Chris HallbeckReseñas

7/10

Pebble is a monster, sent into the human world to unlock new powers. Wren is a girl with two dads, who welcomes Pebble into their home (and sets some ground rules). Coming from different worlds, the two quickly build a friendship filled with funny hiccups when one encounters a blank that the other considers something that "everyone knows." When the deadline for Pebble's new powers comes, Pebble's mom and one of Wren's dads has a surprise in store. Earnest, adorable, hilarious, and informative (as when Wren explains how refrigeration works).

See also: Phoebe & Her Unicorn by Dana Simpson, Monster Friends by Kaeti Vandorn, Monsters Inc.

Quotes

"Everyone knows if you leave shiny things outside, the sparkle sprites will take them."
"No! That is not a thing that everyone knows!" (81)

"I want to bit the moon and then shoot light out of my mouth!"
...
"You have that look in your eyes like you're deciding which book to show me next."
"There's just so many to choose from." (156)

"It's been so long!"
"I've missed you so much!"
"You moved your hair down to your face."
"Yeah, humans sometimes do that." (221)½

This was such a cute graphic novel. I love that Pebble and Wren have fun together but teach each other so much at the same time. The illustrations were wonderful and I love Chris's comics. I am so glad that Chris has published a book.

Well-meaning and wholesome, but I found the humor too dry. I started skipping through the strips

Although an excellent strip that shows library work as it is or as it should be, the five stars is based almost entirely on the very last page, which features an interaction between this cast of characters and those from Ambaum's previous library-centered strip, Unshelved. Priceless! I'd love more of that!

Another joyous book of workplace humor from Ambaum and company from the online comic strip Library Comic is now available in print. This makes it a “real book” according to Martin, a librarian in the strip adverse to online anything. Martin is the bearded one on the cover that everyone else is desperately checking the shelves to find. In library jargon it’s a process known as doing a shelf check to find a misplaced book.

If you are a person who thinks libraries are boring, the scriptwriter knows different, he works in one. It true you won’t find people working there who will be as snarky in public as the employees of this public library (however a warning is hidden in panel 1 on page 68). Shelf Check is filled with LOL human interactions, including one bonus crossover strip inked by Unshelved artist Bill Barnes.

I love this webcomic so much! The successor to "Unshelved" which was also set in a library, Library Comic showcases silly and true encounters with public library patrons.

The daily interaction of the staff and customers of the small suburban Mallville Public Library are recorded in only slightly exaggerated form in this final collection of the online comic strip “Unshelved.” For example: displays for Banned Books Week (often seen in real libraries) is joined by a lineup of customers beneath the sign “CELEBRATE BANNED PATRONS WEEK,” each one holding an individual placard before them reading respectively, “internet time limit abuser, Ranter/shrieker, Book thief, Rude. Just really, really rude,” and “Cord chewer” (something not seen in actual libraries) [page 113]. But also included are real stories from the field, e.g. a boy ask the children’s librarian, “Is my nose bleeding?” When she answers no, he pokes at it until it is, and then asks, “How about now?” to which she answers yes, and he responds, “Cool!” [page 95] Also included is the “graphic novella” Lights Out depicting how to keep a modern library functioning during a power outage and many additional tips for library conference goers. While it’s sad to see this strip come to an end it is encouraging that Ambaum and Hallbeck are creating a new strip, “Library Comic.”

The twelfth, and final collection of the Unshelved strip. Seeing these familiar characters fade into history is disappointing, not least because the two remaining creators, Gene Ambaum and Chris Hallbeck (Bill Barnes had already left the series), have immediately begun a new library strip. So far, I haven't been able to detect that the gags in the new material could not have worked in the original, which leaves me to wonder why the need to close it.

But that's all gripes, I suppose. Anyone who worked in or enjoyed public libraries recognized immediately the slice of reality that Unshelved both reflected, but saw the humor in. It will be missed. Goodbye, Dewey....

Cute, funny, clever.

The author's clever perception of the world according to Biff puts him in good company with the old Far Side comics. I must admit that while a good number of the frames were spot on, there were a few that I had trouble understanding. Call it a cultural or generational gap, but I chalk it up to my own obtuseness. My teenager discovered it on my Kindle, and he's also enjoyed reading it--in fact he's asked if he can 'move' it into his own 'collection' on the kindle... :D

I requested this book without realizing it was a comic book. However, the wit of the author made me laugh. I keep coming back to it time and time again.

