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Joe Golem: Occult Detective
Joe Golem and the Drowning City: An Illustrated Novel
In 1925, earthquakes and a rising sea level left Lower Manhattan submerged under more than thirty feet of water, so that its residents began to call it the Drowning City. Those unwilling to abandon their homes created a new life on streets turned to canals and in buildings whose first three stories were underwater. Fifty years have passed since then, and the Drowning City is full of scavengers and water rats, poor people trying to eke out an existence, and those too proud or stubborn to be defeated by circumstance.
Among them are fourteen-year-old Molly McHugh and her friend and employer, Felix Orlov. Once upon a time Orlov the Conjuror was a celebrated stage magician, but now he is an old man, a psychic medium, contacting the spirits of the departed for the grieving loved ones left behind. When a seance goes horribly wrong, Felix Orlov is abducted by strange men wearing gas masks and rubber suits, and Molly soon finds herself on the run.
Her flight will lead her into the company of a mysterious man, and his stalwart sidekick, Joe Golem, whose own past is a mystery to him, but who walks his own dreams as a man of stone and clay, brought to life for the sole purpose of hunting witches.
Among them are fourteen-year-old Molly McHugh and her friend and employer, Felix Orlov. Once upon a time Orlov the Conjuror was a celebrated stage magician, but now he is an old man, a psychic medium, contacting the spirits of the departed for the grieving loved ones left behind. When a seance goes horribly wrong, Felix Orlov is abducted by strange men wearing gas masks and rubber suits, and Molly soon finds herself on the run.
Her flight will lead her into the company of a mysterious man, and his stalwart sidekick, Joe Golem, whose own past is a mystery to him, but who walks his own dreams as a man of stone and clay, brought to life for the sole purpose of hunting witches.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published March 27, 2012
About the author
Mike Mignola
1,721 books2,356 followersMike Mignola was born September 16, 1960 in Berkeley, California and grew up in nearby Oakland. His fascination with ghosts and monsters began at an early age (he doesn't remember why) and reading Dracula at age 13 introduced him to Victorian literature and folklore from which he has never recovered.
In 1982, hoping to find a way to draw monsters for a living, he moved to New York City and began working for Marvel Comics, first as a (very terrible) inker and then as an artist on comics like Rocket Raccoon, Alpha Flight and The Hulk. By the late 80s he had begun to develop his signature style (thin lines, clunky shapes and lots of black) and moved onto higher profile commercial projects like Cosmic Odyssey (1988) and Gotham by Gaslight (1989) for DC Comics, and the not-so-commercial Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser (1990) for Marvel. In 1992, he drew the comic book adaptation of the film Bram Stoker's Dracula for Topps Comics.
In 1993, Mike moved to Dark Horse comics and created Hellboy, a half-demon occult detective who may or may not be the Beast of the Apocalypse. While the first story line (Seed of Destruction, 1994) was co-written by John Byrne, Mike has continued writing the series himself. There are, at this moment, 13 Hellboy graphic novel collections (with more on the way), several spin-off titles (B.P.R.D., Lobster Johnson, Abe Sapien and Witchfinder), three anthologies of prose stories, several novels, two animated films and two live-action films staring Ron Perlman. Hellboy has earned numerous comic industry awards and is published in a great many countries.
Mike also created the award-winning comic book The Amazing Screw-on Head and has co-written two novels (Baltimore, or, the Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire and Joe Golem and the Drowning City) with best-selling author Christopher Golden.
Mike worked (very briefly) with Francis Ford Coppola on his film Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), was a production designer on the Disney film Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) and was visual consultant to director Guillermo del Toro on Blade II (2002), Hellboy (2004) and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008). He lives somewhere in Southern California with his wife, daughter, a lot of books and a cat.
In 1982, hoping to find a way to draw monsters for a living, he moved to New York City and began working for Marvel Comics, first as a (very terrible) inker and then as an artist on comics like Rocket Raccoon, Alpha Flight and The Hulk. By the late 80s he had begun to develop his signature style (thin lines, clunky shapes and lots of black) and moved onto higher profile commercial projects like Cosmic Odyssey (1988) and Gotham by Gaslight (1989) for DC Comics, and the not-so-commercial Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser (1990) for Marvel. In 1992, he drew the comic book adaptation of the film Bram Stoker's Dracula for Topps Comics.
