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Casanova (Collected Editions)
Casanova: Acedia, Vol. 1
Casanova Quinn, interdimensional superspy and assassin, has crashlanded here on Earth - on OUR Earth - with absolutely no memory of who he is or the things he's done. He works for a man with just as mysterious a past as his own and has found the New Normal of his life under the name "Quentin Cassaday." That's when the end of the world begins. With nine days to a supposed apocalypse, Los Angeles simmers in fear as a weird cult readies itself for what comes next... and what comes next runs straight through Casanova Quinn.
By Eisner-award winning writer Matt Fraction (Sex Criminals, ODY-C) with art by international superstar Fábio Moon (Two Brothers, Daytripper), this volume also features exclusive back-up stories written by Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Michael Chabon and drawn by Casanova co-creator Gabriel Bá (The Umbrella Academy) that tells the story of the women tasked with hunting Casanova Quinn down across space and time.
Collecting: Casanova: Acedia 1-4
By Eisner-award winning writer Matt Fraction (Sex Criminals, ODY-C) with art by international superstar Fábio Moon (Two Brothers, Daytripper), this volume also features exclusive back-up stories written by Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Michael Chabon and drawn by Casanova co-creator Gabriel Bá (The Umbrella Academy) that tells the story of the women tasked with hunting Casanova Quinn down across space and time.
Collecting: Casanova: Acedia 1-4
136 pages, Paperback
First published October 28, 2015
About the author
Matt Fraction
1,157 books1,803 followers"How he got started in comics: In 1983, when Fraction was 7 years old and growing up in Kansas City, Mo., he became fascinated by the U.S. invasion of Grenada and created his own newspaper to explain the event. "I've always been story-driven, telling stories with pictures and words," he said.
Education and first job: Fraction never graduated from college. He stopped half a semester short of an art degree at Kansas City Art Institute in Missouri in 1998 to take a job as a Web designer and managing editor of a magazine about Internet culture.
"My mother was not happy about that," he said.
But that gig led Fraction and his co-workers to split off and launch MK12, a boutique graphic design and production firm in Kansas City that created the opening credits for the James Bond film "Quantum of Solace."
Big break: While writing and directing live-action shoots at MK12, Fraction spent his spare time writing comics and pitching his books each year to publishers at Comic-Con. Two books sold: "The Last of the Independents," published in 2003 by AiT/Planet Lar, and "Casanova," published in 2006 by Image Comics.
Fraction traveled extensively on commercial shoots. Then his wife got pregnant. So Fraction did what any rational man in his position would do -- he quit his job at MK12 to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time comic book writer.
Say what? "It was terrifying," said Fraction, who now lives in Portland, Ore. "I was married. We had a house. We had a baby coming. And I just quit my job."
Marvel hired Fraction in June 2006, thanks largely to the success of his other two comics. "I got very lucky," he half-joked. "If it hadn't worked out, I would have had to move back in with my parents.
- 2009. Alex Pham. Los Angeles Times.
Education and first job: Fraction never graduated from college. He stopped half a semester short of an art degree at Kansas City Art Institute in Missouri in 1998 to take a job as a Web designer and managing editor of a magazine about Internet culture.
"My mother was not happy about that," he said.
But that gig led Fraction and his co-workers to split off and launch MK12, a boutique graphic design and production firm in Kansas City that created the opening credits for the James Bond film "Quantum of Solace."
Big break: While writing and directing live-action shoots at MK12, Fraction spent his spare time writing comics and pitching his books each year to publishers at Comic-Con. Two books sold: "The Last of the Independents," published in 2003 by AiT/Planet Lar, and "Casanova," published in 2006 by Image Comics.
Fraction traveled extensively on commercial shoots. Then his wife got pregnant. So Fraction did what any rational man in his position would do -- he quit his job at MK12 to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time comic book writer.
Say what? "It was terrifying," said Fraction, who now lives in Portland, Ore. "I was married. We had a house. We had a baby coming. And I just quit my job."
Marvel hired Fraction in June 2006, thanks largely to the success of his other two comics. "I got very lucky," he half-joked. "If it hadn't worked out, I would have had to move back in with my parents.
