Bad Machinery Volume 2: The Case of the Good Boy, Pocket Edition (BAD MACHINERY POCKET ED GN)

I've been reading John's "Bad Machinery" webcomic for a few years now. It's high-grade stuff. One strip was all it took to get me hooked. Now the latest technology allows me to enjoy reading it without the need for electricity. How cool is that?Mr Allison has a fine ear for dialogue. His writing manages to be amusing and yet it's not afraid to become surprisingly dark when the need arises; his drawing style is fluid and light and so effortlessly self-assured that I'm continuously awestruck, and his characters - Charlotte, Shauna, Mildred, Jack, Linton and Sonny - have become firm favourites of mine. While this adventure includes a bunch of young people with a clever dog and the action involves a visit to a fairground, this isn't Scooby Doo and the solution *isn't* always that it was old Mr Simpkins, the caretaker, who did it. In the Bad Machinery universe, things that go bump in the night sometimes turn out to REALLY BE things that go bump in the night...This is a self-contained adventure weaving together a number of paranormal phenomena (from magic pencils to strange things lurking in the undergrowth) which our plucky pals must unravel whilst dealing with more pressing issues such as bullying, friendship, video games and having to babysit annoying younger siblings. It's all delivered with bucketloads of aplomb. And it's presented in large format on fine, glossy paper rendered in glorious colour that really shows off the artwork to best effect.Oh - and this adventure is set after "The Case of the Team Spirit" (which, if you haven't read, you should also buy). They both deserve a place in your graphics novel collection.

I think Allison has really hit his stride with Bad Machinery - as ever, each page is packed with the characteristic sparkly dialogue and expressive, loose visual style, but the more extreme surrealism of his earlier books has been hemmed back to something more direct and relatable...while still being very, very strange and wonderful. And while the characters in this volume lie somewhere between extremely wry and utterly adorable, the story is far from self-indulgent or fanciful - there's a strong reality to the way people react to their situations and each other, and things are far from sweetness and light all the time.Unusually for a graphic novel, there's a lot for your money too - both this and the previous book (The Case of the Team Spirit) are almost coffee-table sized, and while you can still get through the contents in a few sessions, the experience is expansive. The feel and printing quality are both top-notch, which was a very pleasant surprise.

This book is the second collection of strips from John Allison's web comic "Bad Machinery", which is itself a spinoff from his earlier online strip "Scary Go Round". The premise is that two groups of high schoolers, one group of three girls, and one group of three boys, get together to solve mysteries that have a vaguely supernatural flavor. The action is set in a medium sized town somewhere in England. This book covers one complete mystery, but there are loads of unrelated sub plots and threads, many of which are as much fun as the mystery.There are a lot of good reasons for the strip's popularity. While the book follows just one mystery, the collection really reflects multiple story lines. First, of course, is the mystery that arcs through the whole book. (Here, toddlers are disappearing, although as DCI Carver notes, "There are thousands of children...but only nine have vanished....We urge people not to become hysterical if they can possibly avoid it."). Next, though, the series is seasoned by "one off" jokes and bits that only take a strip or two or three to set up a laugh. Finally, there are issues, characters and relationships that are developed in this series but that will continue to appear and develop in later books as well. Each kid has family issues and school issues and personal issues that pop up from time to time. This adds a lot of depth and interest to the whole undertaking, and reminds me very strongly of "Doonesbury", which followed a very similar pattern.Also in the style of "Doonesbury", Allison has a real command of "minimalist" or succinct humor. You only get a few panels per strip, and only so many words. You have to set up a situation, work it, and then deliver a payoff with just a few drawings and a few well chosen words. Some of the best laughs are deadpan throwaway lines. That is just brutally difficult to do, (think of how many bad imitators of artist/humorist Gary Larson's "Far Side" are out there), and Allison pulls it off brilliantly.Plus, each of the six teens, and almost all of the secondary characters, (parents, teachers), are individually realized and engaging. Within a few pages this is not a comic book, but as compelling as any YA novel. Added to that is the fact that the dialogue is fast, sharp, and witty, and yet generous. It is not snarky or mean spirited, and is ultimately good-natured, if a bit edgy. As a result you end up liking these people as much as they like each other and sympathizing with their various predicaments and foibles. (Again, echoes of "Doonesbury".)So, a light authorial touch, insight, humor, and engaging characters. Just keep these collection volumes coming.Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to the author or the publisher of this book.