In 1993, Mike moved to Dark Horse comics and created Hellboy, a half-demon occult detective who may or may not be the Beast of the Apocalypse. While the first story line (Seed of Destruction, 1994) was co-written by John Byrne, Mike has continued writing the series himself. There are, at this moment, 13 Hellboy graphic novel collections (with more on the way), several spin-off titles (B.P.R.D., Lobster Johnson, Abe Sapien and Witchfinder), three anthologies of prose stories, several novels, two animated films and two live-action films staring Ron Perlman. Hellboy has earned numerous comic industry awards and is published in a great many countries.
Mike also created the award-winning comic book The Amazing Screw-on Head and has co-written two novels (Baltimore, or, the Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire and Joe Golem and the Drowning City) with best-selling author Christopher Golden.
Mike worked (very briefly) with Francis Ford Coppola on his film Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), was a production designer on the Disney film Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) and was visual consultant to director Guillermo del Toro on Blade II (2002), Hellboy (2004) and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008). He lives somewhere in Southern California with his wife, daughter, a lot of books and a cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 181 reviews
August 29, 2013
Joe Golem and the Drowning City is a lovely sort of homage to HP Lovecraft and the Jewish golem folklore tradition. One wonders how they can exist together harmoniously in the same work, but Mignola and Golden do exactly that.
New York City is a very different place from the one we know and love in this book. Some sort of ecological disaster turned half of the city into what is essentially a Venetian-like, water-logged environment. Downtown flooded, and those who lived there are cut off from the denizens of Uptown and forced to fend for themselves. Like humans are apt and known to do, they adapt to a semi-aquatic lifestyle, living on the top floors of the taller buildings, constructing bridges and mazeways between buildings and using watercrafts to navigate the flooded streets.
This novel is initially about two of its citizenry: An elderly magician named Felix Orlov, who can communicate with the dead, and his unofficially adopted daughter, fourteen-year-old, redheaded, former street kid, Molly McHugh. Their somewhat harmonious lifestyle is brutally interrupted when strange, inhuman creatures abduct Felix, failing to capture Molly when she is saved by a big, rough-looking man named Joe. Joe is special, more than they realize initially. His colleague is the ancient British gentleman, Simon Church, a man who has adapted his failing organs with mechanical parts (added a steampunk-like flair to the story). He also uses a mix of science, machinery, and magic to monitor the supernatural barometer of the city. He happens to detect a very large spike in activity the day that Felix is kidnapped, and Molly teams up with them both to find out what happened to Felix and to save him and save the world in the process.
This is a rather solemn tale. Joe's past is very tortured, and along with Simon's regrets about the past, and Felix's special legacy, the storyline is fairly dark. Molly is a spunky and energetic young woman, who's seen more bad things than a person of her age should. She has trouble trusting, with good reason. We feel her pain as she is helpless against forces that pull the man who is as close to a father to her as any man could be away from her by events beyond their control.
In addition to the somber tone, the Lovecraft-type storyline adds a cosmic horror to the story. While I am personally a bit alienated by Lovecraft's concept of an ancient, extra-dimensional cosmos and its denizens (which are indifferent to our moral concepts and even our right to exist as humanity), Mignola and Golden add an emotional context that makes this typical idea more relatable and almost heartfelt.
One of the downsides to this book is the villain truly never feels invincible or formidable. He comes off more as a petulant child who is playing with matches (dabbling with magics and science far beyond his ken), than a disturbing force for evil. He felt like a paper tiger, which is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. I need a villain who is truly formidable--one that I question if the hero will be able to prevail against. His creations were disgusting, and while repulsive and off-putting, they don't add much in a positive way to the creepy tone of the book.
Despite being somewhat disappointed with the villain, I was drawn to Joe's character, his painful struggle, his search for identity, and the integration of past and future. I also liked Molly. She feels like 'me' in the sense that she is the everyday person put in bizarre and non-ordinary circumstances. I think a good weird fiction tale needs that kind of protagonist.
Mignola just does it for me, with his stories and his creations. His collaborations with Golden have been unilaterally successful so far, and I add this one to the list. I hope to see more of Joe Golem and Molly McHugh, and more of the Drowning City. Recommended to weird fiction readers, and avowed fans of classic horror motifs and loving homages.
New York City is a very different place from the one we know and love in this book. Some sort of ecological disaster turned half of the city into what is essentially a Venetian-like, water-logged environment. Downtown flooded, and those who lived there are cut off from the denizens of Uptown and forced to fend for themselves. Like humans are apt and known to do, they adapt to a semi-aquatic lifestyle, living on the top floors of the taller buildings, constructing bridges and mazeways between buildings and using watercrafts to navigate the flooded streets.