- 2009. Alex Pham. Los Angeles Times.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
March 29, 2016
Bullet Review:
Apparently volume 1 is not the beginning. Trippy.
Does anyone have a clue what happened? I mean, I was actually following the Mick Jagger/Steve Tyler clone amnesia story well and then POOF. We are dealing with a chick rock band (?) and "Metanauts" (?) and I just totally got lost.
I thought I liked Fraction with his Hawkeye series, but now I'm not so sure.
Apparently volume 1 is not the beginning. Trippy.
Does anyone have a clue what happened? I mean, I was actually following the Mick Jagger/Steve Tyler clone amnesia story well and then POOF. We are dealing with a chick rock band (?) and "Metanauts" (?) and I just totally got lost.
I thought I liked Fraction with his Hawkeye series, but now I'm not so sure.
March 24, 2016
'Casanova: Acedia Vol. 1' by Matt Fraction with a backup story by Michael Chabon and art by Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba is a gorgeous looking graphic novel. I was a bit lost for a good part of it, and I didn't realize that this character has been around before.
Quentin Cassaday (aka Casanova Quinn) wakes up with no memory of who he seems to be. He works for an interesting guy, and has a cool chauffers hat. That's about all he knows. He soon finds out that someone is trying to kill him, and that strange occult symbols are showing up everywhere. This leads Quentin to a street magician who may know about what is going on. Things go from weird to weirder.
The backup feature 'The Metanauts' fits in, but the whole thing left me a bit off-balance. This is probably because I haven't read the first two volumes in the series. The proposed series will have volumes named after the seven deadly sins. Acedia is Latin for sloth. Perhaps if I'd looked that up before reading it, the story might have made a bit more sense. Nonetheless, there is something good happening here, including some knockout art. Just do yourself a favor and start from the beginning.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, Image Comics, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Quentin Cassaday (aka Casanova Quinn) wakes up with no memory of who he seems to be. He works for an interesting guy, and has a cool chauffers hat. That's about all he knows. He soon finds out that someone is trying to kill him, and that strange occult symbols are showing up everywhere. This leads Quentin to a street magician who may know about what is going on. Things go from weird to weirder.
The backup feature 'The Metanauts' fits in, but the whole thing left me a bit off-balance. This is probably because I haven't read the first two volumes in the series. The proposed series will have volumes named after the seven deadly sins. Acedia is Latin for sloth. Perhaps if I'd looked that up before reading it, the story might have made a bit more sense. Nonetheless, there is something good happening here, including some knockout art. Just do yourself a favor and start from the beginning.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, Image Comics, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
September 29, 2015
Ahhhhhh Casanova. You were my first indie comic, so you will always have a special place in my heart.
This time he's back and back home at Image!
And like classic Casanova, is still doesn't always make sense (the last issue is flashback throughout and doesn't tie up plot threads?). But at this point, we know it's intentional on Fractions part. And even when the story doesn't make much sense, it still looks so goddamn good.
This time he's back and back home at Image!
And like classic Casanova, is still doesn't always make sense (the last issue is flashback throughout and doesn't tie up plot threads?). But at this point, we know it's intentional on Fractions part. And even when the story doesn't make much sense, it still looks so goddamn good.
October 2, 2016
Fittingly for a metafictional sci-spy, experimental headtrip comic, this is actually the 4th volume in this series since its beginnings at Image as Matt Fraction & Gabriel Ba's first major comics work. Several of the other reviewers seem to be completely lost and scratching their heads, which puts you in the perfect headspace to identify with superspy Casanova Quinn-who in this volume finds himself crash-landed in what appears to be a take on our reality. This series explores multiple timelines, with reality always on the brink of reset and remix. I would have grouped the "Metanauts" stories, which were back-up stories written by Michael Chabon in the singles, separately in the book but they are a welcome bonus.
It may be helpful for newbies to imagine that this is where Matt Fraction plays with the idea of an investigation of the psychology of a fictional action character after being subjected to constant reboots and relauches. If James Bond was one character, how would be feel after countless incarnations as a parade of different actors after a initial life in serial novels? What would the inside of Batman's head look like after a life of constant crisis and seemingly endless re-imaginings, reinventions and reincarnations in the wake of annual reality-shaking events? Maybe reality for a character like that may be something like this.
