MOONCOP review

(Reviewed by Melody Werner)
Mooncop is a 2016 original graphic novel by Tom Gauld and published by Canadian arthouse publisher, Drawn & Quarterly. It's kinda a science fiction comedy/drama following a moon cop (as one would expect) who tries to find a purpose on the moon as the rest of humanity begins migrating back to Earth. It's pretty short, running at about 80 pages. It was met with good reception from outlets such as NPR and was published in an unconventional, square-ish format (not unlike the previously reviewed Barbarian Lord).  I'm someone who can like the sort of artsy books many would unfairly and outright malign, but I think they can err into the realm of pretentiousness often times, too full of themselves to tell genuinely good stories. That being said, Mooncop isn't actually all that artsy a book. I ended up quite enjoying it.

The art style is extremely simplistic compared to your Tony Daniel's and your Clayton Crain's and your Joe Madureira's, who have carved out contemporary comics handily. But not only does it fit the tone of the series--which is a touch quiet and unassuming--it also doesn't look bad at all. It's a pretty decent looker, if you're into the style enough. It's that kinda art style you'll never see in another book, which is appreciated. I would rather have a series with a different, nice looking art style than one which seeks to emulate the greats and fails. The book has a good level of miscellaneous visual polish, in areas such as lettering and the actual print quality of the physical release (which is how I read it).

The book's narrative isn't exactly complex, but it does a lot with very little. It doesn't reach for something grandiose and end up failing (like Justice League: Rebirth). Instead it's just a simple little story about part of this guy's life. Which is compelling and charming enough, though I could see some people being disappointed by the thin on the ground ending. The characters are also pretty simple, but again, likable enough that it works. Mooncop is quite funny, though absolutely blown out of the water by something like Chew or The Fox. The dialogue is snappy.

All around, Mooncop is a great little OGN which is worth reading for about 30 minutes or so. What it does, it does well. It tells a nice little self-contained story which I think is satisfying. It doesn't overreach, and thus ends up succeeding in being a much better book than if it had been stuffed with pretentious wankery. I recommend Mooncop if you like short books which tell a full story. Mooncop gets an 8/10.

Solid

Summary:
Charming art, solid comedy, solid story, and solid dialogue make this brief read well worth it.

(originally posted: 10/10/2017)