Rating: 
Summary: outstanding job! lots of fun...
Review: I am relatively new to the world of comics/graphic novels, but Box Office Poison is a lot of fun. This reads just like a great novel, with plot twists and turns, and terrific characters that you're not sure how much you like, but you know you want to read more. Well worth the money and as I write this I am definately looking forward to alex robinson's next effort.
Rating:
Summary: Box Office Posion Success
Review: I have been one of the fortunate people to be following Box Office Poison since the start of the series when it was just a mini-comic. Seeing this culmination of the 21 individual issues in this huge book and holding it in my hands confirms what fantastic characters and stories Alex Robinson can write and draw. This is a must have for anyone that enjoys a funny, sad, surprising, truthful story of believable characters that could be people in your life. This isn't a graphic novel just for people who like graphic novels, but for people who enjoy great fiction storytelling. Kudos to Top Shelf for putting together a book that no one would be embarassed to read on the subway. I hope many will request this book!
Rating:
Summary: A graphic novel.
Review: I mean that in every sense of the words - Box Office Poison is a novel told in sequential art form, a 600 page roman fleuve of modern life in geekish subculture. Alex Robinson's art is somewhere between cartoonish and naturalistic, and just seems natural for the characters and situations he creates.Robinson's story - again naturalistic, straightforward, lifelike - captivates, and the characters are all flawed in different and interesting ways. The subplots add up to something addictive, and keep you wondering throughout the length of the book. Box Office Poison is a great way to get into independent comics, and the quality of storyline is sufficient to win over most skeptics of the form to hope for what comics can do.
Rating:
Summary: A graphic novel.
Review: I mean that in every sense of the words - Box Office Poison is a novel told in sequential art form, a 600 page roman fleuve of modern life in geekish subculture. Alex Robinson's art is somewhere between cartoonish and naturalistic, and just seems natural for the characters and situations he creates. Robinson's story - again naturalistic, straightforward, lifelike - captivates, and the characters are all flawed in different and interesting ways. The subplots add up to something addictive, and keep you wondering throughout the length of the book. Box Office Poison is a great way to get into independent comics, and the quality of storyline is sufficient to win over most skeptics of the form to hope for what comics can do.
Rating:
Summary: Alex Robinson Freakin' Rules
Review: I would just like to thank the author for releasing such a high quality and long book at an affordable price. Albeit I have not read the whole book I can tell, from the excerpts that I read on the box office poison website, that it is absolutely brilliant. I especially like the feeling of realism that one experiences while reading the book: knowing that this either is or might be a collection of experiences that real people go through. I am eagerly looking forward to Alex Robinson's next anthology. Apart from Darkchylde this is the only series of comics that really made me forget everything else in my life and focus on the material in front of me.
Rating:
Summary: Do You Work Here?
Review: I'm pretty sure those of you who are reading this review have heard the arguement that comics are not just for children. Well, if the only comics that you see are super hero comics and last for 32 pages a piece it definately would be hard to take them seriously, but then there are graphic novels, especially books the size and scope of _Box Office Poison_. Box office poison is massive, cl;ocking in at 608 pages. I know what you are thinking, but it is a comic it cannpt take that longf too read, but you would be wrong this book is full of well written dialogue. For those of you who dislike comics of the common ilk this book is for you, instead of a super hero with his incredibly buxom companion we have Sherman who works at a book store and Ed the aspiring cartoonist. There are of couirse many females in the book as well, but they are realistically proportioned. There are characters that you will adore in this book and characters that you hate, but what you get in the end is a very realistic story in comic form about well developed characters. read it please
Rating:
Summary: Very refreshing
Review: In an industry where 'bigger, harder, shinier' is the status quo, the 'Box Office Poison' collection (this book collects every single Box Office Poison issue in existence, making it a more than complete story) came to me as a refreshing experience, and a very good one at it.
