Rating: 
Summary: Technology doesn't always conquer
Review: Although this book is not excatly black and white, more white and green it is a classic. No it's probably not meant for children and all though it did give me a good chuckle near the end (I love it when the robots talk!!! :D:D) there is some depth to it. Subtly (or not so subtly, whichever you prefer) this book shows how technology is not perfect (although my broken microwave could also tell you that) I did manage to flip through this book relitively quickly but not because I lost interest, simply because it is not too thick and there are only a handle full of words. I have flipped through it a couple of times since and it never ceases to make me smile at one point or another.
Rating: 
Summary: the kind of comic everybody should read
Review: Having grown up reading my dad's old Spider-Man, Batman, and EC books and then "graduating" to "mature" books like Madman, Sandman, and the Maxx, you could say I know a little something about comics.>>> Enough to laugh a little harder than some people at Mallrats, and to notice that Unbreakable looked like an Alex Ross comic come to life. <<< Like many comic collectors, I had to give it up when I went to college, and so I could only afford one or two comics a term, and usually I'd save for something special, like a trade paperback or a Maakies collection. Or something like this. I saw this on the rack in my old comic shop when I was visiting my family, and was intrigued by the cover. Picking it up, I immediately fell in love. Here was a distillation of comics at their best: no "marvel method", no super-heroic drawing style, no limitation to a "convential" page size, and managing the trick of being in b/w and still popping off the page. And it was funny. I mean, c'mon: monkeys and robots fighting? This is great. Everybody should read it.
Rating:
Summary: the kind of comic everybody should read
Review: Having grown up reading my dad's old Spider-Man, Batman, and EC books and then "graduating" to "mature" books like Madman, Sandman, and the Maxx, you could say I know a little something about comics. >>> Enough to laugh a little harder than some people at Mallrats, and to notice that Unbreakable looked like an Alex Ross comic come to life. <<< Like many comic collectors, I had to give it up when I went to college, and so I could only afford one or two comics a term, and usually I'd save for something special, like a trade paperback or a Maakies collection. Or something like this. I saw this on the rack in my old comic shop when I was visiting my family, and was intrigued by the cover. Picking it up, I immediately fell in love. Here was a distillation of comics at their best: no "marvel method", no super-heroic drawing style, no limitation to a "convential" page size, and managing the trick of being in b/w and still popping off the page. And it was funny. I mean, c'mon: monkeys and robots fighting? This is great. Everybody should read it.
Rating:
Summary: A snazzy little read
Review: James Kohalka's, "Monkey vs. Robot," is a snazzy little gem of a read. You'll probablly be able to finish this book in 10-15 minutes the first time you go through it but will certainly find great enjoyment flipping through it several times again enjoying the wonderfully minimalistic style of this graphic novel. Makes a great gift item for friends/family who don't really like to read but act like they do - in that they'll actually be able to finish a book for once with enough hip-factor to display on their shelf/coffee table for future conversational highlight.
Rating:
Summary: A snazzy little read
Review: James Kohalka's, "Monkey vs. Robot," is a snazzy little gem of a read. You'll probablly be able to finish this book in 10-15 minutes the first time you go through it but will certainly find great enjoyment flipping through it several times again enjoying the wonderfully minimalistic style of this graphic novel. Makes a great gift item for friends/family who don't really like to read but act like they do - in that they'll actually be able to finish a book for once with enough hip-factor to display on their shelf/coffee table for future conversational highlight.
Rating:
Summary: A snazzy little read
Review: James Kohalka's, "Monkey vs. Robot," is a snazzy little gem of a read. You'll probablly be able to finish this book in 10-15 minutes the first time you go through it but will certainly find great enjoyment flipping through it several times again enjoying the wonderfully minimalistic style of this graphic novel. Makes a great gift item for friends/family who don't really like to read but act like they do - in that they'll actually be able to finish a book for once with enough hip-factor to display on their shelf/coffee table for future conversational highlight.
Rating:
Summary: Who Wins?
Review: Kochalka's drawings are the cutest (see also "Kissers" or "Magic Boy") but don't let that fool you. "Monkey vs. Robot" addresses the age old clash between technology and nature with and loads of charm and an eye for detail. When the monkeys notice robots hauling away parts of the jungle, they take action. And as in any war, the outcome ain't pretty. Kids and grown up kids alike can enjoy this timeless fable. Be sure to check out the catchy punk rock song of the same name by James Kochalka Superstar - Kochalka's musical side.
Rating:
Summary: less is more
Review: Monkey vs. Robot may initially appear simple: it has a minimal art style, barely any words, and an essentially straightforward plot. But James Kolchalka is a master of the deceptively simple, and even a quick glance through makes it clear that his use of minimalism ultimately enriches this book, rather than impoverishing it. Plotwise, you can read it as a straightforward tale about monkeys and robots duking it out in a jungle. Or you can read it as a metaphor for the way we each are torn by the struggle of oppositional forces within ourselves, or as an allegory about human evolution, or a critique of progress... The book doesn't rule any of these readings out, because the conflict has been stripped down to a kind of primal essence. The story, able to engage readers on many different levels ends up becoming tremendously engrossing. Artwise, it is worth mentioning that minimalism is harder to do than it looks, and everything here works magnificently: each brushstroke is perfect, the placement and size of each panel contributes to a pacing that absolutely fits. With this book, Kolchalka comes close to establishing himself indisputably as a master of the vocabulary of comics. A book that is dramatic but not flashy, surprising but not showy, complex but not pointlessly elaborate, simple but not facile.
Rating:
Summary: less is more
Review: Monkey vs. Robot may initially appear simple: it has a minimal art style, barely any words, and an essentially straightforward plot. But James Kolchalka is a master of the deceptively simple, and even a quick glance through makes it clear that his use of minimalism ultimately enriches this book, rather than impoverishing it. Plotwise, you can read it as a straightforward tale about monkeys and robots duking it out in a jungle. Or you can read it as a metaphor for the way we each are torn by the struggle of oppositional forces within ourselves, or as an allegory about human evolution, or a critique of progress... The book doesn't rule any of these readings out, because the conflict has been stripped down to a kind of primal essence. The story, able to engage readers on many different levels ends up becoming tremendously engrossing. Artwise, it is worth mentioning that minimalism is harder to do than it looks, and everything here works magnificently: each brushstroke is perfect, the placement and size of each panel contributes to a pacing that absolutely fits. With this book, Kolchalka comes close to establishing himself indisputably as a master of the vocabulary of comics. A book that is dramatic but not flashy, surprising but not showy, complex but not pointlessly elaborate, simple but not facile.
Rating: 
Summary: Not 'deceptively' simple...just plain simpleminded
Review: This book is so stupid it ought to be a crime to give it to children. And yet there are adults praising this garbage? Just one more example of the failure of the American education system, I suppose.
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