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typedtruths 's review for:
Grease Bats
by Archie Bongiovanni
The moment I read the tagline 'so no one told you life was gonna be this gay!’, I knew I had to get my hands on Grease Bats. It’d already popped up on my Goodreads feed enough times to catch my attention. Was diving into it completely blind the best idea? Possibly not. I didn’t realise this was not a bindup of a popular webcomic strip, rather than a traditional graphic novel… but it won me over with its hilarious cast.
Friendship to the max!
Found family plays a huge role in these comics, which I loved. It was refreshing seeing a group of friends who, thanks to their different life circumstances, had found solace in their own queer family. All of the characters were unique and individual with strong personalities, it was a lot of fun seeing their dynamics unfold.
Sex, drugs & alcohol-fuelled drama.
The editor said in the introduction that they love Grease Bats because every reader can relate to at least one of the characters. They’re a Scout and I am – without a doubt – an Ari… which explains my slight dilemma. I struggle to get into the ‘plot’ of this because there wasn’t really a plot. It was more like 300 pages of Scout and Andy abusing alcohol to cope with their dating problems. I don’t believe you have to relate to a character or even like a character to enjoy their story, and you definitely don’t have to agree with their decisions. However, reading over 300 pages of slightly repetitive strips about clubbing and substance abuse was a bit too much for me. I was literally Ari when she told Andy off for their unhealthy coping mechanisms. Obviously, this is a Me problem. I know Andy & Scout’s shenanigans are realistic and probably relatable for a lot of readers. It’s not something I actually want to criticise the story for doing but it did impact my enjoyment.
Important discussions.
There were a lot of important discussions, though! My favourite was definitely the one where Taylor and Gwen talked about being a ‘good’ advocate. Taylor felt guilty for not attending protests but Gwen talked about how there are a thousand different ways you can show your support for a cause, no matter your circumstances. There was also some fantastic commentary on dysphoria, misgendering, and dealing with queermisic family.
The art style.
Bongiovanni’s style as a whole was not my favourite and it affected my enjoyment more than I expected. Black and white styles aren’t my go-to but it wasn’t the lack of colour that bothered me. The rough, pencil-sketch looked like the hand-drawn comics you draw for your friends during particular dull history classes. It was quirky and unique for sure but the rawness was easily mistaken for being drafted, rather than complete. I personally enjoy the elaborate, detailed art style of someone like [a:Sana Takeda|377312|Sana Takeda|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1505568866p2/377312.jpg] or the cutesy pastel style of [a:Katie O'Neill|7831390|Katie O'Neill|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1531160815p2/7831390.jpg].
The handwriting was also messy – messy enough to be illegible at times – and the use of haphazard lines instead of dialogue boxes made it difficult to follow the character’s conversations.
Overall?
This achieved its purpose of being a quirky comic about queerness, friendship and navigating your 20s. It’s a mix of [b:Adulthood Is a Myth|25855506|Adulthood Is a Myth (Sarah's Scribbles, #1)|Sarah Andersen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1481219756l/25855506._SX50_.jpg|45724425] and [b:Giant Days, Vol. 1|25785993|Giant Days, Vol. 1 (Giant Days, #1)|John Allison|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1437047865l/25785993._SY75_.jpg|45636621], and I’d recommend it for fans of both or anyone looking to brighten their day.
◯ Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
➸ Trigger warnings forsexual harassment, alcohol consumption, alcohol abuse, recreational drug use, cheating, queermisia, transmisia, bimisia, lesbomisia, misgendering (discussed in detail & op, multiple scenes), and dysphoria. .
▷ Representation: Scout (mc) is a lesbian; Andy (mc) is trans, genderqueer & polyamorous; Ari (sc) is aroace & a trans girl; Gwen (sc) is bisexual; Taylor (sc) a qpoc.
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Friendship to the max!
Found family plays a huge role in these comics, which I loved. It was refreshing seeing a group of friends who, thanks to their different life circumstances, had found solace in their own queer family. All of the characters were unique and individual with strong personalities, it was a lot of fun seeing their dynamics unfold.
Sex, drugs & alcohol-fuelled drama.
The editor said in the introduction that they love Grease Bats because every reader can relate to at least one of the characters. They’re a Scout and I am – without a doubt – an Ari… which explains my slight dilemma. I struggle to get into the ‘plot’ of this because there wasn’t really a plot. It was more like 300 pages of Scout and Andy abusing alcohol to cope with their dating problems. I don’t believe you have to relate to a character or even like a character to enjoy their story, and you definitely don’t have to agree with their decisions. However, reading over 300 pages of slightly repetitive strips about clubbing and substance abuse was a bit too much for me. I was literally Ari when she told Andy off for their unhealthy coping mechanisms. Obviously, this is a Me problem. I know Andy & Scout’s shenanigans are realistic and probably relatable for a lot of readers. It’s not something I actually want to criticise the story for doing but it did impact my enjoyment.
Important discussions.
There were a lot of important discussions, though! My favourite was definitely the one where Taylor and Gwen talked about being a ‘good’ advocate. Taylor felt guilty for not attending protests but Gwen talked about how there are a thousand different ways you can show your support for a cause, no matter your circumstances. There was also some fantastic commentary on dysphoria, misgendering, and dealing with queermisic family.
The art style.
Bongiovanni’s style as a whole was not my favourite and it affected my enjoyment more than I expected. Black and white styles aren’t my go-to but it wasn’t the lack of colour that bothered me. The rough, pencil-sketch looked like the hand-drawn comics you draw for your friends during particular dull history classes. It was quirky and unique for sure but the rawness was easily mistaken for being drafted, rather than complete. I personally enjoy the elaborate, detailed art style of someone like [a:Sana Takeda|377312|Sana Takeda|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1505568866p2/377312.jpg] or the cutesy pastel style of [a:Katie O'Neill|7831390|Katie O'Neill|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1531160815p2/7831390.jpg].
The handwriting was also messy – messy enough to be illegible at times – and the use of haphazard lines instead of dialogue boxes made it difficult to follow the character’s conversations.
Overall?
This achieved its purpose of being a quirky comic about queerness, friendship and navigating your 20s. It’s a mix of [b:Adulthood Is a Myth|25855506|Adulthood Is a Myth (Sarah's Scribbles, #1)|Sarah Andersen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1481219756l/25855506._SX50_.jpg|45724425] and [b:Giant Days, Vol. 1|25785993|Giant Days, Vol. 1 (Giant Days, #1)|John Allison|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1437047865l/25785993._SY75_.jpg|45636621], and I’d recommend it for fans of both or anyone looking to brighten their day.
◯ Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
➸ Trigger warnings for
▷ Representation: Scout (mc) is a lesbian; Andy (mc) is trans, genderqueer & polyamorous; Ari (sc) is aroace & a trans girl; Gwen (sc) is bisexual; Taylor (sc) a qpoc.
Blog • Goodreads • Twitter • Instagram • The Book Depository