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Tricked
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Alex's new graphic novel follows the lives of six people - a reclusive rock legend, a heartbroken waitress, a counterfeiter, an obsessive crank, a lost daughter, and a backstabbing lover - whose lives are unconnected until an act of violence affects them all in different ways.
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Paperback, 320 pages
Published
August 23rd 2005
by Top Shelf Productions
(first published September 7th 2002)
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4 stars, but so close to five stars.
This is a graphic novel in the truest sense of the world. Most graphic novels feel slight; when you finish, it feels more like you read a short story. But Tricked feels uncannily like a novel, which is one of the highest praises I can sing for this genre.
It tells the story of a washed up rock star (because in fiction, is there any other kind of rock star?), unhappy with his life; a young woman who stumbles into a job working as his "personal assistant", a posi ...more
This is a graphic novel in the truest sense of the world. Most graphic novels feel slight; when you finish, it feels more like you read a short story. But Tricked feels uncannily like a novel, which is one of the highest praises I can sing for this genre.
It tells the story of a washed up rock star (because in fiction, is there any other kind of rock star?), unhappy with his life; a young woman who stumbles into a job working as his "personal assistant", a posi ...more
I usually don't end up liking comics that have people describing it as "like a novel! Really!". I don't think comics need to be anything like a novel. Alex Robinson does a good job of balancing multiple story lines and introducing us to a cast of characters that, by the end of the book, I actually did care about all of them. Unfortunately almost all the characters start off seeming very cliche. A depressed, rich rock star. A fat guy with a mental disorder and a big ego. Etc. But Robinson does hi
...more
Alex Robinson has, hands down, won my personal "best new author" award for this year. No, he's not a new author and no, there's no prize, but hey, he deserves it!
With Box Office Poison, Robinson created characters that were full and believable. I wanted to be friends with those characters, but was happy to have eavesdropped on their lives for a little bit. In Tricked, Robinson shows that he can master plot as well as character. This whole book is so tight, each panel leading up to a climax that ...more
With Box Office Poison, Robinson created characters that were full and believable. I wanted to be friends with those characters, but was happy to have eavesdropped on their lives for a little bit. In Tricked, Robinson shows that he can master plot as well as character. This whole book is so tight, each panel leading up to a climax that ...more
When I was putting together the 10-10-12 list, Alex Robinson’s Tricked, came up on a number of “best of” lists in the graphic novel categories. This being the case, I’m worried about the rest of the recommended texts, because I didn’t like Tricked, at all.
I didn’t like the plot (six seemingly independent narratives predictably collide in a climax that is neither surprising (though it ought to be), nor compelling as a woeful musician who can’t write a new song until he’s inspired by a sexy young ...more
I didn’t like the plot (six seemingly independent narratives predictably collide in a climax that is neither surprising (though it ought to be), nor compelling as a woeful musician who can’t write a new song until he’s inspired by a sexy young ...more
I've been reading mainly "literary" and arty, spare graphic novels about losers (Jason, Seth, Chet Brown, Chris Ware), so this feels very different to me.... my general first impression of this guy's work is that he makes graphic novels like Hollywood movies, entertainments, hipster-thriller entertainments... and I thought: this guy is a favorite of the new ComicCons where Hollywood comes looking for ready-made scripts... and this is one, for sure... six characters living separate lives who all
...more
Uninteresting characters. The lot of them, actually. Boring story. The length made it all even worse. What a chore! I can’t even push myself to reach half way.
Alex Robinson writes charming stuff. Wins me over. I loved 'Box Office Poison' and this graphic novel is maybe even better.
His characters are always engaging despite their flaws. You don't have to love them but you sure respect them for what they are.
As comics go and as graphic narrative and writing-the-talk-balloons go you'd be hard pressed to find a better master of the medium.
(Except Daniel Clowes....)
The nuances that Robinson captures in his story telling...the angst...the emotional vital ...more
His characters are always engaging despite their flaws. You don't have to love them but you sure respect them for what they are.
As comics go and as graphic narrative and writing-the-talk-balloons go you'd be hard pressed to find a better master of the medium.
(Except Daniel Clowes....)