I can understand why people compare it to 'Strangers in Paradise', but I will hastely add that it's not the same kinda book in its entirety. Where Strangers in Paradise almost exclusively focuses on relationships and what comes with them, Box Office Poison takes a wider view and handles everyday life of a certain group of people in it's entirety. WITH relationships, but also with (in)security issues, finding out what to do with your life, gaining perspective on it and REALLY see how a personal life evolves (where it is a little romanticized in most comics in this 'genre', even Strangers in Paradise). The main point is that nothing happening in it is in any way forced. It's what comes and goes. Very relatable. A storywise introduction: Although the story is about an entire group of people there are two characters, the friends Sherman and 'Ed', around which everything evolves, the red line if you will. Sherman is just out of college, wants to be a writer, but for now works in a bookstore as a clerk. The shy and insecure Ed wants to become a cartoonist. Along the book you'll witness the ups and downs, recognizable joys and annoyments (funny if you're into sarcasm) and relationships being made and broken. Various things happen like for instance: Ed trying everything he can to gain some confidence, honesty and loyalty (or lack off it) in the comic industry, people assuming things they 'heard somewhere' and only seeing how somebody means something to you when he or she isn't there at the time. But also less 'deep' things like a philosophy about why men just HAVE to look when there's cleavage shown and stupid things people ask clerks (you'll find yourself go "damn, I did that !' more than once). All in all this little un-exaggerated comic-book soap-opera is the nicest thing I've read in a while and the most refreshing thing since I first opened a Strangers in Paradise Graphic Novel.
The art is, compared to the before mentioned book, a little less good but the variety in storylines AND a very plot-twisting last few pages makes than up more than enough. Funny as well, but never forced. Very relatable and as uncliche as it gets. A lot of good pages of fun for your money.
Rating:
Summary: Everyone has a story
Review: In the prologue Box Office Poison proclaims that there are seven characters to this book. This is a lie. As the story unfolds more and more characters are added each with there own three-dimensional personality. In each of the characters we can find a little bit of our selves weather it be a positive or negative piece. As we see the characters take dynamic turns as the story progresses we sympathize we hurt with them we laugh with them we yell at them not to screw up (for the record this is only the second book I have ever yelled at).
I consider myself a well-read person, and I have never seen characterization like that by Robinson. it was truly a delight to read, every now and again something comes along and effects who you are that changes you makes you noticeably better or different. this book is one of those things
Rating:
Summary: An addictive, satisfying read
Review: Some popular movies have been based upon a relatively simple premise: take different people, all connected in some way, and then watch the ups and downs. Reality Bites, Singles, any John Hughes movies. There isn't too much going on in the plot department but it's a lot of fun to watch. This book is a lot of fun to read. On the back cover of Box Office Poison by Alex Robinson, there's a quote that says this book is "completely voyeuristic. This is what it would be like to see your friends behind closed doors." If you're a young, twenty-something trying to figure out what you want to do with your life and whether or not you'll ever find true love (or just get laid), this is the book for you. Did you ever hate one of your friend's girlfriends? Feel like killing neighbors in your apartment building who don't know how to be quiet? Ice skate with a Costa Rican Olympic figure skater? Then you'll totally relate to the stories in here. This is a hefty graphic novel, over 600 pages (and the only other graphic novel I've seen that had rivaled this length is Craig Thompson's wonderful Blankets), but the story is broken up into chapters. I think this may have been a serial comic that was collected into a novel... I'm not sure. The book does go by fast, though. Some parts are lighter than others, but there's a serious thread that holds everything together. An aging comic book artist who got gypped out of the rights to a wildly popular character and his journey for justice. The epilogue to this book is a lot more sedate than the rest of the stories and made reading this book completely and totally worth it. I know it costs a lot, but it is worth it. It'll make a great addition to your graphic novel library. If you would like to know more about Box Office Poison, check out the website:
http://members.aol.com/bopalex/
Rating:
Summary: hate sherman
Review: strange the old cliche that says we hate those characteristics in others that are most like ourselves. i've never found this so true as i did in this brilliant graphic novel. every character in this story is a pathetic & sympathetic one. you can only sympathise with one when you "walk a mile in their shoes"; if you read this story you will walk many a mile carrying many characters in your arms.
the more complex robinson becomes,the more vague become humans & our ability to cast moral judgements on them.
i cried openly for some reason during stephen's santa experience, was shocked that the mystery door in sherman's room never became a cheap revelation & thrilled that the world will never know the truth about dorothy's accusation about stephen.
this book is genius & this review couldn't pray to give it justice. justice comes by night!
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