende deel.

[Julinx · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5