Graphic Novel Review: Mary Tyler Moorehawk by Dave Baker

Mary Tyler Moorehawk by Dave Baker. Top Shelf, 2024. 9781603095365.

I’ve never read a graphic novel that’s this heavily footnoted. I had an early PDF of this from the publisher, but after reading a few pages, I decided to hold off reading it until I had a physical copy. I could tell it was a book I was going to have to spend some time with, and that I was going to be flipping back and forth a lot. It also felt like it was going to be amazing. I was right on all counts.

(Even Baker’s introduction has multiple footnotes, and he describes the book this way: “…The book so dangerous it could unmake you. The book that is so labyrinthian that I am tempted to call into questions if…or when I could have ever made it.”)

The comics are “black” and white and pink. (“Black” because the book is more penciled than inked, though there are some inks, too.) They tell the story of a young woman facing off against multiversal villains. Every odd-numbered chapter opens with a two-page spread, a crowd scene summarizing characters that may appear in that chapter. These are weird and brilliant and will probably remind you of your favorite science fiction /fantasy / espionage cartoons. Even numbered chapters are articles from the journal Phyisicalist Today, also authored by Dave Baker, about the TV show Mary Tyler Moorehawk.

These articles and character summaries and the action in between formed a weird and wonderful whole in my brain (hole in my brain?) that felt like it was pulling me toward the book’s multiverse, or at least toward some vast conspiracy theory. It was odd and impressive and made this one of those books I need to dive into again (maybe starting from the middle next time) to give me a better sense of how it does what it does. Recommended if you like horrific monsters drawn cartoonishly, villains from old pulp stories, and heroes with a lot of heart.

 

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