Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth (Pantheon Graphic Library) Paperback – April 29, 2003

If ever there was a title in the comics medium that could attract the attention of the literary world, "Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth" would be it. Indeed, this meticulously crafted tale of estranged fathers and sons spanning three generations has already won much acclaim from reviewers and readers alike who, until now, would typically have never even considered picking up a work of graphic literature. Originally running in serial form in the Chicago's weekly publication New City, "Jimmy Corrigan" took Ware seven years to create, though just by reading it you would never be able to tell. The artwork maintains a consistency throughout that suggests a vigorous discipline on Ware's part to create a cohesive and uniform story. Although it's true that Ware started the work as a free-form narrative experiment-never fully aware of where the story was headed from one "episode" to the next-eventually, as the tale began to take shape, he was able to rein in all the loose themes and motifs and successfully weave them together into a unified whole.The story opens depicting the title character, Jimmy Corrigan, as a young child living with his mother and already showing signs of an unhealthily introverted personality. His father is noticeably absent from the picture. A one-night-stand his mother brings home becomes a pivotal figure in the development of Corrigan's inner psyche. Moving forward to the present, Corrigan-now a middle-aged man living out a miserable existence still indelibly attached to his mother-is abruptly contacted one day by a man claiming to be his long-lost father. Soon he finds himself on a plane bound for an awkward reunion with his progenitor, and what subsequently follows is a series of events that can only be described as Chekhovian in terms of emotional depth and scope.Interwoven with this line of action is the tale of another member of the Corrigan clan, raised in an earlier era, with his own set of woeful circumstances also pertaining to his relationship with his father. Parallels both broad and intricate are drawn between the two storylines as Ware delicately shifts between past and the present, between the real and the imagined, between the melancholy and, well, the downright tragic. Shades of autobiography can be detected in the story's theme: Ware himself had never met his father until well into his adulthood, and when he did the results were less than joyous. Although the meeting did not occur until work on "Jimmy Corrigan" was well underway, the absence of a paternal figure throughout most of Ware's own life seems to inform the story in a deeply personal way.One cannot discuss "Jimmy Corrigan" without mentioning its exquisite visual artistry. The book is simply stunning to look at. The story is primarily told through illustration-dialogue is sparse and largely informed by the image rather than vice versa-and is a masterful example of storytelling by way of composition and juxtaposition. Its muted color scheme (heavy on the earth tones, light on the pastels) and minimalist line-drawing artwork serves to convey the bleak, desolate state-of-mind of the title character. It's a case of style becoming substance as the aesthetics of its design are as integral to the story as its fractured narrative. Ware borrows heavily from turn-of-the-century newsprint art styles, which he obviously regards with great veneration. There is much in "Jimmy Corrigan" that demonstrates his penchant for the nostalgic; not only in the artwork but also in its storyline (the 1892 Chicago World's Fair is prominently featured as a backdrop for one of the story arcs). He frequently contrasts the old with the new, suggesting that there is a certain splendor and majesty to be found in the pop-cultural artifacts of yesteryear that has been replaced in modern times by a drab tackiness that pervades our artistic, commercial and architectural landscape.The result of Ware's masterful combination of artwork, design and narrative is nothing short of astonishing. "Jimmy Corrigan" is a masterpiece of graphic literature; a quiet, absorbing tale that evokes the hopelessly sad, the desperately pathetic, and the heartbreakingly beautiful. It is a literary treasure that will hopefully find its way into the hands of those who have ever questioned the potential of the medium, and to those who want to be mesmerized by the talents of a wonderful storyteller.

I was not at all well versed in the "graphic novel" until recently when I read Batman the Dark Knight Returns. I enjoyed it enough to where I decided to seek out all different kinds of comics over the past six months or so.Which brings me up to Jimmy Corrigan...It's gotten plenty of positive press and it was even one of the books that Amazon recommended after I searched for graphic novels through the web site.Since I'm not exactly well to do, I obtained a battered copy from my local public library about two weeks ago. The first time I read it, I had gotten about half-way through and I was a little confused and underwhelmed. But something about the art-work and the characters kept me going until I found myself studying the family tree of Ware's fictional characters for at least half an hour!Next, I did something that I haven't done before. I immediately re-read the entire book; only this time much more S-L-O-W-L-Y.Now I am buying a copy from Amazon. Even though I just read it twice!----------------------------------------------------------------Update to review----------------------------------------------------------------I received my hardcover copy of Jimmy Corrigan from Amazon and I am extremely happy with it. I was planning on purchasing the paperback edition, which was what my library had, but I noticed that the binding of the paperback copy that I had borrowed was falling to pieces. So I reluctantly spent the extra ten dollars on the hardcover edition--which turned out to be a fortuitous decision. First of all, the hardcover edition appears to be slighty larger; and anyone who has read Chris Ware's stuff knows that he loves to use miniscule typeface.(Listen to me. I read Jimmy Corrigan a couple of times and I'm a Chris Ware expert now!) And, even better, the hardcover edition had a fold-out dust-jacket that is worth the extra ten dollars all by itself.Actually, I purchased McSweeny's Quarterly Concern 13 after learning that it is a compilation of Ware's favorite comics; and I was more amazed by the design of the dust jacket and the pretty gold-leafing than I was by the contents of the book!(What did I expect? It's just a "best-of" compilation.) I'm really not someone who believes that the book itself needs to be an objet d'art, but I still can't stop looking at the packaging of these Chris Ware books. The cover of that Mc Sweeny's book makes me wanna buy another copy just so that I can frame the cover. (By the way, the McSweeny's book also contains miniscule typeface.)Printed on rag paper, Jimmy Corrigan is a five-star work. But this is like having a favorite photograph matted and framed to an exact specification.Of course, it's printed in China--which explains the amazing price. (I love Cheap Chinese Labor! Hooray for the underpaid!)I normally would not waste a review talking about the quality of the packaging, but this is not a typical comics presentation. Besides, this is a book that is best explained by handing someone a copy to read. I seriously consider this book a literary milestone. Reading this was like reading Slaughterhouse Five or Of Mice And Men for the first time. (Go ahead and scoff.)

Jimmy Corrigan is a brilliant piece of work.I am not (and never have been) much of an active connoisseur of graphic novels. Only in rare instances have I ever purchased and fully enjoyed such an item. I received "Smartest Kid" as a gift from a friend of mine, which she described as 'a decadent film experience'Indeed this book (which really could pass as a novel) is quite a decadent, nostalgic stroll on a downward spiral into a bottomless pit. The story takes place in Chicago, and Jimmy (our poor protagonist with no self confidence) is chucked into a situation where he is to 'reunite' with his estranged father. Jimmy daydreams, he has flashbacks, and is awkward in every possible situation... and we do too right along with him. Ware's unusual and somewhat confusing style of paneling lends itself to the current journey at hand, which makes for an intense and throught provoking read. This book is a real page turner. How will it end? WHEN will it end? Is there hope for Jimmy, or is he a lost soul?This is not reccomended for the younger crowd. There's a small amount of profanity and sexual subject matter. Many of the situations cater toward the understanding of an adult, and there is definitely a lot to read. But all that said, this is an intellegent book with a lot to offer. It might make a good item to buy for father's day. As my dad told me when I got it for him, "thanks for a thoughtful and rewarding gift."