First, there is style. Style alone in this comic conveys large elements of storytelling, primarily character development. When one thinks of 'artistic style' we generally predict that it is constant throughout a work. Mazzucchelli breaks this assumption and uses it to his advantage: Each character is drawn according to their personality (I might say their soul). Asterios: Geometric, logical, straight-edged. Hana: Abstract, Free-formed, emotional. While each character's personality comes across fine in writing, the use of these stylistic differences reinforces it and allows us to see how the characters influence each other.
If I may evaluate the ending. The reader experiences a brief moment of satisfaction and hope as the two main characters are reunited. Suddenly, A huge meteor is seen on the next page plummeting directly for Hana's house. My emotions read as follows: Shock, sadness (especially for Hana), and after sitting back and thinking about it, awe. How tragically fitting it is that Asterios, a man of order and logic, should be vanquished by something so random, something so infinitesimally unpredictable.
After some time, I plan to re-read this book. So much happened and there is so much to understand and digest--I feel I've only touched the surface. There were many layers and philosophies that were woven into the story--I didn't even mention Ignazio in this review--that could lead to further discussion.
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