In 1947, the author's grandfather, Arsene Schrauwen, travelled across the ocean to a mysterious, dangerous jungle colony at the behest of his cousin. Together they would build something deemed impossible: a modern utopia in the wilderness - but not before Arsene falls in love with his cousin's wife, Marieke. Whether delirious from love or a fever-inducing jungle virus, Arsene's loosening grip on reality is mirrored by the graphic novel reader's uncertainty of what is imagined or real by Arsene. This first full-length graphic novel from the critically acclaimed Olivier Schrauwen is an engrossing, sometimes funny, slightly surreal and often beautiful narrative. Originally released in 2014, Arsene Schrauwen heralded the then largely-unknown-to-English readers Olivier Schrauwen as a major voice in international comics - a reputation that has onBuddy Bradley and Lisa Leavenworth, now middle aged with a free-spirited young adult of their own, confront their own poor decisions as young people in the grungy 1990s. Expertly shifting between the present day (in full colour) and their Gen X heyday (in glorious, crosshatched black-and-white), we learn for the first time the story of how Buddy met Lisa, Stinky, George, and Val. Meanwhile, Buddy is forced to come to terms with the tragic - and covered-up - circumstances of Stinky's untimely death in the original Hate series, while navigating elder care, contemporary politics, family and friendships. Hate Revisited! expertly showcases Bagge's inimitable humour and knack for character, and the generational shift lends an unexpected gravitas to their lives. While the original Hate is indelibly rooted in a key pop cultural era, the themes and characters of Hate remain timeless. Misanthropy never gets old!ly gained momentum over the ensuing decade with releases like 2024's Sunday.