This novel is initially about two of its citizenry: An elderly magician named Felix Orlov, who can communicate with the dead, and his unofficially adopted daughter, fourteen-year-old, redheaded, former street kid, Molly McHugh. Their somewhat harmonious lifestyle is brutally interrupted when strange, inhuman creatures abduct Felix, failing to capture Molly when she is saved by a big, rough-looking man named Joe. Joe is special, more than they realize initially. His colleague is the ancient British gentleman, Simon Church, a man who has adapted his failing organs with mechanical parts (added a steampunk-like flair to the story). He also uses a mix of science, machinery, and magic to monitor the supernatural barometer of the city. He happens to detect a very large spike in activity the day that Felix is kidnapped, and Molly teams up with them both to find out what happened to Felix and to save him and save the world in the process.
This is a rather solemn tale. Joe's past is very tortured, and along with Simon's regrets about the past, and Felix's special legacy, the storyline is fairly dark. Molly is a spunky and energetic young woman, who's seen more bad things than a person of her age should. She has trouble trusting, with good reason. We feel her pain as she is helpless against forces that pull the man who is as close to a father to her as any man could be away from her by events beyond their control.
In addition to the somber tone, the Lovecraft-type storyline adds a cosmic horror to the story. While I am personally a bit alienated by Lovecraft's concept of an ancient, extra-dimensional cosmos and its denizens (which are indifferent to our moral concepts and even our right to exist as humanity), Mignola and Golden add an emotional context that makes this typical idea more relatable and almost heartfelt.
One of the downsides to this book is the villain truly never feels invincible or formidable. He comes off more as a petulant child who is playing with matches (dabbling with magics and science far beyond his ken), than a disturbing force for evil. He felt like a paper tiger, which is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. I need a villain who is truly formidable--one that I question if the hero will be able to prevail against. His creations were disgusting, and while repulsive and off-putting, they don't add much in a positive way to the creepy tone of the book.
Despite being somewhat disappointed with the villain, I was drawn to Joe's character, his painful struggle, his search for identity, and the integration of past and future. I also liked Molly. She feels like 'me' in the sense that she is the everyday person put in bizarre and non-ordinary circumstances. I think a good weird fiction tale needs that kind of protagonist.
Mignola just does it for me, with his stories and his creations. His collaborations with Golden have been unilaterally successful so far, and I add this one to the list. I hope to see more of Joe Golem and Molly McHugh, and more of the Drowning City. Recommended to weird fiction readers, and avowed fans of classic horror motifs and loving homages.
July 2, 2013
I think I have ADD. Whenever I felt like I was getting into the story, my mind would veer off. I spent a lot of time trying to imagine the world the story takes place in, but I just couldn't do it. It's 1975, fifty years after lower Manhattan has been hit by earthquakes and flooding, but apparently people have stuck around. There is a mention of a plague, but nothing more as to say what it was or did. Maybe I missed it? So it's 1975, but you would never know it because I guess things were left pretty much as they were in 1925? The story is interesting, but thin. There are moments when whatever is happening is drawn out for pages. That's when I found my mind wandering. I'd come back and think I was reading the same page over, but I wasn't. The closer I got to the end the more painful it became. Chase sequences went on for way too long and I noticed quite a bit of repetition. Molly was watching buildings crumble and this was mentioned over and over. And she fell on her knees or "against the railing" over and over. This is why I thought I was reading the same page more than once. This book should have been shorter or written better.
And as far as the illustrations go, disappointing. I like Golden's artwork, but there is just a smattering of bits and pieces throughout. There are small portraits of all the characters at least. It would have been nice if the drawings were more detailed and took up a full page.
And as far as the illustrations go, disappointing. I like Golden's artwork, but there is just a smattering of bits and pieces throughout. There are small portraits of all the characters at least. It would have been nice if the drawings were more detailed and took up a full page.
February 16, 2020
This is a surprisingly good comics adaptation; I enjoyed it as much as Baltimore. It's a nice Lovecraftian story, heavily influenced by the horror pulps. The story draws on Jewish mythology, obviously, but is more of a Frankenstein's monster redemption story. The setting is fascinating, a noir-ish alternate Earth where half of New York was permanently flooded in the 1920s, with a very well drawn and fascinating cast of characters. The illustrations are a little disappointing, being small and simple blockish boxes that resemble wood-cuts, but it's a well-written narrative with a complex and compelling plot.
April 17, 2012
REVIEWED: Joe Golem and the Drowning City: An Illustrated Novel
WRITTEN BY: Christopher Golden and illustrated by Mike Mignola
PUBLISHED: March, 2012
Great, fun book. A wild, imaginative adventure in an alternative sinking New York, amongst a cast of strange specters, magic rites, and steampunk. Imagine the grittiest visions of Batman's Gotham City being submerged and taken over by H.P. Lovecraft - that's a visual to the world that Christopher Golden has created. The book was rich in story that twisted like a wicked serpent and seduces you with its beautiful smile. Mignola's artwork, though infrequent, is characteristic of his deconstructed style that tells a vignette through a simple image.
