Arthur De Pins

I love the style of this graphic novel series, as well as the ever-present sarcasm. Unfortunately I have only read part one so far so missed on a lot of action in between these two volumes, but it was quite easy to understand what was going on in this sequel. My only complaint is that it was too short (again) - once I was comfortably immersed in the realm of Zombillenium, the story was already over.

(Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for a copy of the book, all opinions are my own)

This was both a funny, but also thought-provoking graphic novel. Just loved the scene where two crabs are playing 'I walkt the line' on a guitar, and the fitting meaning of that title is revealed soon. The story centers around a couple of square crabs, a species of crabs that can only walk in one line, endlessly going back and forth without ever changing direction. For some, this means they won't ever be able to meet other crabs, like the sad crab which is cornered by two boulders limiting it's path to a line of several feet only. Others are more lucky, but still they can only follow their destined path without breaking out of their habit. Or can they? One day, a bold crab decides to make a change by carrying a another crab which crosses its path away from it's route, finally creating a means to escape the species' regional limits. At the end of this first part, the crab even manages to break free of its boundaries on its very own.

The story was based on a simple, yet cleverly presented morale. Some environmental additions (a pipeline to be build through the sea, Greenpeace activists and some guys doing a documentary on the crabs) made it more complex, which was not that bad, but personally, I would have preferred a shorter 'pure' story featuring only the crabs. The illustrations were done in a clear but very cartoon-ish way, which was easy on the eyes but is not exactly my favorite style. However, this book definitely sets itself apart from other graphic novels, and not just for its unusual main characters.

(Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for a copy of the book, all opinions are my own)