Unfortunately this book was archived before I had a chance to read it. I would really like to read this story one day. It looks cute!

A fun graphic novel about a species of crab called the Square Crab, who can only move in one straight line. But...what if they could move in a different direction?

An offfbeat story of the Marble Crab. A crab that can only walk back and forth in a straight line. The art has this quirky 60's animation vibe. Takes a long time before you can see an actual story start to emerge from the book.

This is a fun graphic novel with a message. The story centers on three square crabs who have always believed that nature designed them so they could travel in a straight path. Since they only travel in one direction they may never meet another crab like them. All that changes when they discover that they can carry each other and change their path. A whole new world is open to them. There are some humans in this story too. Film makers making a documentary about the only species not to evolve. Greenpeace activists trying to stop a pipeline. And beach goers who never seem to notice the small crabs. There are also brown crabs who bully them. Alone they cannot fight against dangers but together they can overcome anything. The artwork is good. The illustrator does a good job with the personalities of the crabs. The moral of the story sweet and simple but important. Enjoy

The adorable adventures of a species of crab that can only travel in straight lines.
The writing is sweet and the colours are bright and pop.
Highly recommended.

…Or as close to 5 stars as makes no difference. Having seen some right dross from this publishing house, this was a wonderful surprise – a tale full of whimsy but strong metaphor as well, as a crab species endemic to but one river estuary that can only walk side to side, never turning, faces the open world of evolution. The artwork style and colouring may not be to everyone's tastes, and perhaps it could lose a repetition or two here and there, but there's wit in the conversation of the crabs, drama in the human goings-on, and a heck of a lot to enjoy. Roll on the rest of this trilogy, and plus vite, STP!

March Of The Crabs (vol 1) by Arthur De Pins is undoubtedly one of the most unique graphic novels that I have ever read. It took me completely by surprise by being nothing like I expected. The illustrations are fun and cheerful, even in somber moments, with each page being a study in both shape and color.

If you're even mildly considering reading March Of The Crabs, just do it. It is truly delightful and does not disappoint.

Art: 10/10
Story: 8/10
Rounding up to 5 stars because the GR rating system is terribly flawed and this deserves a 5 far more than a 4.

The sad life of the marbled crab, unable to turn and thus condemned to spend its whole life going up and down the same line...it may not be biologically accurate, but as a metaphor it's gold. De Pins (and what a great name for someone dealing with crabs) has a style which reminds me of those weird late Tom & Jerry cartoons where they lived with the young couple, but it works for this.

I was looking for a fun, cute little story about crabs. This was just...not my cup of tea.

<p>I read this comic, then promptly forgot that I read it, which is odd since it's actually a kinda cute book about cute little crabs who can only move in a straight line.
Then two crabs intersect at a perpendicular angle and the world is their oyster (hee hee sea pun!), and if not the world, than their little French estuary. The drawings have that French mod/new-wave feel and I did enjoy reading it, but then again, I keep forgetting that I did, which must mean something, if I could only figure out what.</p>

<p><A href="https://www.librarything.com/work/10785055/book/140486754">March of the Crabs Volume 1</a> by Arthur de Pins went on sale March 31, 2015.</p>

<p><small>I received a copy free from <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/">Netgalley</a> in exchange for an honest review.</small></p>

This is just so cute! The crabs are adorable and have unique little personalities and it;s funny and touching! Good translation too!

While I am extremely tired at this juncture I will say this: this book is incredibly cute. It talks about the fear of change when walking life's path, but wants you to look at it like at an adventure.

Beautiful illustrations make this well worth reading, with both lighthearted, comic characters and a feeling of both light and dimension to the visual design. Reading this makes me want to watch the film short it's based on, 'La Révolution des Crabes.' The story and characters (with moderately mature content) are neither earth-shakingly profound nor scientifically revealing, but offer an entertaining enough diversion.

Loved the humor!
... but when a crab starts falling in love with a human woman (à la Bee Movie), I'm out.