Any readers who are totally confused by Casanova: Acedia but curious enough to dig further are highly encouraged to cycle back through the first three volumes (now available from Image in gorgeous hardcovers) with this in mind. Just don't expect any hard answers; that is simply not the point. Because it is madness to expect a single, straight narrative story from this series. And if that is not enough, the amazing art is alternately handled by twin Brazilian artists Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon- which gives the series a progressive similar-yet-constantly-shifting aesthetic. With each successive arc I have to revise which of them is my favorite artist on the series, and of course they both are.
This series remains one of my favorites because it is never safe, and constantly blows my mind, along with the minds of the amnesiac recurring characters. Take the trip.
Recommended soundtrack: The Black Angels- Phosphene Dream
It may be helpful for newbies to imagine that this is where Matt Fraction plays with the idea of an investigation of the psychology of a fictional action character after being subjected to constant reboots and relauches. If James Bond was one character, how would be feel after countless incarnations as a parade of different actors after a initial life in serial novels? What would the inside of Batman's head look like after a life of constant crisis and seemingly endless re-imaginings, reinventions and reincarnations in the wake of annual reality-shaking events? Maybe reality for a character like that may be something like this.
Any readers who are totally confused by Casanova: Acedia but curious enough to dig further are highly encouraged to cycle back through the first three volumes (now available from Image in gorgeous hardcovers) with this in mind. Just don't expect any hard answers; that is simply not the point. Because it is madness to expect a single, straight narrative story from this series. And if that is not enough, the amazing art is alternately handled by twin Brazilian artists Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon- which gives the series a progressive similar-yet-constantly-shifting aesthetic. With each successive arc I have to revise which of them is my favorite artist on the series, and of course they both are.
This series remains one of my favorites because it is never safe, and constantly blows my mind, along with the minds of the amnesiac recurring characters. Take the trip.
Recommended soundtrack: The Black Angels- Phosphene Dream
March 19, 2018
One of the most unpredictable, gripping and just flat-out cool comic books there is. Highly recommended for anyone who's tired of genre fiction and thinks they can see all the twists coming. I deducted one star only because the other volumes of the series were even better.
January 9, 2016
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
A quick and not unpleasant read, although a lot of the time I didn't understand what was going on. This might of course be due to the fact I haven't read anything else in the series, and partly the confusion will be intentional but I think they may have taken it a bit too far.
Casanova has no memories of what his life before was. Others certainly do because he gets attacked a lot. He works for a man who has also lost his memory. Therefore, lots of confusion. This coincides with the End of the World.
I'm still not sure what to think about the series. The art wasn't really special and the Metanauts part were just weird...
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
A quick and not unpleasant read, although a lot of the time I didn't understand what was going on. This might of course be due to the fact I haven't read anything else in the series, and partly the confusion will be intentional but I think they may have taken it a bit too far.
Casanova has no memories of what his life before was. Others certainly do because he gets attacked a lot. He works for a man who has also lost his memory. Therefore, lots of confusion. This coincides with the End of the World.
I'm still not sure what to think about the series. The art wasn't really special and the Metanauts part were just weird...
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
November 28, 2022
This was okay.
The writing was good. The art was great. Full of wacky ideas and fun weirdness. But really just made me want to reread The Umbrella Academy
The writing was good. The art was great. Full of wacky ideas and fun weirdness. But really just made me want to reread The Umbrella Academy
December 30, 2015
Public library copy.
I definitely support this title via trade paperback, but I haven't been to my comic shop since FCBD in May so I've yet to buy this $10 book. I loved the first book with its black and white and green tones, but everything afterward has been difficult to follow, not that I blame the new digital coloring. The complicated or unusual story certainly enhances re-reading value. This volume follows suit.
I definitely support this title via trade paperback, but I haven't been to my comic shop since FCBD in May so I've yet to buy this $10 book. I loved the first book with its black and white and green tones, but everything afterward has been difficult to follow, not that I blame the new digital coloring. The complicated or unusual story certainly enhances re-reading value. This volume follows suit.
August 28, 2016
I don't really know what was going on, but the art sure looks awesome while I am being confused.
Will probably follow up on this title because I want it to make sense.
Will probably follow up on this title because I want it to make sense.