Five out of Five stars
WRITTEN BY: Christopher Golden and illustrated by Mike Mignola
PUBLISHED: March, 2012
Great, fun book. A wild, imaginative adventure in an alternative sinking New York, amongst a cast of strange specters, magic rites, and steampunk. Imagine the grittiest visions of Batman's Gotham City being submerged and taken over by H.P. Lovecraft - that's a visual to the world that Christopher Golden has created. The book was rich in story that twisted like a wicked serpent and seduces you with its beautiful smile. Mignola's artwork, though infrequent, is characteristic of his deconstructed style that tells a vignette through a simple image.
Five out of Five stars
March 31, 2012
As this book was listed as an “illustrated novel”, I was expecting more illustrations. The fact that Mike Mignola (Hellboy) was the illustrator is what really drew me to this book. Unfortunately the illustrations were few and far between, the majority of them didn’t take up but 1/8 of the page, and they were all in black and white. I haven’t read a book by Christopher Golden before, but he is a good storyteller. The story flowed logically from beginning to end, never leaving you to wonder what happened in between. I didn’t feel any attachment to any of the characters and wish that there was something more to latch onto in their personalities. There wasn’t an overwhelming amount of characters, but it seemed to me that more time was spent on the descriptions of the surroundings and the looks of things. As of now I vaguely remember the character of Felix and what he was like. I would give one of Golden’s other books a try though as he does have storytelling down. And for Mignola’s work – pick up a Hellboy graphic novel instead.
Reviewed by Jessica for Book Sake.
Reviewed by Jessica for Book Sake.
July 5, 2021
This novel was also boring quite a bit, and it was difficult for me to want to get through all the way.
And then then ending was a cliff hanger, and you have no idea what is going to happen until the next book. So if you hate those kinds of endings, you might want to stay away from this novel. I looked at the author’s goodreads page, and didn’t see an upcoming novel anytime soon. 🤷🏽♀️
I’d have LOVED to read more about this drowning city, how it happened and why it happened. You got very little about this, in this novel.
Robert Fass is the narrator for the audiobook version of this novel, and he was pretty good.
3 stars
And then then ending was a cliff hanger, and you have no idea what is going to happen until the next book. So if you hate those kinds of endings, you might want to stay away from this novel. I looked at the author’s goodreads page, and didn’t see an upcoming novel anytime soon. 🤷🏽♀️
I’d have LOVED to read more about this drowning city, how it happened and why it happened. You got very little about this, in this novel.
Robert Fass is the narrator for the audiobook version of this novel, and he was pretty good.
3 stars
May 3, 2012
I read this right after World Horror, but I have let myself get way behind on updating my Goodreads! I loved this (I mean, of course I did) but not quite as much as Baltimore. I think my favorite part was probably the Sherlock Holmes-alike detective.
March 5, 2022
3 Sterne
Das Buch war vor allem eins, Worldbuilding durch Infodumping. Damit muss man auf jeden Fall klarkommen. Die Welt war wirklich faszinierend, doch mit dem Schreibstil bin ich einfach nicht klargekommen. Ich glaube, die Reihe profitiert davon, als Comics weiterzugehen. Das Buch war zwar illustriert, jedoch haben die Bilder sehr wenig zur Geschichte beigetragen und waren manchmal recht random. Mit dem Ende hat das Buch dann noch mal Fahrt aufgenommen und das Lovecraft-Eske Finale war wirklich episch. Leider hat mich das Buch jedoch nicht genug gecacht, um mit den Comics weiterzumachen. Vor allem, da diese nie übersetzt wurden.
Das Buch war vor allem eins, Worldbuilding durch Infodumping. Damit muss man auf jeden Fall klarkommen. Die Welt war wirklich faszinierend, doch mit dem Schreibstil bin ich einfach nicht klargekommen. Ich glaube, die Reihe profitiert davon, als Comics weiterzugehen. Das Buch war zwar illustriert, jedoch haben die Bilder sehr wenig zur Geschichte beigetragen und waren manchmal recht random. Mit dem Ende hat das Buch dann noch mal Fahrt aufgenommen und das Lovecraft-Eske Finale war wirklich episch. Leider hat mich das Buch jedoch nicht genug gecacht, um mit den Comics weiterzumachen. Vor allem, da diese nie übersetzt wurden.
September 29, 2012
Mignola is obsessed with the transformative power of fate and destiny - so many of his stories are a race against time to stop the tearing of the time fabric or thwarting the tentacles in the sky. This one is basically that story retold. Also there is the indestructible monster hero of the title, the clockwork man full of delicate metal organs and steam blood, the evil sorcerer and his slimy gas-men henchmen. All familiar Mignola/Golden material.
What sets this apart, I think, is the utter uselessness of all involved. The bleak story illustrates the failure of sacrifice and the selfishness of damnation. The reality of sacrifice is that it is almost always fails, is a meaningless gesture outside of the mythology created after the event. While this can be read as a great and painful origin story for a new wandering hero fighting against the impossible; I would rather read it as a meditation on the meaning of the Golem and the mission of enduring meaninglessness.
I really liked it.
What sets this apart, I think, is the utter uselessness of all involved. The bleak story illustrates the failure of sacrifice and the selfishness of damnation. The reality of sacrifice is that it is almost always fails, is a meaningless gesture outside of the mythology created after the event. While this can be read as a great and painful origin story for a new wandering hero fighting against the impossible; I would rather read it as a meditation on the meaning of the Golem and the mission of enduring meaninglessness.
I really liked it.
October 25, 2015
Fácil de leer y entretenido. Se nos presenta una "realidad alternativa" interesante, mezclando varios géneros de manera correcta en una historia ágil. El 75% de la novela esta narrado desde la perspectiva de Molly, una chica de 14 años, lo cual me ha parecido una lástima, ya que los otros personajes eran bastante más interesantes. El final de la historia es demasiado abierto.
Por otra parte, las ilustraciones en algunas ocasiones me han parecido de relleno, no aprovechan el atractivo universo en el que transcurre la novela (y no lo digo porque no me guste el estilo de Mignola). Pero, en general, ha sido una lectura agradable.
Por otra parte, las ilustraciones en algunas ocasiones me han parecido de relleno, no aprovechan el atractivo universo en el que transcurre la novela (y no lo digo porque no me guste el estilo de Mignola). Pero, en general, ha sido una lectura agradable.
February 4, 2013
It makes me so sad how awful this book is. It's rotten. I love Mike Mignola so much (SO MUCH!) but this was total garbage. The prose was so insanely stilted, and it seemed like they just threw words together. Yikes. It bums me out so hard that this book was such a tremendous disappointment.
April 29, 2015
Holy hell this is a slog. It's not terribly long but it goes on FOREVER.
The story is boring; the artwork is boring. The only thing that's not boring is the premise, but that doesn't matter given that it's ruined by the way the story is told and the artwork that feels wholly half-assed.
The story is boring; the artwork is boring. The only thing that's not boring is the premise, but that doesn't matter given that it's ruined by the way the story is told and the artwork that feels wholly half-assed.
July 18, 2019
J'ai aimé, (comme dans les hellboy), l'appropriation du folklore et des legendes anciennes et cette façon qu'a Mignola de les transférer dans un autre univers (ici steampunk). Il mêle plein d'influences qui permettent de rentre son texte riche: Lovecraft, roman noir, pulp. Dans sa cité immergée oubliée par l'Upper Manhattan le petit peuple tente de survivre et parmi eux une gamine qui n'a peur de rien, Molly. On vogue à travers Downtown New York sur un bateau à vapeur poursuivit par de sombres creatures portant des masques à gaz envoyés par un savant fou. J'ai aimé tout ça, l'univers, les références mais les personnages à mon grand regret manque de caracterisation(à part Molly peut-être) et le récit est trop linéaire (on sait dès le debut qui sont les méchants, ce qu'ils veulent et comment les gentils vont faire) et certaines images sont un peu trop convenues (encore un sacrifice de vierge et un savant fou qui veut le pouvoiiiiiir). Donc à lire pour l'immersion mais sans en attendre trop.
October 20, 2013
Review in portuguese by blog MON PETIT POISON
Apesar de distopia não ser meio gênero favorito, tentei variar o período e sair um pouco dessa coisa amorosa que rola com o Jovem-Adulto, embarcando no mundo sombrio de ‘Joe Golem’. Mas essa mistura não rendeu tão bem quanto imaginei que seria ao ler a sinopse.
A história na verdade apresenta um distópico no passado(?), onde aconteceram calamidades e a cidade de Nova York ficou inundada dividindo o ‘uptown’ e o ‘donwtown’, onde o segundo está alagado e a população mais humilde e os largados habitam e a história se desenrola a partir disso.
