Response to Asterios Polyp

I went into Asterios Polyp blind and found myself intrigued (and a bit confused) at the story. The art and style choices were very interesting, and it took me another read to understand the content of the comic more. Not that that’s a bad thing, I love rereading content and finding things that I didn’t notice at first or learning how to understand aspects of the story that I previously didn’t grasp. It was a very philosophical comic that, was obviously not for younger audiences. It seemed to prove that comics were for everyone and that it was a form of art and storytelling that should be taken seriously by older readers. I found it interesting that the narrator of the story was actually not Asterios himself, but his twin who never had a chance at life. I don’t know if philosophical is the right word for it, but it was a very fascinating take on who to have narrate a story.

A particular aspect of the Asterios Polyp that I still find striking is how many of the individuals had their own art style. It was very rare that one character would be done in the style of another. It showed that they were all individuals with their own stories and styles, and I thought it was an interesting and effective way to show differences. When Asterios meets Hana, they both have clearly distinct styles. However, once they first meet and begin a conversation and connect, the styles begin to merge. I liked how it showed how they were connecting to each other and becoming a part of the other’s story. ;it was a nice visual way to show people bonding.