A Review of On A Sunbeam

ON A SUNBEAM 

Written and Drawn by Tillie Walden

This is a dense, beautifully illustrated and crafted story that invites you in and luxuriate in the mood and the melancholy and passions of its characters. It is like a space epic directed by Wong Kar Wai.

The first half of the book offers absolutely no clear backstory and instead it throws you into the story. All you need to know is that there are two timelines - one timeline with a crew restoring ancient buildings in space and another timeline in a space Hogwarts.

I'm throwing in pop culture references to ground your understanding of the book because I don't know how to talk about it otherwise in terms of plot. So I'll stop talking about plot.

What I will tell you is that it is about friendships - bonds forged through mundane circumstances set in an extraordinary setting. Small, relatable human moments are played against the backdrop of Tillie Walden's depiction of space.

Rather than a black void of nothingness, it is something like a world from one of Miyazaki's films. It's space that has storms, a show of bizarre beauty that often helps to express the potent emotions of the characters.

Tillie Walden is a graphic novelist of renown and this is my first time reading one of her books. It did not disappoint. This is a book that demands attention and care and love. There are details in the art and little references that make this a joy to read.

It's a thick tome - 533 pages and well worth pouring into again and again.

The only criticism I have is that I get confused by some of the characters and wish there was a little more differentiation but the entire feel and approach of the art makes it a deliberate choice and I can easily shrug this off. I'm not here to focus on an A to Z point by point action space adventure. I'm here to pay attention to the gorgeous art and the human relationships within.

Recommended if you read books with a heavy sense of ennui, Kazuo Ishiguro books and gorgeous art.