September 16, 2017
I need to figure out what I'm reading before I just pick up a comic book.
Yes, you can read this book without reading Casanova volumes I-II.
However, I'm quite sure it'd make it a heck of a lot simpler.
Writing is quick, fast passed. Humor is dry; like my wine, the way I prefer. However, this humor feels forced at times.
Perfectly aesthetic art suited entirely to the story. Couldn't imagine anyone others! Sharp, soft, blurred, and appropriately and garishly, at times, colored! Brilliant!
Not having read the other collections, perhaps there were loose ends remaining or just a great story refusing to die, I felt at places lost.
My opinion-plot and character development needs to unravel a little more quickly for a series that has already left its mark.
Overall, I would recommend to those who enjoy good mysteries, the bizarre, and scientific string theory- although I've never heard the latter mentioned. ;)
Oh, and to those who love a good apocalypse!
The world ending?
When is it not?
Yes, you can read this book without reading Casanova volumes I-II.
However, I'm quite sure it'd make it a heck of a lot simpler.
Writing is quick, fast passed. Humor is dry; like my wine, the way I prefer. However, this humor feels forced at times.
Perfectly aesthetic art suited entirely to the story. Couldn't imagine anyone others! Sharp, soft, blurred, and appropriately and garishly, at times, colored! Brilliant!
Not having read the other collections, perhaps there were loose ends remaining or just a great story refusing to die, I felt at places lost.
My opinion-plot and character development needs to unravel a little more quickly for a series that has already left its mark.
Overall, I would recommend to those who enjoy good mysteries, the bizarre, and scientific string theory- although I've never heard the latter mentioned. ;)
Oh, and to those who love a good apocalypse!
The world ending?
When is it not?
November 20, 2018
A misstep in the Casanova series.
Casanova was one my first indie comics (I got into comics via Mage and the Metabarons, read some Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman and then found myself buying into Mark Millar's Civil War, Casanova was one of the books to real me out of Grand Corporate Narratives).
This has always been a passion project for Matt Fraction, and each volume is an attempt to reinvent itself. Acedia is an "interlude" volume between two sets of trilogies from my understanding. While other volumes have been 4-issues each, this one is either 8 or 16 (unsure). This one has the least continuity, and as such it's the slowest. It doens't mean its good, but its perhaps too different so far. This is more of a slow-burn apocalypse rather than the fast/frenetic-ism of last years.
It's been well over a year since the last issue with no world yet on what's going on (I'm not sure if the break is do to Fraction's TV work, Gabriel Ba on Umbrella Academy or combination of the two).
Casanova was one my first indie comics (I got into comics via Mage and the Metabarons, read some Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman and then found myself buying into Mark Millar's Civil War, Casanova was one of the books to real me out of Grand Corporate Narratives).
This has always been a passion project for Matt Fraction, and each volume is an attempt to reinvent itself. Acedia is an "interlude" volume between two sets of trilogies from my understanding. While other volumes have been 4-issues each, this one is either 8 or 16 (unsure). This one has the least continuity, and as such it's the slowest. It doens't mean its good, but its perhaps too different so far. This is more of a slow-burn apocalypse rather than the fast/frenetic-ism of last years.
It's been well over a year since the last issue with no world yet on what's going on (I'm not sure if the break is do to Fraction's TV work, Gabriel Ba on Umbrella Academy or combination of the two).
August 7, 2021
The Casanova books are trippy by default - we established this in the first Casanova series. But this follow-up series really goes off the deep end because we start with Casanova not remembering anything about, well, everything. That's quite a way to start things. And to have him playing loyal lieutenant to another man without full memories of who he used to be before - you know something is up.
I don't go into further detail in order to avoid potential spoilers, but the first issue alone got me crazily excited for where this was going to go. Casanova still behaved like Casanova - he just didn't have the burden of his actual identity and memories. And yet circumstances come along that just prove time and time again that you can't change fundamental things about our "hero".
How he'll manage to navigate out of the increasingly complex situation forming around him is very much in classic Cassanova form and Fraction has set us up for another crazy adventure.
