Amusing comics that examine the absurdity of our thoughts by imagining the inner lives of animals. At times it is very funny.

This is just brilliant. The simple, gorgeous artwork with the life observations and snark -- I want to make the whole book into posters. This is a book to enjoy over and over but it's also a wonderful book to share.

Netgalley ARC - A lot of really good ones in here, including funny, sad, heartwarming, and beautiful. I like the interspersed art styles and a lot of the humor. A few were a bit hard to follow/understand I think but not too many.

You know these bird memes that were super popular on tumblr?
bird meme that says the risk i took was calculated but man am i bad at math

This wonderful book reminds me of those and I loved it. This is perfect for anyone who likes to imagine the secret conversations animals have when humans aren't around. And the panel about the cat dreaming killed me lmao Thank you Joshua Barkman for helping me to understand why my cat has a foot and shoe fetish- it's all he sees!

There's a nice mix of funny and meaningful panels within. And the art is just so beautiful!

What an absolute delight! There are so many pages I wanted to share with my partner, and I already have family in mind who I know will love a copy when it's released.

Ew, It's Beautiful is the type of comic you want to savor. There were so many relatable frames and moments that had me laughing out loud. Really, truly, a delightful read. Thank you for the opputunity to read this, I enjoyed the art and jokes and sprinkles of awe for the world brought forth by such a seemingly random medium, birds.

10/10
Absolutely hilarious, yet thought-provoking mini stories divided by four seasons of the year. With just couple of frames Barkman is able to make you feel more than some novels in dozens of pages. Under the facade of cute birdies (some other animals got their spot too) there is quite deep analysis of world as we know it. Great metaphors, beautiful artwork, and abstract sense of humour - a must read for everyone, not only comic book lovers.

I'd already seen several comics of the artist on the networks and I've always liked them!

It's funny, absurd (bird humour!!!), the birds are varied and very well drawn with sometimes different techniques, colours and styles!

I particulary love the crows (page 8 or 18 ♡)

It's a lovely mix of humour, reflection and poetry, for example page 12 is touching in its simplicity.

I laughed out loud several times and smiled often.

I had a really good time.

Joshua Barkman does a comic strip online called “False Knees”. It is about many things, but it mainly is about getting inside the heads of various birds. I guess you would say these are like how cat comics get into how cats are, False Knees gets into what we might think birds are thinking.

Sometimes they are just silly, such as the pigeon taking a sip of beer, and saying “I’m going go fight a dog.”

Or, one of my favorites, of a gold finch looking around, and the world around him changes and he says “I think those berries were fermented.”

And sometimes it is just a beautiful drawing of a raven in the snow, looking up into the sky.

For those who have never read his comics, they really need to. So, it is wonderful that the publisher has gathered them all together in one place.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is being published on the 5th of August 2025.

This one made me giggle a little. I appreciate this type of humor very much. The art and colors are lovely, and the few more reflective comics were well placed among the sillier ones. A solid moment of fun overall.

Many thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review and many others can be viewed on my Goodreads page at the following link: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/80102102-ana

I didn't know I needed this in my life! This was such a humorous read, I giggle quite a bit while reading this one. The best part was trying to figure out the different birds that were depicted!

A humorous, sometimes sweet, and often ironic portrayal of the inner thoughts of birds - somewhat anthropomorphized, but with their own, species-appropriate twists. As an avid birdwatcher, I really appreciated the detail in the drawings, which are recognizable as specific species, rather than generic birds.

Really sweet and easy to follow short comic stories of different bird species. Very great and easy to follow

Ew, It's Beautiful is a collection of beautiful bird-themed comics with quirky humor. I thought the artwork was beautiful, each illustration bringing out the beauty of the birds. Some panels had a light, comedic touch that made me laugh, while others lacked the same humor. overall, it was a pleasant quick read. The crows/ravens and the beaver were my favorites!

I LOVE seeing these greeting cards at my local market and was so elated to see they're being made into a book collection!

As a birder these give me a much needed chuckle in a stressful world. Perfect for the casual birder too. Or really anyone that loves a dad joke!

Absolutely adorable honestly, a beautiful selection of comics that were surprisingly relatable considering they're all about, ya know, birds.

Some comics were a bit hit or miss as far as the writing, but the art throughout was phenomenal, just stunning. Highly recommend for all bird lovers!

ARC courtesy of NetGalley.

Such a fun book and a quick read. Amazing illustration and dark humor. The raccoons were my favorite! Thanks NetGallery!

Ew, It's Beautiful is a collection of beautifully drawn bird-themed comics, ranging from the darkly humorous to the majestic, as we take on a birds-eye view of the world.

From the egotistical crows to the murderous sparrows, existential finches and overthinking seagulls, and everything in between, this is a journey across seasons. The comics aren't all "laugh out loud" hilarity, but they are moments of quiet amusement as we interpret and anthropomorphise the lives of birds.

The comics themselves are gorgeously painted watercolour landscapes populated with all of these detailed little birds. I'm not always a fan of overly detailed comics, but I do like these. I was not familiar with Barkman's work prior to this, but I'll definitely be looking out for it in future.

~This is a NetGalley ARC. All opinions are my own~

4.5 stars rounded up.

Not just for bird enthusiasts.
This isn't the kind of comic where every panel is funny. Sometimes it's just a pretty picture or something philosophical. The one thing that's constant throughout this comic collection is that the art is beautiful.

I saved quite a few of these to share with friends and that's a great sign. Wanting to share what you see is a great recommendation for a book like this.

This is a solid comic collection. It is divided into the four seasons. There really is something for everyone in this book. There are comics that are funny, serious, emotional, and everything in between. I love Barkman's art style, the birds are the star of the show. I also appreciate how succinctly he can get his point across with drawings and few words.

My one criticism only applies if you're familiar with his work; it is exactly what I would expect from Barkman. He did not reinvent the wheel here, and it can feel a bit repetitive.