A ideia até seria boa, se ela não misturasse tantas coisas que parecem não fazer parte. Como um passado longínquo com bruxas, seres de outros mundos, experiências sem pé nem cabeça e uma narrativa que cansa só de lembrar. Foram misturas demais e pouca história.
Os personagens não me cativaram, apesar de Molly ser uma menina interessante, a personagem parecia sem sentido, o mago Orlov que a princípio parece ser o centro das atenções, nos é apresentado de uma forma estranha e se apaga aos poucos e Joe (que é o protagonista pelo título) é daquele tipo de protagonista que fica meio apagado. Mas esse fato se deve pela história dele ser muito a parte nessa aventura.
O lado sombrio que os autores quiseram dar não funcionou muito, não porque tenha ficado sombrio demais, mas sim porque acabou tornando a coisa chata e arrastada. A história não flui, e olha que os capítulos nem são tão grandes assim e em muitas páginas há um desenho (que sinceramente não entendi porque a grande maioria estava ali).
A sinopse promete muita ação, aventura e um algo a mais sombrio, mas as minhas expectativas foram por água abaixo depois de alguns capítulos, a história simplesmente não funcionou e nem digo pela distopia (que sinceramente não acho que se enquadre nesse gênero), mas pelo contexto de tudo que foi apresentado. Faltou empatia.
http://www.monpetitpoison.com/2013/09...
Apesar de distopia não ser meio gênero favorito, tentei variar o período e sair um pouco dessa coisa amorosa que rola com o Jovem-Adulto, embarcando no mundo sombrio de ‘Joe Golem’. Mas essa mistura não rendeu tão bem quanto imaginei que seria ao ler a sinopse.
A história na verdade apresenta um distópico no passado(?), onde aconteceram calamidades e a cidade de Nova York ficou inundada dividindo o ‘uptown’ e o ‘donwtown’, onde o segundo está alagado e a população mais humilde e os largados habitam e a história se desenrola a partir disso.
A ideia até seria boa, se ela não misturasse tantas coisas que parecem não fazer parte. Como um passado longínquo com bruxas, seres de outros mundos, experiências sem pé nem cabeça e uma narrativa que cansa só de lembrar. Foram misturas demais e pouca história.
Os personagens não me cativaram, apesar de Molly ser uma menina interessante, a personagem parecia sem sentido, o mago Orlov que a princípio parece ser o centro das atenções, nos é apresentado de uma forma estranha e se apaga aos poucos e Joe (que é o protagonista pelo título) é daquele tipo de protagonista que fica meio apagado. Mas esse fato se deve pela história dele ser muito a parte nessa aventura.
O lado sombrio que os autores quiseram dar não funcionou muito, não porque tenha ficado sombrio demais, mas sim porque acabou tornando a coisa chata e arrastada. A história não flui, e olha que os capítulos nem são tão grandes assim e em muitas páginas há um desenho (que sinceramente não entendi porque a grande maioria estava ali).
A sinopse promete muita ação, aventura e um algo a mais sombrio, mas as minhas expectativas foram por água abaixo depois de alguns capítulos, a história simplesmente não funcionou e nem digo pela distopia (que sinceramente não acho que se enquadre nesse gênero), mas pelo contexto de tudo que foi apresentado. Faltou empatia.
http://www.monpetitpoison.com/2013/09...
December 31, 2012
Got this for Xmas, on the recommendation of our local comic slinger. He knows about my weird obsession with previous Mignola-Golden team up Baltimore: or The Steadfast Tin Soldier & The Vampire and he told us that Joe Golem was better.
Let's get one thing out of the way first: it's not.
It's not bad! Don't think that. It's a fun, interesting story with a great pulpy sci-fi fantasy setting but I can't help feeling that the story would have been better served as a comic. Nothing about the prose elevated it or made its more tropey elements fresh and interesting. The story itself was very predictable, but probably would have been entirely enjoyable had it just been about Joe and Simon Church. The addition of Molly McHugh as the main (but not only) narrative voice of the story was, in my opinion, a misstep, partly because I feel the story would have benefited from a fixed POV and partly because she was just underdeveloped and annoying.
I get where they were going with her, but if you're going to have a feisty urchin character, you have to actually make her a feisty urchin. Essentially her only purpose in the book is to a) ask a lot of exposition-prompting questions b) get kidnapped c) alternate between worrying about stuff and being afraid of other stuff and d) run away from basically everything that moves. I tried really hard to give her the benefit of the doubt, but when she decided to lecture Cocteau, the main villain, instead of trying to sneak up on him and stop him, I just kind of gave up on her.