I requested this book on a whim. I usually never read comic books. But I thoroughly enjoyed the comics and episodes to this book.

These cartoons commenting wryly on daily life in the suburbs raise a chuckle.½

The Biff comic is always an interesting read, covering topics that can highlight average everyday activities. Often I found the comics to be unexciting or hardly funny, but once in while you find a gem that really makes you smile.

I think I chuckled twice. Not quite creative or imaginative enough but a good effort.

I did like the simplicity of the lines. The cartoons are very clear and appealing.

The Book of Biff was light and entertaining. I enjoyed the graphics, which were of high quality. I wish I had read the first 4 before I read this one, because I think I must have missed some history on Biff, because some of the jokes seemingly pertained to his physical attributes which I did not get. Many were very funny, and some so blatantly obvious that you can't help but to laugh out loud. Very entertaining!

The Book of Biff is a one-panel, one-punchline a day comic strip, each day balancing the absurd with the obvious. It's very easy to overload on him, but once a day or so he can be pretty funny, in an absurdist fashion.

I received an electronic copy of this book via the LT Member Giveaway program and downloaded it to my Kindle for reading.

It is a collection of single-panel cartoons with captions, reminiscent of the Far Side in layout and quirky humour (although quite different in artistic style and focus). There didn't seem to be any explanatory material with the cartoons, but they all feature a character called Biff, who appears to be a humanoid robot, in a variety of often fairly surreal situations.

I enjoyed browsing through the collection and I found my interest captured more by the jokes conveyed in the captions than in the graphics (although the general standard of the drawings is high and the visual component is necessary for most of the jokes). Some of the jokes were immediately obvious while many took a bit of thought to crack, and there were one or two that were too obscure for me (or at least I haven't yet got them).

I would have loved more information from previous books (this is the first I've read) on how Biff came to be but it wasn't necessary to enjoy this specific comic book. It's a collection of weird everyday moments in Biffs life; so many of the frames made me laugh out loud. People must have looked at me weird on the bus but I was too into it to notice. I really enjoyed it. Looked good on my Sony reader even though I prefer it in color. I loved seeing how a humanoid alien tries to make sense of our world. Like "Biff could never get the hang of tying pretzels into knots." Of course we all know you have to shape before you bake. Another favorite of mine was "The easiest way to find missing tennis balls is to wait for the basement to flood."

I read this ebook shortly after 'The Book of Biff #5 Split Personality', and can say that I wasn't disappointed. Once again, I found the cartoons really funny and loved the images. I suspect that this style of humour will not suit everyone, and people may not get every joke, but if you like dry, surreal humour then this book is worth a read.

I really enjoyed this book. Biff is a character who applies lateral thinking to make efficiencies in his life. Needless to say, Biff's ideas are crazy, daft, yet very, very funny. The cartoons are stylish and well drawn, and look good on my Kindle. The jokes would suit those with a dry sense of humour with a penchant for the surreal. I think I may seek out some more of Biff's tales.

Biff has the world's greatest eyebrows. Biff is the lovable hero (and earnest anti-hero) who wants to make life easier against impossible odds in Chris Hallbeck's latest collection of comics, The Book of Biff #5: Split Personality. The book is inventive and silly, plausable and improbable at the same time. For instance, "To save on electricity, Biff had stairs installed in his elevator." After reading this book, you will seriously wonder "Why didn't I think of that myself?"

This book of absurdist single-panel cartoons is a bit frustrating. The art is fabulous, as are most of the concepts. The problem lies in the captions, which range from boring to lame. The repetition of the phrase "Biff realizes . . ." becomes grating after only a few cartoons, and better captions are so obvious that one wants to just cross out the existing wording and write in something, anything, better.

Hopefully the author will improve the captions in the future, and perhaps even go back and reissue this book with better captions.

A note on the ebook version: These cartoons are much more powerful in black and white than they are in color. The ebook version will give you a much better experience.

Worth reading and worth owning if you can overcome your annoyance and focus on the art.