Tricked

by Alex Robinson

Book Overview

Alex's new graphic novel follows the lives of six people - a reclusive rock legend, a heartbroken waitress, a counterfeiter, an obsessive crank, a lost daughter, and a backstabbing lover - whose lives... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1891830732
• ISBN13: 9781891830730
• Release Date: August 2005
• Publisher: Top Shelf Productions
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.79 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 10.1"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Instantly absorbing 2005 black & white graphic novel

This 350 page Top Shelf graphic novel was written and drawn by Alex Robinson. The complex and engrossing plotline focuses on six individuals whose lives become increasingly connected. Ray is a fading rock star who, enthralled by office temp Lily, asked her to be his personal assistant. Nick tells his wife and family that he is a successful businessman but instead works as a forger in a sports memorabilia store. Teenaged Phoebe comes to NYC from New Mexico in search of her father. Steve is an unlovable loser and obsessive music fan who works in an IT department. Caprice balances struggling relationships and waitresses at The Little Piggy Diner, a setting for many of the fifty numbered segments. Robinson's fictional universe contains its own music, book and sports references. Like many other enthusastic reviewers I read this book in one day.

A great read

The point of views that cycle through are interesting, nice illustrations, shows how we're all connected.

Amazing, like a good film

This is a tremendous graphic novel. I am new to the form, and came across the author quite surrendipitously, but it unfolds like a luminous feature film, and the story has several arcs that are compelling throughout. Rarely a mistep; at worst, a passager or two of wooden dialogue. The linear narrative unfolds like one of the ensemble films of Robert Altman ("Short Cuts," "Dr. T and the Women," "Nashville") or Paul Thomas Anderson ("Boogie Nights," "Magnolia"), with intersecting stories with thematic similarities. Here, we have stories from the world of popular music, a large company's disgruntled IT technician, a big city diner, and the double-life or a family man/sports memorabilia forgerer. The difference is it is sometimes hard to absolutely love a character in a vignette in one of those films. Here, though, we feel and inhabit the characters completely (in particular the flawed heroine "Capris"). The artwork is tremendous. On a par with the work of Mazzachelli on Paul Auster's "City of Glass." I highly recommend this book.

Alex, of BOP fame, does it again.

Thanks to the work of gifted authors and artists the likes of Alex Robinson, the genre known as graphic novel is finally hitting its stride. Each three-dimentional character is brought to life by striking black and white images that accentuate the stark reality of each characters life. You may find yourself looking into this art as you would a mirror, learning from the lessons of its grossly human leads. Following the lives of six people, Alex Robinson shows what lies at the depths of a reclusive and unproductive former rock legend, a forlorn server (aren't they all?), counterfeit artist, an obsessive crank, an adolescent daughter, and a backstabbing lover. Whose adventures he skips among in chapters presented in a countdown, 49 to 1, that reinforces the story's innate anticipation. They unknowingly stride towards the pulse-pounding climax, spiraling into each other in what can only be described as real life. If you liked works such as "Blankets" or "Epileptic", you will find this nothing short of remarkable.

even better than Box Office Poison

Robinson's new book is simply wonderful. It has edge to it, but the characters still fly off the page and you can imagine all the things that happen to them really happening. Each character is fully drawn and explored, even to the point of one character's struggle with mental psychosis revealing itself in the lettering getting harder to read the faster he falls away from reality. You must pick this up; it's definitely one of the best of 2005.