So I guess my biggest complaint about the book is that there is very little of the titular character; it chooses instead to focus primarily on painfully long chase scenes involving Molly, and exposition heavy conversations between Molly and basically everyone else in the book. It could have been great, instead it's just all right.
Let's get one thing out of the way first: it's not.
It's not bad! Don't think that. It's a fun, interesting story with a great pulpy sci-fi fantasy setting but I can't help feeling that the story would have been better served as a comic. Nothing about the prose elevated it or made its more tropey elements fresh and interesting. The story itself was very predictable, but probably would have been entirely enjoyable had it just been about Joe and Simon Church. The addition of Molly McHugh as the main (but not only) narrative voice of the story was, in my opinion, a misstep, partly because I feel the story would have benefited from a fixed POV and partly because she was just underdeveloped and annoying.
I get where they were going with her, but if you're going to have a feisty urchin character, you have to actually make her a feisty urchin. Essentially her only purpose in the book is to a) ask a lot of exposition-prompting questions b) get kidnapped c) alternate between worrying about stuff and being afraid of other stuff and d) run away from basically everything that moves. I tried really hard to give her the benefit of the doubt, but when she decided to lecture Cocteau, the main villain, instead of trying to sneak up on him and stop him, I just kind of gave up on her.
So I guess my biggest complaint about the book is that there is very little of the titular character; it chooses instead to focus primarily on painfully long chase scenes involving Molly, and exposition heavy conversations between Molly and basically everyone else in the book. It could have been great, instead it's just all right.
August 29, 2013
This definitly was NOT what I was expecting. Maybe I'm really naive but when I thought of An Illustrated Novel I assumed a certain level of innocence. Maybe I should have read the back about how this came from the creator of Hellboy. AKA not innocent. The good news is that definitely didn't hurt the quality of the book. The story of the old magician being kidnapped is fun, and his apprentice Molly won my heart as she tries to rescue the man that was like her surrogate father. Joe Golem was fine, but really, how many big guys with soft hearts and a really mean right hook do I want to read about? Church, his boss and a death defying detective, was much more interesting. Joe and Church spend the book trying to help Molly and foil Evil Bad Dude. Each character was really unique, especially visually. Something that might be an advantage of using graphic novel artists. I especially liked the ending. It had a really interesting sense of justice that was really satisfying.
November 3, 2014
Molly is an orphan who has managed to survive in the lawless, cutthroat Drowning City - lower Manhattan of an alternate reality. Note: after superstorm Sandy, this alternate reality seems almost prescient. Molly works for the magician Felix, who is mysteriously kidnapped. While trying to find and rescue Felix, Molly meets a detective, Mr. Church , and his partner Joe.
The plot is exciting, and action packed, and the characters, while stereotypes, are well done and not overly cliched. Joe is of course the Golem of the title, and his character is the most compelling.
My main problem with this novel is the same issue my friend Sharon has; for a book billed as an illustrated novel, there's not much here in terms of illustration. And what illustrations there are add nothing valuable to the story, and are very disappointing artistically. When I pick up book #2, my expectations of the illustrations will be scaled waaaay back.
August 20, 2015
Lovely stuff! Mike Mignola has a knack for pulp-inspired dark fantasy with Lovecraftian and steampunk overtones. The Drowning City is New York, or at least Brooklyn. The city started sinking in the 30's, if I'm recalling the book correctly; not in the real world, obviously. This is alternate history. Molly is a young girl living in a half-sunken building, along with Felix, an elderly clairvoyant. Mysterious beings kidnap him and chase her through the city until she is rescued by Joe, who seems human at first. She soon learns that there are dark doings afoot with impossibly high stakes. The illustrations are lovely. I've always loved Mignola's minimal, expressive style. Yes, there are allusions to Lovecraft and Sherlock Holmes among others, but Mignola knows what to do with his influences, not just slavishly ape them. Good stuff!
December 2, 2012
I love this book! It is like a whole alternate "Mignola-verse" to the one which has been unfolding for years in the Hellboy comics. For whatever reason, Baltimore (which I did like) did not feel as rich with esoteric detail as this book. A half drowned NYC? A partially mechanical detective of the supernatural who has lived well over a century? A man who is a reborn stone golem, who converts back to stone after his human form is killed? Strange men in gas masks who are not quite men nor quite animal? A kindly man who unknowingly has always been destined to grow into an unearthly creature from another dimension? The detailed prose is definitely aided greatly by the delightful spot illustrations through the book. Hopefully Joe and Molly have many adventures yet to come!
December 30, 2012
This is an extremely unusual novel, with one of the main characters a golem who comes to real life, and then is transferred back to his original golem state. A golem, for those unfamiliar with the term, is a "fact" from the Jewish Kabbalah, the mystical side of this religion, this way of life.
