The Sculptor by Scott McLoud

"David Smith would sell his soul for his Art and he does but there's nothing in the contract about falling in love or fame and fortune. McLoud tells a brutal but beautiful story in a stark, steady hand. A truly heart wrenching story that will stick with me for a long time."

4 Stars

Pros: It's a deep, meaningful, gut wrenching story that gets you right in the feels from the start/McLoud doesn't pull any punches but it's so perfectly bittersweet that, his brutal honesty is understandable and necessary.

Cons: I feel like the scene with the Snipers near the end was a little silly, like that seemed to be a bit of an over-reaction to David's situation/Falling in love after trading your immortal soul is a bit cliche but, it worked.

Full Review

David Smith feels washed up and useless. He has no job, no girlfriend and the lease on his expensive Studio is up in two months, so no place to practice his art, the one thing in his life that really matters. He's drinking alone at a Diner, depressed, when his Great Uncle Harry sits across from him, unexpectedly and they strike up a conversation. Reminiscence abound but then David realizes that something's off. This isn't Harry, it can't be, Harry's dead. Has been for years.

And that's when the deal is struck. Harry (Death) promises David the chance to make anything he can think of with his bare hands but only for 200 days. After that, he's dead, no deals, no compromises. David agrees, unwavering, knowing that he would give his life for his art. Except, of course, there's that girl that he meets on a few opportune occasions, who he can't help but notice and always seems to have a bit of advice. And there's the fact that though Death promised him creation, he didn't promise him prosperity or recognition.

McLoud tells a brutal but honest story that gets you right from the start. Though some parts were definitely cliche, it had to be and it still worked. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good, heart rending story, a good, well paced Graphic Novel and realistic, flawed but generally good characters.

Comments

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