Week 11: Black Hole


Black Hole was a graphic novel that was not what I was expecting. As I looked through the recommended reading for this week, its name stood out to me so I picked it. What I got was something far more grotesque than what I was expecting. However it used its grotesque depictions of venereal disease in a very effective way. By the end, the message/point of the story was quit clear.

The first thing that jumps out at you int he novel is the extremely bold and graphical artwork. This is apparent right from seeing the cover. There is a lot of confidence in the artwork and we can see how effective this style is used when you begin to see people undergoing the horrible mutations brought on by a sexually transmitted disease. However, the more mutations are depicted, the more you begin to realize that they aren't really medical in nature but instead border on something more surreal. By the end of the novel I realized that the transformations are really a metaphor for the awkward, uncomfortable and ultimately freeing transformation that is puberty, coming of age and sexual awakening. After this, the horror vibes of the novel dissipated and I begin to realize this really a very intellectual story that is something we can all relate to.

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