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The Last Mechanical Monster

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( 103 ratings, 22 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Decades after being imprisoned for threatening his city with an army of giant robots, an elderly scientist reenters society and discovers he needs help navigating life in the 21st century. Experiencing kindness and friendship for the first time, his new relationships challenge his single-minded devotion to vengeance as his plans threaten to spiral out of control. Inspired by the classic 1941 Fleischer Studios Superman cartoon "The Mechanical Monsters," The Last Mechanical Monster explores themes of ambition, creativity, mortality, friendship, and legacy.
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Format: Hardback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for fans of graphic novels and classic comic book adventures, this book suits readers of all ages looking for a character-driven, sentimental story with a nostalgic homage to vintage animation.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

From Brian Fies, the acclaimed graphic novelist of Mom’s Cancer, Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow?, and A Fire Story, comes a classic comic book adventure for all ages. Decades after being imprisoned for threatening his city with an army of giant robots, an elderly scientist reenters society, only to discover he needs help navigating life in the 21st century. Experiencing real kindness and friendship for the first time ever, his new relationships challenge the inventor’s single-minded devotion for vengeance—just as his plans threaten to spiral out of his control.

An homage to the classic Fleischer Studios Superman cartoon "The Mechanical Monsters" from 1941 (one of the most admired and influential animated shorts of all time, inspiring the look of Batman: The Animated Series, Frank Miller’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, and Kingdom Come by Alex Ross), The Last Mechanical Monster is about ambition, creativity, mortality, friendship, and legacy. How do we want to be remembered? And what will we leave behind?

This latest graphic novel from Brian Fies (Mom’s Cancer, Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow?, and A Fire Story) already has a fan base and a considerable history of accomplishment. Initially published online as a webcomic, it was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Digital Comic in both 2014 and 2015. It is also a pivot from Fies’s more serious graphic novels, created at a time when he was between large, demanding projects, and needing to remind himself that comics could and should be fun and provide a joyful escape—something we can all use a little more of these days.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Paul Dini praises the book as a heartfelt story where community, compassion, and forgiveness prevail over weapons and villains. Jon Bogdanove calls it a tender-hearted requiem for a forgotten mad scientist that feels both natural and inevitable. Chip Kidd describes it as a beautifully crafted, loving tribute to one of the greatest animated short films ever made.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781419756122

Publisher: Abrams

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 16 March 2023

Country: United States

Imprint: Abrams ComicArts

Illustration: Full-color illustrations throughout with pull-out paper toy

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 178.0mm

Height: 267.0mm

Weight: 300g

Pages: 192

About the Author

Brian Fies is a writer and cartoonist. His widely acclaimed first graphic novel, Mom’s Cancer, won the Eisner Award for Best Digital Comic in 2005 (the first webcomic to win this award and the inspiration for the category), the 2007 Lulu Blooker Prize for Best Comic, the 2007 Harvey Award for Best New Talent, and the 2007 German Children’s Literature Award. He is also the author of the acclaimed, award-winning graphic novels A Fire Story, which received four starred reviews and a regional Emmy Award for an animated adaptation, and Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow?, winner of the American Astronautical Society’s 2009 Eugene M. Emme Award for Best Young Adult Literature. He lives in Santa Rosa, California.

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  • A Fire Story (Updated and Expanded Edition)
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    Early morning on Monday, October 9, 2017, wildfires burned through Northern California, resulting in 44 fatalities. In addition, 6,200 homes and 8,900 structures were destroyed. Author Brian Fies's firsthand account of this tragic event is an honest, unflinching depiction of his personal experiences, including losing his house and every possession he and his wife had that didn't fit into the...
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  • Whatever Happened World Tomorrow?
    Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow?, the long-awaited follow-up to Mom's Cancer, is a unique graphic novel that tells the story of a young boy and his relationship with his father. Spanning the period from the 1939 New York World's Fair to the last Apollo space mission in 1975, it is told through the eyes of a boy as...
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