Graphic Novel Review: Adherent by Chris W. Kim

Posted on January 25, 2024 at 7:27 am by Gene Ambaum

Adherent by Chris W. Kim. Conundrum, 2023. 9781772620825.

Adherent is set in a quiet, post-apocalyptic world where folks survive, at least in part, by scavenging the leftovers of our civilization. A group finds an abandoned cabin in the woods, and it’s full of writing which they take home in case it’s useful. It captivates Em, who reads all the pages — it’s just the writer’s observations and feelings — and then wants to see the cabin where they were found. After that she sets off after the writer, to find her and talk to her about her work.

This is a story of bibliographic obsession, and I enjoyed it for that. It’s also about the power and value of books, civilization, and the distrust of strangers (which doesn’t do anyone much good). I loved the way Kim’s wordless pages establish the setting, both its landscape and soundscape.