Marco is disturbed by the images he's taken as a war photographer and moved to the French countryside with his troublesome cat to re-find himself. He's plagued by anxiety and panic attacks. He often wanders the countryside and befriends an old man while repeatedly getting into with another neighbor who considers him a trespasser. I wasn't a big fan of the art, but I did like the humor of the book.

This was an intriguing read. It is indeed ordinary. Ordinary life for a photographer who has lost the zeal for life. He's trying to find himself. And trying to find a future where he can be happy with himself. This is a short but poignant work.

The art in Ordinary Victories is lovely. I read this, or a version of it, some years ago, but it did not stick in my memory quite the same way this particular volume does. Perhaps it struck me more deeply this time because of the protagonist, Marco, and his (former) employment as a war photographer. As the threat of war seems omnipresent these days, the idea of an exhausted photographer seeking to move on from his painful career for a simple life in the countryside is particularly appealing. The panic attacks and PTSD-like symptoms he experiences are very well portrayed, as are his mixed feelings regarding his seemingly good-natured neighbor. Though it's a relatively short book, there's a lot to unpack -- and it's well worth doing so.

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect when I started ORDINARY VICTORIES, but I'm happy I picked it up. The illustrations alone make the graphic novel worth checking out, but the storyline is great, too. Now I'm going to need to read the other books in the series.

I didn’t really dislike this. But I didn’t really like it either.
It seemed to me like it had no beginning nor ending and I couldn’t relate to the main character. I found him annoying. I felt like there was no conflict in this, it just felt flat to me.
Basically, it wasn’t for me.

This is such an interesting graphic novel about a young photographer who quits his job, moves to the country and spends time taking photographs and doing little else.

Marco doesn't know where he is going to or what he wants to do next. He has spent the last eight years receiving therapy and working as a photographer, but he doesn't want to do that any more. He stops seeing his therapist, and now has panic attacks, lives way outside town and he has a girlfriend.
His girlfriend would like to move their relationship to the next level and get a place together, but Marco just wants things to remain the same. Unfortunately, as he discovers, things don't remain the same and even the things that you think you are familiar with have a tendency to change .

This is book one of a four part series of books which are currently being translated into English from their original French. It is an interesting story and I am hoping to read the others. There is so much to be revealed about Marco and I want to know what happens to Him.

The artwork here is excellent. I really enjoyed the graphics and the colours and I think the text was just sufficient to convey the story. This is well worth reading and I definitely want to read the others.

Copy provided via net galley in exchange for an unbiased review.

'Ordinary Victories #1' by Mano Larcenet feels like an odd sort of story to be told in a graphic novel form, but I think it is served well.

Marco was a photographer and spent enough time taking photos of dead bodies, that he's found himself in therapy. He's tired of that, and really doesn't want to work, so he moves to a remote village to try to get by. He takes up with a cat named Adolf and gets to know the quirky neighbors. There is the neighbor with the shotgun and the private property signs, and there is the weird, silent one who just kind of shows up and eats Marco's food. Marco also meets Emilie and she challenges him to rejoin the world around him.

The story feels like non-fiction almost. The category is definitely drama with a bit of humor thrown in. The art style feels a bit weird for this story, but I found myself feeling for this character, so I wouldn't mind a chance to find out what happens next with him.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Europe Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

A commendable start to this story - readers should note this is the first of four books in the series, and I'm sure they would all benefit from being read one after the other. Here a lacklustre bloke comes out of therapy with a shrink, abandons all idea of working and the city life, and even snubs a lovely vet girlfriend - thus opening himself up to both panic attacks (vividly presented with lots of red, here) and the secret behaviours of his strange neighbours. And then it stops - but not before we've come to enjoy the quick narrative style, the ease which with the characters are portrayed, and more importantly the richness of the story. I really hope I get to see the full set in English soon.

There is a good storyline for this graphic novel. But not really my type overall.

*thank you to Netgalley and Europe Comics for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

3 stars
An OK graphic novel about the life of one guy who struggles with issues such as anxiety and panic attacks. He loves photography and his cat which is so sweet to see. He meets a girl, Emily, but struggles in the relationship as he's so afraid of change which causes frustrations and risks losing Emily. It's a quick read, the graphics are pretty good but I could either take or leave this.

Slightly trippy graphic novel about Marco, a flailing war photographer/journalist with a grumpy cat and anxiety. Follow him as he tries to understand his life.

"The most beautiful images are often the least honest"

I liked the change to gritty black and white and to red, and back to everyday multi-color.
Very well done.

My initial thought is... man this artwork is REALLY French. I mean, duh, it's a French graphic novel, but the style is unmistakably French in that everyone on here looks like a kids newspaper cartoon from the 1950's.
The story, however, is not kiddish, and it's definitely something MANY people in their 20's and 30's can relate to:
Marco, a fairly successful photo journalist, has reached a point in his life where he just CAN'T anymore. He can't handle his violent panic attacks, he can't handle his psychotherapy, he can't handle the soul crushing aspects of the things he sees in his job, he can't handle the pace of life in Paris.... about all the can handle is a little house in the country with his cat, so he takes a year long sabbatical to get his head in order.
What comes next is a year of self reflection, heartbreak, love and discovery that speaks to any of us who have gone through that infamous "quarter life crisis."

Charming drawings and a touching, auto-biographical story. A war photographer quits his job and seeks solace in the countryside. He is reluctant to commit to his girlfriend and an older gentlemen who befriends him isn’t what he seems.