I don't go into further detail in order to avoid potential spoilers, but the first issue alone got me crazily excited for where this was going to go. Casanova still behaved like Casanova - he just didn't have the burden of his actual identity and memories. And yet circumstances come along that just prove time and time again that you can't change fundamental things about our "hero".
How he'll manage to navigate out of the increasingly complex situation forming around him is very much in classic Cassanova form and Fraction has set us up for another crazy adventure.
March 1, 2022
I can't say with certainty I'm ever totally sure what's happening in this comic, but I can say with total confidence I'm always having a grand time. It's so damn elastic and giddy to be as all over the place as it is, and it does so in a way that feels like it's just out of reach of being the fun snack it is at its wildcard beating heart aglow. It's a hop, skip, and multiple timelines away from the original run, and I'm just catching my breath in an attempt to catch up, even at a stand still. But, goddamn, it's fun.
July 9, 2018
Art: 10/5. My favorite artists work together around my favorite palette, WHAT MORE COULD I EVER ASK FOR.
Writing: 4/5. Casanova defies traditional comics, in that it doesn't stay the same. In the fourth installment, it's the biggest shake-up yet, and it extends from the top, in that they've added Chabon to the creative team, and all the way through the bottom, including a connected side-story as part of the tale.
Writing: 4/5. Casanova defies traditional comics, in that it doesn't stay the same. In the fourth installment, it's the biggest shake-up yet, and it extends from the top, in that they've added Chabon to the creative team, and all the way through the bottom, including a connected side-story as part of the tale.
June 4, 2020
I didn’t really have a firm grasp of where this was coming out in this series so I’m still wondering if I’m deservedly confused or not. Writing is solid and the characters felt comprehensible even if this is the fourth book in the series. Might come around to this later, but It was strange seeing Ba’s artwork stacked against his brother’s when Ba’s feels so much more refined?
June 22, 2017
I love Ba and Moons artwork and would read anything they illustrated. The story's alright, but apparently actually part like 4 of a larger arc, so I'll try and grab the first 3 volumes and see if that helps. Umbrella Academy is still my fav.
February 15, 2022
About as incomprehensible as all the other Casanova books but it has much better pacing than the other ones. It's like if they made a Venture Bros version of the Bond universe and enlisted it in MK Ultra
March 18, 2018
Just as weird and confusing as previous arcs of Casanova. I loved it.
March 2, 2021
I liked the quirky things on the outskirts of this book than I did the characters. I still might give the next volume a read to see if those get better and the overly masculine overtones calm down.
Read
October 31, 2021Lol so I read this thinking it was the first volume of the series. It very much wasn't and I was so damn lost the entire time. Cool artwork though.
September 21, 2016
This was involved storytelling consistent comic book page and panel work though the coloringlacked in some respects in my opinion very good panel to panel page to page
Casanova Acedia vol 1 is a dark spy esque thriller about a hotshot handservant to an old man and is more geared toward the burgiouse on the outset and starts with a play boy handservent to an old man with subculture wit to "Gatsby esque"lifestyle who has to piece together his wards past with a quasi burgiouse spythriller motiftold with occult overtones and lighthearted doesnt take itself too seriously with an outside perspective on the story that affects the overall storyline from a darkly humored subplot
there are implied flashbacks back page issues and also old hatchet unburied and characters treated as loose ends though thoughtfully involved and a group of get rich quicks attempting to come up with stale commercial replacements for some characters and as I've seen in other comic books and stories lately also there is a go after the original character in all eras motive protagonistically
I like the successive story issues in this vol though the subplot was interesting I wasn't as big of a fan though does work for the comic book series and works in some respects and adds a good feel to it
artwork wasn't bad fluent there was a bit of focus on older pop references being overplayed a hint at the generational oppression relevant today
I liked the use of occult overtones some experimental use symbols though I wouldn't say this is an influence on my work kindve a different school of thought
I liked the reference to character longevity though just a quick meaningful allusion
it's good to see new work out of Image Comics though I am still a fan of some of the mainstays that Image Comics in particular has put out
theres a fresh perspective on a lot of their newer publications