Really good fun with good artwork.

This graphic novel is both educational and amusing. It is a story about the crab, Cancer Simplicimus Vulgaris, otherwise known as the square crab.

Unlike other kinds of crab this one can only crawl in a straight line. They cannot change direction and as a result suffer all kinds of indignities and bullying from other crabs, human beings and fate in general. And they seem unable to change this until three crabs decide that enough is enough and that they are going to rebel against the confines of the straight and narrow path, and do something very different.

As they initiate this monumental plan of rebellion, other things are happening that influence their destiny. Greenpeace are staging a blockade which goes horribly wrong, two cameramen decide that the crabs would be an excellent documentary subject and the crabs themselves suddenly realise that working together can help them achieve their freedom and this graphic novel shows us what happens to the evolution of Cancer Simplicimus Vulgaris when the pieces to the puzzle fall into place.

This is the first highly entertaining volume of the three part series. The art is good, the dialogue is just the right amount of text for a graphic novel and the pace of the story is just right. It feels as if it should be set to music!

I definitely want to read the next two.

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

Sadly i this book was not for me for multiple reasons, and the only review i would be able to give it would be a negative one that i do not believe this book deserves since most if not all the "problems" i have with this book are personal to me and my reading tastes. Because of that, i prefer to not review this book.
Thank you for the opportunity.

The Crabby Condition (March of the Crabs Vol. 1) by Arthur de Pins is a beautiful graphic novel about change, friendship and the will to change. The artwork is beautiful. I really loved the artist's style and how it worked with the story. I loved how the writer wove the story of the crabs in with the stories of the humans around them on the beach and on the sea. I wasn't sure what to expect when I first picked up this book, but look forward to reading the sequel.


I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

At first I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy this comic book. The art is not the usual style I enjoy and existential crabs seemed like it may not be an interesting read for me. I was, however, pleasantly surprised. The tone was humorous and sarcastic, which I enjoy and the story was actually pretty interesting. It was enough for me to want to read the next one.

'March of the Crabs (The Crabby Condition)' by Arthur de Pins is a graphic novel based on an animated feature by the same author. It's an odd tale and I enjoyed it.

The story centers around the square crab, who can only walk in a straight line. There lives can cross another crabs as long as that crab is moving in a line that crosses theirs. If they are lucky enough, they find a mate. If they are unlucky, the get stuck between two rocks and spend their lives moving back and forth a few feet at t a time.

There are also humans in this story who capture the crabs in buckets and on film, but the crabs aren't as helpless as they seem.

The original story has been translated into English, and the art looks like it's been adapted from an animated feature, but that's ok. The story works on a few levels. The humor might be a bit risque for younger readers, but there is a pretty good story here as well as some food for thought about the lines our own lives cross.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Archaia, Boom! Studios, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

This was both a funny, but also thought-provoking graphic novel. Just loved the scene where two crabs are playing 'I walkt the line' on a guitar, and the fitting meaning of that title is revealed soon. The story centers around a couple of square crabs, a species of crabs that can only walk in one line, endlessly going back and forth without ever changing direction. For some, this means they won't ever be able to meet other crabs, like the sad crab which is cornered by two boulders limiting it's path to a line of several feet only. Others are more lucky, but still they can only follow their destined path without breaking out of their habit. Or can they? One day, a bold crab decides to make a change by carrying a another crab which crosses its path away from it's route, finally creating a means to escape the species' regional limits. At the end of this first part, the crab even manages to break free of its boundaries on its very own.

The story was based on a simple, yet cleverly presented morale. Some environmental additions (a pipeline to be build through the sea, Greenpeace activists and some guys doing a documentary on the crabs) made it more complex, which was not that bad, but personally, I would have preferred a shorter 'pure' story featuring only the crabs. The illustrations were done in a clear but very cartoon-ish way, which was easy on the eyes but is not exactly my favorite style. However, this book definitely sets itself apart from other graphic novels, and not just for its unusual main characters.