The nuances that Robinson captures in his story telling...the angst...the emotional vital ...more
I love this because it actually feels like a novel, a soap opera of engaging, flawed characters whose lives criss-cross in interesting ways. Featuring six different main characters including a waitress, a rock star dealing with his fading fame, and a man who works counterfeiting sports stars' signatures, this graphic novel is over a decade old but doesn't feel dated. The illustrations are drawn really confidently and the characters all look distinct - a change in lettering style is used to note
...more
May 07, 2015
Skye Kilaen
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
fave-comics-graphic-novels,
0-graphic-novels
I really enjoyed his other book Box Office Poison, so I grabbed this off the library shelf. So glad I did! The same deft hand with character creation, but a more driven plot.
No. Just no. This story was such a mess by the time I got 200 pages in I wasn't even reading it I was just looking at the pictures and guessing what was happening. A waste of my time unfortunately.
There are few cartoonists who can weave such complex tales featuring such large casts of characters with as much dexterity and subtlety as Alex Robinson. Known primarily for his sprawling “Box Office Poison” series, “Tricked” is a shorter but no less intricate comic. At first glance, a stymied rocker, a forger of collectibles, an unlucky-in-love waitress, an office temp, a teenage girl, and a disgruntled IT guy should have nothing in common but, over the course of dozens of short, tense chapters
...more
I loved this! Definitely going to track down the rest of Robinson's stuff. Some minor quibbles: some things were cliched, and I wish there had been more people of color in the main cast. That said, the construction of the plot was fairly original, and I found the story totally gripping. Loved the art as well.
In this graphic novel we follow the lives of six unconnected characters who will eventually become connected by a horrible act of violence. Before the rockstar, temp, waitress, daughter, crank and autograph forger come together the reader gets to know them a bit and see how relationships begin and how events conspire to put them all in the same place on one fateful night.
I admit a huge part of why I read this book is that is has a fabulous cover. I love the fact that it looks like a tape, althou ...more
I admit a huge part of why I read this book is that is has a fabulous cover. I love the fact that it looks like a tape, althou ...more
I read this one as part of my "get to know and love graphic novels".
I liked the plot, I liked the characters, I even liked the illustrations but somehow, in this case the sum is not equal to the parts. I liked all of those parts but in the end I was left with the feeling that it would have made a really good novel instead of a comic book.
It tells the story of 6 characters who lives kind of dance around each other only to meet up in the violent ending of the book. There's a rock star suffering ...more
I liked the plot, I liked the characters, I even liked the illustrations but somehow, in this case the sum is not equal to the parts. I liked all of those parts but in the end I was left with the feeling that it would have made a really good novel instead of a comic book.
It tells the story of 6 characters who lives kind of dance around each other only to meet up in the violent ending of the book. There's a rock star suffering ...more
Six apparently unrelated people lead uniquely engaging lives.
Caprice struggles with feelings of commitment;
Phoebe and her father struggle with how much they should be able to tell the other;
Steve just flat-out lies about reality, although his lie is supported by a lack of medication (I think the story would've had an extra level of realism if Robinson had told us what affliction Steve had);
Nick lied on so many levels that I'm not sure where to start - to his boss, wife, and every acquaintance, a ...more
Caprice struggles with feelings of commitment;
Phoebe and her father struggle with how much they should be able to tell the other;
Steve just flat-out lies about reality, although his lie is supported by a lack of medication (I think the story would've had an extra level of realism if Robinson had told us what affliction Steve had);
Nick lied on so many levels that I'm not sure where to start - to his boss, wife, and every acquaintance, a ...more
Tricked follows six people through their daily lives and some milestone events until the big moment their lives all collide. Ray, the famous and rich rock star is struggling to write a single song since his solo album four years ago. Nick, the compulsive liar, works at a sport collectibles store as a forger (unbeknownst to his wife, of course). Phoebe embarks on a long journey via bus to meet someone she's never met before. Steve has mental health problems, especially since he went off his meds.
...more
I think the main weakness relative to BOP is feeling slightly disconnected, dreamlike, even surreal. Caprice feels grounded (of course, she's been introduced before) and Lily seems pretty solid. It's no surprise Steve's a bit unhooked from reality. But Ray, despite providing all the narration, is almost hardest to connect to. Maybe it's that he's a little checked-out from the world himself; maybe it's that his world is really hard to identify with.
