
While fishing with his grandfather, a young boy stumbles upon a creepy Punch and Judy puppet show by the seashore. He's instantly drawn into the story, even though it scares him. Mr Punch is a horrible character intent on beating and killing everyone he encounters during the performance, but he's still intrigued.
This boy is constantly sent from one lot of grandparents to the other, and while staying because of the upcoming birth of a new sister/brother, he spends some time at his grandfather's failing arcade. Here he encounters a mermaid with a secret, a hunchback uncle with a mysterious past, and events that parallel his own life.
There are some things young kids aren't supposed to witness for a reason. Because as soon as he himself becomes an adult the horrible memories resurface and start to both confuse him even further and slowly start making sense. Adults often lie to children. Sometimes it's to protect them, others it's to protect themselves, and this young boy encounters both sides of that.
Wow. This turned out to be so... strange. There's a delirious edge to this graphic novel that leads you down a fevered past and warps what you're reading. And it's not just the fragmented way that the story is told, it's also the amazing artwork. There's a collection of different styles featured in this book. A feat that only someone as talented as Dave McKean can pull off. A nightmarish mix of horrid and beautiful that gets under your skin.
The Comical Tragedy or Tragical Comedy of Mr Punch is a weirdly intriguing and very surreal experience that will make you feel as if you're in a constant nightmare. It's a story that reveals itself in a nonsensical and non-linear way, and often makes you wonder if you're making the correct assumptions about it. It's weird and ugly and wonderful and violent all at the same time.
It's not one of my favourite Gaiman stories, but I still enjoyed it. Even if it is a freaky experience. O.o
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