Casanova Acedia vol 1 is a dark spy esque thriller about a hotshot handservant to an old man and is more geared toward the burgiouse on the outset and starts with a play boy handservent to an old man with subculture wit to "Gatsby esque"lifestyle who has to piece together his wards past with a quasi burgiouse spythriller motiftold with occult overtones and lighthearted doesnt take itself too seriously with an outside perspective on the story that affects the overall storyline from a darkly humored subplot
there are implied flashbacks back page issues and also old hatchet unburied and characters treated as loose ends though thoughtfully involved and a group of get rich quicks attempting to come up with stale commercial replacements for some characters and as I've seen in other comic books and stories lately also there is a go after the original character in all eras motive protagonistically
I like the successive story issues in this vol though the subplot was interesting I wasn't as big of a fan though does work for the comic book series and works in some respects and adds a good feel to it
artwork wasn't bad fluent there was a bit of focus on older pop references being overplayed a hint at the generational oppression relevant today
I liked the use of occult overtones some experimental use symbols though I wouldn't say this is an influence on my work kindve a different school of thought
I liked the reference to character longevity though just a quick meaningful allusion
it's good to see new work out of Image Comics though I am still a fan of some of the mainstays that Image Comics in particular has put out
theres a fresh perspective on a lot of their newer publications
November 18, 2015
I had high hopes for this, since the makers are amazing - Matt Fraction, Fábio Moon, Gabriel Bá and Michael Chabon. Even the story line sounded so interesting with it's dangerous men not remembering their past or how they became the way they are. The possibilites are endless. Casanova Quinn's search for their forgotten pasts is surely the best part of the comic, but sadly so everything else is a mess. The Metanauts thing was unclear and not so well paced with Quinn's journey. The rhythm is off and the transitions are all over the place. Clearer lines for the stories would help a lot, especially when hardly anything is explained - which is inevitably the reason why this seems so scattered. What are Casanova Quinns and why everyone wants them dead? What does the band have anything to do with this? Too many questions left unanswered. The characters don't really have a persona and we learn nothing about them. There are too many characters too, as in you are bound to get confused.
The art is interesting and the colors are dark and tempting. I do like the style as it's somewhat noir-like and the amount of black is wonderfully intimidating. This is not the best art Bá and Moon can do, but looks still great. There's some Eisner's Spirit in the art. Since art-wise this works, it's a shame that the structure lacks and the characters are bland. With better pacing and livilier characters this could have been so good. The potential is there, even if this doesn't meet it.
The art is interesting and the colors are dark and tempting. I do like the style as it's somewhat noir-like and the amount of black is wonderfully intimidating. This is not the best art Bá and Moon can do, but looks still great. There's some Eisner's Spirit in the art. Since art-wise this works, it's a shame that the structure lacks and the characters are bland. With better pacing and livilier characters this could have been so good. The potential is there, even if this doesn't meet it.
April 11, 2016
You know what would have been helpful? Had this book mentioned that it was the 4th installment of a series, rather than a volume one. Honestly, I had no idea what was going on. The characters and the world were obtuse, and though I have a high tolerance for "going along with the ride" in spec fiction, I didn't like the storytelling (or lack thereof) that I was getting, so the book failed for me.
I love graphic novels, but I find even some of the best, most well-regarded authors have a trouble with pacing. Casanova Acedia flips between several different perspectives/time periods/universes, but instead of keeping the reader on their toes, very few of these switches feels like you're getting an actual story, or even a worth while set of emotions. In the end, I have no idea what the central plot of the book actually is, any emotional connection to the characters, and certainly no desire to try and catch up and carry on with the series. Casanova: Acedia is just a mess, and I suspect I will not be the only reader that they lose given the strange choice to label this as a volume one.
I love graphic novels, but I find even some of the best, most well-regarded authors have a trouble with pacing. Casanova Acedia flips between several different perspectives/time periods/universes, but instead of keeping the reader on their toes, very few of these switches feels like you're getting an actual story, or even a worth while set of emotions. In the end, I have no idea what the central plot of the book actually is, any emotional connection to the characters, and certainly no desire to try and catch up and carry on with the series. Casanova: Acedia is just a mess, and I suspect I will not be the only reader that they lose given the strange choice to label this as a volume one.
