Posted in: Comics, Review | Tagged: fantagraphics books, Julia Gfrörer, vision

Tell Me What You See: Thoughts On Vision by Julia Gfrörer

In Vision, a Fantagraphics-published story about a nineteenth-century family, nothing is quite as it seems. There are haunted mirrors and cataract surgeries. It's a compelling, realistic story with magical elements. Comics set in the nineteenth century are new to me, and this one at least has novelty.

However, Vision frustrates me. Ignatz-award nominee Julia Gfrörer's style in Vision reminds me of Eddie Campbell's work. I like Eddie Campbell's work in retrospect. Maybe I'll like this in retrospect too, but there are some panels that are flat out ugly and detrimental to the reading experience. And this is true for every artist, but in Vision, they stick out more than usual.

Vision also adds and drops punctuation depending on what appears to be the whim of the letterer, which does not help. The erotic elements in Vision reinforce possible themes: Who sees women, and thus, how is women's sexuality as well as their suffrage generally, constricted? Also, how do women see? Etc.

Gfrörer's work can be compelling. The first time a character commits self-harm in Vision, I physically recoiled. When there's the cataract surgery, Gfrörer's style didn't have the same effect. The eyeball in the panel didn't look enough like an eyeball that the following panels with the knife would make me uncomfortable, which I think was the idea.

The cover takes on a second meaning once a person's already read the comic, which is a great touch. It implies, well, an absence. There are all the signs of a human, clothes left on the floor and bed, but where'd she go? It's a wonderful way to pull the reader in. Fantagraphics excelled at the printing of Vision, too. The cover is printed on a nice stock, and there's what I think are french flaps.

Vision can be a compelling ghost story with sure-handed sketches of characters, but I won't pretend it scared me. It's difficult to recommend Vision, except for people interested in the nineteenth century, fans of ghost stories, or fans of Eddie Campbell's work. But hey, if you vibe with Vision, you've just found the next artist you're gonna go wild for.

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