There's also, of course, some more playing with ...more
There's also, of course, some more playing with ...more
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A beautiful graphic novel that ties together many characters in a poignant way. Knew I was going to like it after the first 25%. Ruthlessly honest about the world and many people's viewpoints felt so real. Lots of great moments but it gets a little bit sloppy.. and the text shaves off to about half the size as the book reads.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Six different characters have their stories told until they all combine. Love, loss and obsession overtake their lives. I was invested and interested throughout.
The converging plot lines are overwrought.
This graphic novel is similar to American Born Chinese in that there are multiple plots going on while the individual stories are broken up into individual chapters. Tricked, however, has six main characters instead of the three that American Born Chinese had. Ray Beam is a washed up former rock star and Lily is his personal assistant turned wife. Phoebe is a college age student who travels to a small town diner to meet up with her dad. Caprice is a waitress at the diner and she meets a man whom
...more
The best graphic novel I've read in a while, enough so that it became a Christmas gift or two. Much like Blankets, Tricked is a charming black and white look into the lives of young people. It features six protagonists whose stories all eventually intertwine. Admittedly, the characters are a bit tough to swallow (the washed up rock star, the schizo IT guy) but I didn't find that it detracted from the story.
Interesting things keep happening to these characters and it made me want to devour the e ...more
Interesting things keep happening to these characters and it made me want to devour the e ...more
After reading "Box Office Poison" and "Too Cool To Be Forgotten" I've become a fan of Alex Robinson. Every novel he's written is a pulling force into the world that is real and romantic at the same time. Alex Robinson is writing about his dreams and wishes absolutely aware that we all share that same dreams. In that simple fact he has a winning hand in that never-ending game of poker between him and his reader.
"Tricked" is the title of graphic novel that suits the story perfectly. In the end of ...more
"Tricked" is the title of graphic novel that suits the story perfectly. In the end of ...more
This was the 2006 Harvey Award winner for Best Graphic Album of Original Work and it's no surprise after reading this 300 odd paged gem. There are 6 main characters with each chapter dealing with a single character in cyclical order. The chapters are numbered in descending order and they converge at chapter 1 [the last chapter] where all the characters are together in one room when drastic events unfold. The characters are deep and have well-built backgrounds - Ray Beam, lead singer/guitarist of
...more
Six strangers lives become intertwined more and more until the disappointing conclusion of the book. I like stories told from varying perspectives, and I think Alex Robinson did a good job with this. Each character has a chapter devoted to them in the 6 chapter cycle. Some of stories are much more fleshed out than others. I really liked Caprice's storyline- by far the most realistic, and Steve, the fan descending into further madness. Nick, the pawn shop forger, had the least interesting storyli
...more
This a decent follow up to Box Office Poison but it failed to capture me in the way that book did. It's considerably shorter coming in just a tad shy of 350 vs. BOP over 600. It uses some interesting plot devices in that he makes it clear early on that he is counting down to something but you're not really sure what until at least 2/3's of the way through. Even then, it's not clear how all of the different story lines are going to tie together. This works fine if you care about the characters. I
...more
Dec 20, 2012
Stephane
added it
You know the feeling that you get when you finally figure out that you've read the book you're reading for the second time and you hadn't noticed? That little annoyance? Well, with this book, it didn't matter. It is such a well written piece with wonderfully evocative artwork that, even though i was slightly annoyed at having read it before, i just had to finish reading it for a second time.
Highly recommended. Give in and immerse yourself in the lives of Ray Beam, one of his obsessive fan who sl ...more
Highly recommended. Give in and immerse yourself in the lives of Ray Beam, one of his obsessive fan who sl ...more
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Alex Robinson was born in the Bronx on 8 August. He grew up in Yorktown Heights, New York where he graduated high school in 1987. His first job upon graduation was washing dishes in a gourmet deli and it was while working there he decided that maybe college was a pretty good idea afterall.
He spent one year at SUNY Brockport and then transferred to an art school in New York City, where he majored ...more
He spent one year at SUNY Brockport and then transferred to an art school in New York City, where he majored ...more
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