Revolution - Volume one: Parabola is less a graphic novel than the graphic equivalent of a book of short stories. They are not, at least that I felt, straightforward narratives though each does move consistently forward.

All that is to say that the book is held together by a feel or a mood more than common characters or locations. In fact, locations seem vague at best and the characters are almost interchangeable as far as distinguishing characteristics are concerned. Yet what this does is allow the reader to understand each vignette in a way that is meaningful to that particular reader. I would guess that what I took from these stories is different from what you will take from them. For me, that is a positive aspect of the book.

This also means that readers who mostly read for a clear narrative arc and a "meaning" that is not ambiguous at all or open to debate will find this less appealing if not outright confusing. One of my first responses when I was reading was one of confusion. Confusion can lead to closing the book or it can lead, as it did for me, to grappling with what it might mean or at least what it might mean to me.

I would recommend this to readers who like atmospheric thought pieces that are less story and more scenario. I also would hesitate to recommend this to readers who want every detail laid out, both narratively and graphically. The narrative is every bit as hazy as the artwork, but they work if one wants meaning but likely less so if one simply wants entertainment and technical expertise.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

This is a very strange little European comic title that, from one part alone is difficult to summarise or review, although to be honest I'm not convinced that reading further episodes will clarify matters greatly, and may even perhaps just add further to the confusion.

The world in Mateusz Skutnik's Revolutions only has a passing resemblance to our own, and its characters only have a passing resemblance to human. Rather than a straightforward linear narrative, the story seems to develop a number of situations that cross one another, each one rapidly taking a turn towards the surreal. It reminds me of David Lynch's approach to stream of consciousness narrative and indeed its figures often look like something out of Eraserhead.

The art style is very distinctive, lovely clean lines and soft colouration that make this pleasant to look at and actually quite enjoyable to read (it's a quick read) as long as you are happy to put up with a little confusion and go with the flow. Whether there's any greater depths to be derived from Revolutions is difficult to determine from Part 1 Parabola alone, but I'd certainly be interested in seeing more work by Skutnik.

I struggled to understand what was going on in this book, though that was probably cultural more than any real failing of the book. Not a book to pick for some quick entertainment.

If Picasso drew a comic book, it might look something like Revolutions. The characters, who evidently live on a world that is similar to Earth, and in fact refer to it as Earth, look sort of human, if humans had really skinny necks supporting heads that look like mushrooms.

A fellow who is apparently a doctor visits a man with a really large head who is being kept at the top of a tower. Before he expires, the man writes a number of tomes addressing philosophy, psychology, sociology, literature, statistics, and other subjects. He was working on the nature of God when he died. The doctor spirits away the tomes.

The story then shifts to an explorer who chats about a failed expedition with a scientist who is launching the first rocket into near-Earth orbit. The design for the rocket apparently came from one of the aforementioned tomes. The launch, however, doesn’t go so well; the rocket hits the sky and it begins to rain frogs and causes dinosaurs to appear.

Then there’s a war story about a soldier who had to hide her pregnancy and then place her child with a family to avoid having the unauthorized child sold to someone who was authorized to have a child. That doesn’t work out so well for the soldier.

Then there’s an underwater exploration story and some stuff about inventions before we get to a disappearing child in a coffin and the second expedition to the dark continent. And then a construction guy gets a big head.

The original story is in Polish. I don’t think its baffling nature is any fault of the translation. I liked Revolutions despite my inability to understand it. In the same way I can stare at a Picasso for hours, trying to make sense of it, I found the unsettling strangeness to be satisfying. I enjoyed looking at it and wondering about it, and that in itself made it worth my time.

Sometimes I read graphic novels that leave me scratching my head. 'Revolutions: Parabola' with art and story by Mateusz Skutnik was definitely one of those stories.

In a bizarre world filled with ugly characters, a man sits dying in a tower. He is writing furiously. From here, there is a chain of loosely connected stories that definitely run in a kind of parabola. There are scientists and explorers. A poor woman who has lost her child. Construction workers who fall ill.

I liked this very bizarre comic, but I might have enjoyed it more with a bit more definition on the art. It was difficult to discern the backgrounds, and many of the characters kind of looked the same. I like what the author did, though, and I'm glad I got to read it.

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.

Hmmm… I'm all for experimentation, and that if anything is the theme of this book, but it just didn't work for me. Fragments of story get linked up visually and thematically, but are completely incoherent and random, offering a mystical take on steampunk and other variations of human invention and discovery. I didn't appreciate the artwork, either – all the characters looking like fabric puppets losing some of their stuffing. It's not meant to disparage anyone when I say this seemed typically Polish – it has a sort of eastern European, Svankmajer kind of oddness that may well appeal, but failed to grab me whatsoever.

I can honestly state that I had no clue what was happening in this story from cover to cover. I was completely confused the whole way through. However, I will also say that I loved the artwork. I found the textured colors helped to add a gloominess to the pages, and it was very fitting to the story all around.

I have received a much appreciated digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this graphic novel. Great art and story-line. I'll happily recommend this one to my patrons and other librarians.

This is a truly unique and utterly bizarre work.

As a concept art piece this is actually quite nice. It's unusual in aesthetic choices made and everything about it just feels very weird and unsettling.

However, the whole book (read as a translation into English) has a jarring narrative style and just isn't well written enough to make this an enjoyable book.

Good artwork isn't always enough to salvage a poorly told story.

I was really excited to read this graphic novel but as I started reading I found it extremely confusing. I couldn't connect with the plot nor the characters. I loved the artwork but I wish the story was clearer. I don't know if it's just me. And I don't know if it is because of the translation. I'd like to know what it was actually about though! I'm sure I'd find it interesting if I could get an idea about the plot! So for now I cannot say much because I was totally lost! Although kudos to the illustrator.

I had a copy available to me in English.
I found the drawings unique and pleasing on the eye but the characterisation was not distinct enough to tell each one without a name tag. Where colour and props were used it was a little clearer but even after reading it twice I remained confused.
There appear to be separate stories which meld into the next through a linked graphic, although not directly supporting each other, but sharing a lose connection through science, exploration and discovery. The story of the actons taken to secure a child was the most confusing and harsh but I was equally bemused by the roofer who landed on his head and the diver who did not dive.
I therefore found the lack of meaning prevented me from enjoying the story as intended. I am unsure if this is just lost in translation or if I am not getting the thrust of the narrative and interesting artwork. I will be interested to gain more insight from other readers but couldn't really recommend it to be read.

This is different than other graphic novels that i read. It is unique. Illustrations are amazing. It is definitely worth to read.