Released: September 1, 1995 (Vertigo)
Author Links: WEB / TWITTER / GOODREADS / FACEBOOK
Source: Purchased

Challenge: 2012 Mixing It Up Challenge – Graphic Novels & Manja
Buy Now From: Amazon

A dark and frightening fully painted novella, MR. PUNCH tells the tale of a young boy’s loss of innocence results from a horrific confrontation with his past. Spending a summer at his grandfather’s seaside arcade, a troubled adolescent harmlessly becomes involved with a mysterious Punch and Judy Man and a mermaid-portraying woman. But when the violent puppet show triggers buried memories of the boy’s family, the lives of all become feverishly intertwined. With disturbing mysteries and half-truths uncontrollably unraveling, the young boy is forced to deal with his family’s dark secrets of violence, betrayal, and guilt.

My Thoughts

It’s common knowledge around these parts (that is, my house) that I am not a fan of dolls. This includes those cute (to some) little baby dolls girls get when they’re little, marionettes and puppets, expensive porcelain figurines or angels, and basically any kind of a doll in photographs or books. They’re all creepy to me.

I’m crazy, I know.

There was one instance I remember, back when I was just a wee gal, where I actually cried and cried because my best friend’s grandma hand-made a doll for me. Nope, no thank you from me, just crying, crying, crying.

Naturally, I hesitated when I cracked open Neil Gaiman’s graphic novel, The Comical Tragedy or Tragical Comedy of Mr. Punch. Right from the get-go, the little marionette Mr. Punch doll freaked me out. Continue reading →