I strangely enjoy this graphic novel. However, the ending. I just did not really get it. Well, kind of? but unsure?
My point is, this book is actually good. But, It is just not for me.
It does made me feel something. It made me imagine something more about life, but I just wish I understand the ending of the book. Because of that I know that the problem is with me :)

Graphic novel about an antisocial and confused boy who thinks himself immortal.

I think this would be nice to include in the description. I was hoping for something fantastical and amazing and while I think that the comic was beautiful and sad, the misleading description doesn't really do it for me. As someone who struggles with depression and has friends who must deal with delusions, the spin of this book being some fantasy story and it actually just being about a kid in a psych ward is pretty offputting. I think with the right expectations I would have enjoyed this book but as it stands, 3 stars is all I can give.

This was so good. The story was emotional and sad. I didn't expect the ending so that hit me hard. I loved the artworks. That was definitely one of a kind graphic novels for me.

Aldo is a strange little story about a man (Aldo) who struggles to find his place in the world, because he's immortal. It's difficult for him to make friends, and we see a great deal of the sadness and loneliness he feels. The story is a bit quirky, but not nearly so much as the art.

I love the way Pelegrin plays with panels on the pages. By blurring all rules when it comes to panel boundaries, the art is very fluid, and leads you around the page. Although many pages do not follow the usual reading layout (left to right, top to bottom), there is also never any doubt as to where your eyes should travel next. There is a lot of movement on the pages and I was captivated.

Overall, the story left me scratching my head a bit from time to time, but I adored the art. I suspect I'll read this another time or two until some of the pieces make more sense.

4 solid stars for Aldo. I can't wait to see more of Pelegrin's work -- he's very talented!

Thank you to NetGalley and Europe Comics for providing me with a DRC of this book

The story is captivating, sad and although looks and feels like unreal; it felt real. I love the artwork, especially the colours. There is something about it that makes you look in detail.
I love Aldo. He is one of those characters that you like immediately and without questions. And him being an immortal being... Well. This book made me think about a lot of stuff. It also made me realise how influential books can be when it comes to conveying feelings. Will recommend it to graphic novel lovers.

The story itself was not for me, but I loved the art style in this graphic novel. I'll be looking for more from this artist and author.

Nothing is for free. Everything on the face of this Earth comes with a price - even being immortal. The author penned an unusual tale of a 300 year-old man in search of his very existence. Highly Illustrated, this graphic novel follows the exploits of Aldo in search of the meaning of his life, something we've all pondered. The storyline was not overburdened with an abundance of prose. Simple and straight to the point, the main protagonist set out on a merry-go-round escapade of adventure. Not knowing what to expect, he made the best of it.

I extend my gratitude to NetGalley and Europe Comics for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

After finishing this graphic novel I remembered why I chose to do my job and mostly why I didn't work with psychotic clients. This story is so terribly sad....

Dopo aver finito di leggere questa graphic novel, ho ripensato alla mia scelta di non lavorare mai, se possibile, con persone psicotiche. Questa storia é terribilmente triste.

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

I don't think I understood this at all! It was like a waking dream, and I'm afraid it's one I didn't follow at all. The artwork is beautiful. I don't want to bias potential readers so I'll just leave it at that. Not for me.

Better the Second Time Through


We follow Aldo, who believes himself to be immortal, as he comes to grips with his lonely and depressing circumstances. As the tale becomes more "magical" we wonder where we're headed, and know we're missing clues even as we turn the pages. By the end we have a sense of what just happened, but there are gaps and inconsistencies. Pelegrin has, at this point, turned the reader into someone like Aldo himself. So there's nothing left to do except go back immediately to page one and reread the book, this time seeing the clues and hidden suggestions that round out Aldo's life and our understanding of his story.

This is elegant stuff, and it took me in completely. Some of the clues are in the dialogue and some are in the drawings, so you have to pay attention.

I was neutral on the artwork. It's a bit dreamy and vague, which serves the story well enough, but on its own it seemed bland and washed out. Which, of course, may have been the point.

In any event, though, this was thoughtful, attention holding, and rewarding. Fine by me.

(Please note that I had a chance to read a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

So, the story starts as Aldo, immortal guy from 18th Century, is seeing therapist, telling us who he is. Aldo was born in France, describing his childhood and past in funny way. There is a lot of little, simple jokes that made me smile. In the beginning you get a nice sight into his life and what he likes, who he spends time with (Gustav’s adorable) and then, bam! Depression hits you. But not in an annoying way; smoothly and kindly. You feel sorry for him, he’s been alive for 300 years already, his life is nothing special, he tries to explain to you that loneliness he’s been through.. you’ll kind of start to suffer with him. And then comes the end of that story, those last pages you won’t expect; those pages that shows us what the story was really about. Plus that art – beautiful and interesting.

really enjoyed the artwork but the end of the story left me feeling dissatisfied.

I was hoping that there would be a paranormal explanation for Aldo's immortality. The story has a way of heightening expectations but suddenly the reader is given mundane explanations for everything and that was dissappointing. Great artwork though.

Copy provided by Europe Comics via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

I have great please of entering new worlds and perspectives through Europe Comics where there bring stories from different bankgrounds and traditions into my reading scope and awareness.
I loved the artwork here; it reflects the gloomy isolation of our central character Aldo who believes he is immortal but has the social skills of a potted plant.
It remains for me a confusing story with clever reveals but perhaps too over thought. I may have missed the point because you cease to be self-aware after you never age beyond 28. I both liked Aldo and his journey for answers but also resented his limited comprehension and self discovery.
The blurred reality of people passing him by is clever but the emotional side of always losing friends did not connect for me. Clearly materialism would not really cut it or the less complcated relationship between a man and his dog.
A clever idea that did not quite work for me.

I read an English eBook version of this graphic novel from NetGalley. I was very intrigued by the idea of Aldo being immortal and was instantly captivated because the novel starts off with Aldo speaking openly about his immortality with a shrink. However, as soon as Aldo leaves the shrinks office and he sets off to see his friend Oscar, I began to become very confused and that's how I felt through out the rest of the novel. I think the premise is interesting and even though I found parts of the novel confusing, I was still interested. I found the illustrations different from other graphic novels and I liked that. It really gave the novel it's own style. I also really loved the panels when Aldo was descending different floors and the ones of him trying to fall asleep. Very clever and imaginative.

Aldo is a smartly woven comic that takes you through different phases and thoughts of the main protagonist, Aldo, while not letting you actually be in charge of what's happening. Which means there are surprises at almost every turn and while some worked great, some only confused more, but as the pages were turned, it all started making much more sense and the ending breaks your heart. It doesn't give a definitive closure (and that's something I prefer which is why the star is snatched) but the reader can figure out the main cause of the entire ordeal and that makes the overall reading experience a fruitful one.

The story is about a 20-something-year-old guy who considers himself immortal or is immortal--you gotta read to find that out--and goes for a quick session with a psychologist only to walk out of the session. Then the readers are thrown into a rabbit hole of his thoughts, his confusion, his desperation to understand what's happening to him, and he continues to grow to the readers through this tribulation.

The art sits well with the mood and setting of the story with some quick strokes and a dark, moody color palette. The characters are distinctly crafted and there are evident differences between them. There's even a cute dog so that gets extra points, haha. Overall, a really good comic and certainly recommended by me.