January 6, 2016
Proof that sometimes the big names – and I mean big, in this instance – can fail, and amount to somewhat less than a hill of beans. Ignoring the Metanauts bits, which are just crap, what we have here is a story of an aging man (gangster? criminal? businessman?) with no identity, and his fixer, likewise suffering from amnesia where his entire past is concerned. The old man says they should swap jobs and research each other, but other people in the shadows already know a lot more than these two suspect… You'd think that, plus demonic possession and the end of the world, plus vivid reduced-palette artwork plus *those* names would make this a genius piece of work, but they don't, and it isn't. Certainly at this stage, where the creators' cards are too close to their collective chests, it's too early to get a grip on things, work out quite what we're dealing with, and more importantly, care. I probably would come back on board for more, but at this stage I can easily say I've never seen any of the creators here being this mediocre before.
December 7, 2015
Realizing that this was the fourth Casanova book (and I haven't read the first three), I figured that there might be some background and details that I'd be missing. However, I was expecting a coherent story. Nothing in this volume really makes sense. Looking through the other reviews on Goodreads, I was pleased to see that pretty much no one else understood it either, so it wasn't just me (or lack of familiarity with the series). I gotta say I wasn't impressed by the art, either; the angular, distorted, cartoony style just doesn't do it for me. (And the back-up stories, written by Michael Chabon, were no clearer.) Quite a disappointment. I received a copy from Goodreads First Reads giveaway program.
September 3, 2015
This is the first Casanova arc I've read issue by issue as they came out, and it definitely requires re-reading. That said, out of four volumes currently out, I liked this one the most. No, I still don't understand what the hell is going on, but the mood and the pure raw emotion of this story is like nothing Fraction has done in this series before. It's like when Sex Criminals became a story about mental illness rather than a sexy criminal comedy. He's doing the same with Casanova in Acedia. And this tone suits the book much more, I think.
And, of course, the art by Moon and Bà. The twins outdone themselves this time. Every page is a treat to look at and absolutely gorgeous.
And, of course, the art by Moon and Bà. The twins outdone themselves this time. Every page is a treat to look at and absolutely gorgeous.
May 21, 2017
A tale of two amnesiacs
Quentin Cassaday aka Casanova Quinn Works for Amiel Boutique, another man whose has lost the memory of his past. Strange “people” called Fabula have the answers as does Sasa Lisi who may be Amiel’s daughter.
There seems to be a large amount of organisations with acronyms: N.E.T.W.O.R.K, E.M.P.I.R.E., A.C.A.D.E.M.Y., etc.., the majority of which appear in the comic-within-a-comic, the Metanauts.
Quite confusing in places (especially with unexplained flashbacks), it is quite engaging; some sex and violence. I prefer my comics more straight-forward
Quentin Cassaday aka Casanova Quinn Works for Amiel Boutique, another man whose has lost the memory of his past. Strange “people” called Fabula have the answers as does Sasa Lisi who may be Amiel’s daughter.
There seems to be a large amount of organisations with acronyms: N.E.T.W.O.R.K, E.M.P.I.R.E., A.C.A.D.E.M.Y., etc.., the majority of which appear in the comic-within-a-comic, the Metanauts.
Quite confusing in places (especially with unexplained flashbacks), it is quite engaging; some sex and violence. I prefer my comics more straight-forward
December 7, 2015
Take two men who do not remember their past, shake, toss in a detective story, a bit of occult happening, a very strange killer meta-dimensional band, and flashbacks galore, and you have Casanova: Acedia (Volume 1). Do try to keep your head straight as you read this twisting tale and remember to enjoy.
September 22, 2016
I got this book as a gift and had never previously read any Casanova, and now I really want to read all the rest of the original run. Super cool.
In my ignorance, I thought that this was co-written by Fraction and Chabon, which sounded really awesome, but actually Chabon just wrote much less good comics that go in between all of Fraction's, which is too bad. Good book overall though.
In my ignorance, I thought that this was co-written by Fraction and Chabon, which sounded really awesome, but actually Chabon just wrote much less good comics that go in between all of Fraction's, which is too bad. Good book overall though.
January 13, 2017
this volume of collected tales does not make sense. knowing now it is number four of a book series just makes it more confusing. this work is a bit of a messy mix. combine James Bond, hellboy, a box of crayons and a little awkward humor and you'll have a summary of this storyline. the best part was the dune reference.
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