A golem is constructed of clay, by a rabbi. But he has no meaning other than a statue until the rabbi transcribes the name of God on the golem's forehead. He can now walk, move, and be used as as instrument of terror. Needless to say, it's invariably an "evil" rabbi wh would construct a golem.
All of which has very little to do with this book. Truth to tell, I think I was searching for for meaning than the book actually has to it. A readable book, but imminently forgettable.
A golem is constructed of clay, by a rabbi. But he has no meaning other than a statue until the rabbi transcribes the name of God on the golem's forehead. He can now walk, move, and be used as as instrument of terror. Needless to say, it's invariably an "evil" rabbi wh would construct a golem.
All of which has very little to do with this book. Truth to tell, I think I was searching for for meaning than the book actually has to it. A readable book, but imminently forgettable.
April 4, 2012
This was a little gem of a book. It takes a little bit to get going, and I was wondering where it was all heading, but the ending is well worth waiting for. It's kind of a mix of Cthulhu and steampunk, with a little Sherlock Holmes thrown in. A lot of times a pastiche like this can come across as contrived, cheesy, or just plain boring. Or it starts off strong and fizzles out once the originality of the concept wears off. But I was pleasantly surprised. I guess it helped that I read the ending in NYC!
As a note, the illustrations looked great on a Nook Tablet (or Color).
As a note, the illustrations looked great on a Nook Tablet (or Color).
Read
June 2, 2012Good read! If you've ever read Hellboy then you will recognize alot of elements in the story since it was wriiten by Mike Mignola. I like the concept of outer things not part of this reality, since I enjoy reading HP Lovecraft the story is very influenced by his writing. I enjoyed how the characters interacted with each other and shared histories are explained throughtout. It does have some sad parts and leaves upon a possible sequel. I'm looking forward to it if they do!
March 1, 2017
Lots of Lovecraftian themes at play here, and stuff that you would expect from Mignola and Golden working together on a project: old men with secrets and terrible burdens, crazy people who seek apotheosis, young people filled with moxie, monsters with too many limbs, blue-collar palookas with magic powers, abominations, and sadness, sadness, sadness. Heroism, to be sure, but also ruin and death and tragedy. Worth the read, and beautiful to boot.
December 27, 2012
This book works best in the history of the characters and the atmosphere of the different scenes. It is kind of lacking and slow when you get to the big action. A great fun read all together, though.
Want to read
August 27, 2011So excited for this book.
April 18, 2012
Easy read but totally enjoyable. Our library has it as an adult sci-fi but I would consider it more Teen fiction.
June 2, 2012
nope. next time draw the damn book, mignola. this outsourcing thing just doesn't work.
March 15, 2018
The pictures were distracting as opposed to enriching the story and it felt like there was something missing from the entire tale.
April 29, 2019
If I could give this a negative, I would.
October 7, 2020
I feel like I have a fairly good grasp of the Mike Mignola universe of characters. Over the years I have read several of Christopher Golden's books too. This set of characters adds to their resumes in an absolutely admirable way. I read the book in just a couple of days. I believe the book is where the whole idea started and in that sense you do get a lot of origin story type background in the book. Admittedly if you aren't getting the back story that book won't be very long. To be fair I have not read all of the comic book adventures of Joe Golem and I am hoping the plot threads left hanging at the end of Drowning City get sewn up in the comic books. Most important does Joe get his humanity back? Or is he left as a stone Golem for the rest of his adventures? Where is Molly McHugh since we know that Simon Church, Felix Orlov and Dr. Cocteau all died in Drowning City. There of course is that Lovecraftian hint of other dimensions and the beings that live there, there is the supernatural hinted at in past adventures of Simon Church, but then you have the "regular" life stuff with Molly McHugh and the combination makes for a very lively and unforgettable adventure. The world created in this book is also filled with possibilities. I see a listing on IMDB as something called the Drowned City but no real information on that so maybe there is possibly some sort of discussion about a screenplay? That would be neat. A show would be even neater, as you could delve into back story and "dive deeper" into the world of the Drowning City, after all what is going on in the rest of the United States while this is all affecting New York City? What about the rest of the East Coast, affected or not, who knows? The book hints about the time of the story happening, I believe it is approximately in the 1970's, since the Great Upheaval occurred in 1925 and somewhere in the book there is a reference to 50 years having gone by since then. Of course to fill all of these little plot holes the book would be Stephen King length easily, but all of those sorts of questions fill my mind after reading this one. To me that is a sign of a good book, one that fills you with questions that are not easily answered.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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