Step Aside Pops: A Hark! A Vagrant Collection Graphic Novel Review

Step Aside Pops: A Hark! A Vagrant CollectionErica Gives This Comic Four StarsStep Aside Pops: A Hark! A Vagrant Collection by Kate Beaton

If you want joy in your life, pick up a comic by Kate Beaton. If you want to laugh again, despite the world being a dumpster fire, this will do it. If you want some great jokes about history, Brontë characters, and classical music composers, look no further.

Beaton’s comics are serialized as if they’re in a newspaper or magazine. Her black and white line style is fun and gives light to the characters’ movements and facial features. They perfectly add to the humor.

The Liszt vs Chopin friendship jokes and the Nancy Drew covers brought me back to my own childhood with piano lessons and mystery books. You always figured those composers had some rock star egos and beefs back in the day. And Nancy, seriously, what were some of those covers? I often wondered that as a girl. Continue reading “Step Aside Pops: A Hark! A Vagrant Collection Graphic Novel Review”

Hark! A Vagrant Graphic Novel Review

Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton Erica gives this comic five stars

Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton

I can’t recommend this book more. Hark! A Vagrant is a brilliant collection of Beaton’s web comics. I’ve been reading her web comic for a while, and it was great to re-read some of my favorite ones and to discover new-to-me ones. Anyone who enjoys a literary, historical, or Canadian joke will appreciate this collection.

(Jason, who a scientist, was not so entertained by these jokes; mostly because he didn’t get a lot of them, and he doesn’t like when that happens. Liberal arts, ftw.)

My favorite jokes are probably the ones about Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters and their books. Mostly, because I’ve always been in agreement with Beaton’s assertion that their romantic heroes were not as romantic as they were played to be. Continue reading “Hark! A Vagrant Graphic Novel Review”