Another entertaining comic from Iron Circus. I enjoyed the wit of the story, as well as Jon Allen’s visual style.

Julian IS in Purgatory alright. One of his own making.
Between tension at home, no real friends to rely on, on bad terms with his family, no outlet other than drugs... which more or less creates a vicious cycle as to why things are the way that way.. Julian has nothing going for him.

The story was easy to read and I stayed interested, until about the last third of the book. Julian lacks actual expression. There's no personality, other than grumpy mooch.

With that I suppose the resolution is meant to be an ironic slap in the face. But I'm stuck on they're being no genuine growth or sense of maturity in Julian, after everything that happened.

Art style was very enjoyable and the flow of the comic was nice. The theme and characters, felt real.
Didn't love it, didn't hate it.

**Thank you to Iron Circus Comics and NetGallery for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. **

This is a cool little graphic novel about a deadbeat fox (?) who is kicked out by his gf and has to make his own way. The addiction stuff is honestly a bit hard to read, but it feels very realistic and relatable. It's a super fast read -- I meant to just look at the first page or two and found myself almost halfway through. I like the art style, it's kind of cartoonish but also with an edge to it, perfect for anthropomorphic animals who do drugs. I kind of can't tell if this is meant for teens or adults or both? But I think lots of different kinds of people would find it a fast-paced and interesting (if not exactly "fun" read.

Though his characters are anthropomorphic animals, Jon Allen always manages to somehow capture the realism of everyday struggles. Julian in Purgatory is no exception.

Julian is unemployed and unemployable, sitting around all day watching TV and doing drugs. And then his long-suffering girlfriend Dana decides enough’s enough and kicks the deadbeat out. With no money and no place to go, Julian wanders around - the only thing he knows: get more drugs!

Jon Allen’s back with his third book, Julian in Purgatory, that’s not quite as good as his first, Ohio is For Sale, but better than his second, The Lonesome Era. Also his art style has gotten much cleaner over the years and it’s the best it’s ever looked in this one.

It’s very appealing all-ages art with talking animals in place of humans so it’s funny that Allen’s stories all deal with adult themes and the cute animals are doing transgressive things like crushing up and snorting pills!

The story is fairly simplistic, following the usual downwards spiral of the junkie with few surprises, and so the journey is predictable, though not preachy, with its “drugs are bad, m’kay?” moral. It’s not the most memorable or exciting story but it’s never boring either with Allen doing just enough to keep the reader’s attention throughout, and it feels like an accurate portrayal of drug abuse (I’ve only consumed stories of such things, thankfully).

Julian in Purgatory is a fine, nicely-paced comic about relatable issues that’s well-written and drawn by an excellent cartoonist. It’s not gonna blow anyone’s hair back with its originality but it’s an engaging and mildly enjoyable read that’s worth checking out for fans of Adult Swim-type shows/slice-of-life comics.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Julian in Purgatory" is a short comic about Julian, an addict who has been kicked out of his girlfriend's house and is trying to get by on the street. There isn't that much substance to this book, and while it does show a decent representation of addiction, it's ultimately not satisfying because the main character doesn't seem to learn anything or grow at all. I liked the art style enough, but the story just didn't really have all that much to it except "annoying guy has a drug addiction."

This was alright as a comic/graphic novel. The story is decent and the art work is alright. Not for me though.

#JulianInPurgatory follows follows Julian, the mayor's son who is kicked out of his girlfriend's house because he doesn't have a job and is spending his day doing drugs. His situation escalates to some dangerous situations, and the reader is left wondering whether he's changing his life and back on the right path. The graphic style is black and white with animal-like characters. The story reads quickly with a few panels per page. Other than being a quicker read and on a relevant current topic, the book won't be a great read for the average school library. Thank you to #NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy.