Gerard Way has been somewhat of an idol for me since I was a young angsty My Chemical Romance loving teen. There's something about him that feels so authentic, unique, creative and artistic. Young Animals has his fingerprints all over it. It definitely had a more high-brow feel that I never got from reading any other comics. It sort of challenged me to read a little deeper, see below the face value of the comics and really gave a guttural emotional feel to something as common as a fight scene. I would honestly describe this as the couture of comic books. Sometimes this made it a bit hard to relate, or to feel like I was really "getting it". Sometimes the imagery honestly felt like it went right over my head.
While some of the creative genius may have been lost on me, there is something powerful and moving about submersing yourself in a world created by someone who clearly thinks so differently than you do. That's what makes it a real experience. There was nothing about this that I felt at any point I could have come up with myself. To me, that's what makes something really worth reading. T
Did I like the characters? No. Oh my God, no. I could not relate to Violet Page, her brother or her father. I am actually convinced the writers went out of their way to make her so hard to like. But maybe that's exactly the point. (I'll keep reading and let you know). Also, my inner fashionista is kicking in and I feel the need to point out that I HATE her costume. Blegh. They would've benefit from having me on staff to give styling direction for their fictional characters obviously. Someone should write them up and let them know.
Did I like the story? Sort of. Honestly I'd say it was kind of so-so. For an incredibly unique reading experience, the story line it followed felt kind of...done before. Weird right? This is why I struggled to sort out my feelings about it. Though in fairness I suppose all superhero comics start the same, with a central character trying to figure out how they fit in with the rest of the world and their role in it. So this indifference towards the story line could definitely change, I'm only 3 issues in.
Anyway, please do give it a read and decide for yourself. Agree? Disagree? Overrated hyped up pretentiousness? Or was it actually pure unfiltered brilliance in comic form? Let me know!