I ordered this immediately after reading Alina Tysoe's fantasy graphic novel, 'My Sister the Werebeast'
(which I'm now starting to see is slightly semiautobiographical, LOL).
What started off as a webcomic, and is now available in a hardback collection, 'What's Up, Beanie?: Acutely Relatable Comics' basically tells of artist Alina "Beanie" Tysoe's childhood, teenage years, college years, and adulthood (up to her late twenties) - with occasional commentary from her time-travelling four-year-old self.
How cute she was as a baby and toddler! What a sweet, funny little bean - a hyper bean! A bundle of joy, play, imagination, curiosity and mischief. She's what children should be like, and often are!
Beanie's family and pets are also too lovely and adorable!
'What's Up, Beanie?: Acutely Relatable Comics' - 'aCUTEly relatable' is right. It is comedic, comical, upbeat slice-of-life. And there are A LOT of dogs and cats. And one of the best parts for me - it references video games, manga and anime - including 'Sailor Moon'!!!!!!!!!!!
'What's Up, Beanie?' is like 'Adulthood Is a Myth', 'Hyperbole and a Half', 'I Left The House Today!', 'Book Love', 'Quiet Girl in a Noisy World: An Introvert's Story', and 'Lavender Clouds' - though it it much happier and peppier than the latter two!
Beanie's comic strips don't delve into any serious issues. They don't explore any aspects of modern womanhood, either. There are subtly deep, introspective anecdotes, but those are very few and far between. They exist to be cute and funny, really. And there is nothing wrong with that, especially when "cute and funny" is coming from an artist's personal, heartfelt passion.
'What's Up, Beanie?: Acutely Relatable Comics' is soft, bouncy, bubbly, cartoony, laugh-out-loud hilarious, geeky, and positive. Just what the world needs.
I consider it to be an all-ages comic collection. There is nothing objectionable in it, apart from one censored swear word.
Final Score: 3.5/5
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