Sometimes its hard to justify paying money for a print version of something you can get for free on the internet, but this is not one of these times. John Allison's art and words are presented beautifully here, in a format perfect for poring over. There are extra pages, and art redone for the print edition, which make the story flow even better than originally.With comics that deal with the supernatural, or crime-fighting kids, it's easy to forget that normal life is still happening, and that that life needs to be dealt with as well. This volume does a wonderful job of intertwining the two, and showing the growth of these children in a heart warming way.Bad Machinery is one of the very few web comics I recommend to my non-internetting friends, and I recommend it most highly to you!

Next time you get a Magic Pencil, be cautious about what you draw with it. Things aren't always what they seem. In Tackleford, things are almost never what they seem, and between the magic pencil, the pre-school disappearances, and an exotic zoo full of fantastic creatures, a great adventure is to be had.John Allison's spare, witty drawings and a cast of memorable characters add up to wacky fun for all ages. The Mystery Kids are on the case and with the help of The Good Boy (who may or may not be a dog), all is put right, more or less, in a weird and satisfying conclusion.

Commencée en 2009, la série "Bad Machinery" est le plus récent projet du britannique John Allison, né en 1976, mais déjà vétéran du monde des webcomics au sein duquel il officie - textes et dessins - depuis 1998.La maison étatsunienne Oni Press a commencé une publication "papier" de cette série, dans l'ordre chronologique, avec 'Bad Machinery Volume 1: The Case of the Team Spirit' et continue, en ce début d'année 2014, avec ce 2è tome présenté comme son prédécesseur en mode "italien" ou "paysage", pour que les pages (en fait, de grosses demi-planches franco-belges de l'école Casterman des années 1950) apparaissent comme elles le faisaient à l'écran d'ordinateur en 2010, année de leur publication initiale.Allison nous remet en présence des personnages introduits dans le premier tome, et notamment des deux trios de gosses âgés de 12 ans, collégiens de la Griswalds Grammar School de la ville anglaise et fictive de Tackleford : d'une part les filles Shauna Wickle, Charlotte "Lottie" Grote (toutes deux "BFF" (1)) et Mildred "Mildew" Haversham, et d'autre part les garçons Jack Finch, Linton Baxter et Sonny Craven.Comme pour le premier épisode, Allison prend le temps d'installer son histoire et de faire fonctionner les interactions entre personnages (ce qui facilite l'accès pour celles et ceux qui commenceraient la lecture au 2è tome), en ménageant au besoin des "sub-plots", même si très vite les pages 7 et 8 introduisent le dramatique et principal mystère.Les deux trios, bien que dans la même classe, mènent leurs aventures à part. Toutefois, Jack et Shauna ont tendance à s'apprécier mutuellement...Dans une fête foraine locale, les filles (Mildred, en fait) gagnent un "crayon magique". Ce crayon amené en classe est mystérieusement dérobé à la faveur d'un exercice de sécurité au collège. Dans le même temps ou à peu près, un drôle de gros animal (un chien ?) est recueilli chez Mildred. Il est finalement confié à la famille de Shauna. Mais il est par la suite enlevé...Un autre étrange animal, encore plus gros, est identifié par les garçons comme étant au centre du mystère principal. Les gars mettent en place un piège pour le capturer...Dans la continuité du premier volume, peut-être de façon plus surréaliste encore, Allison anime une série "So British", élégante, amusante et intelligente, destinée à plaire aux jeunes comme aux adultes.A nouveau, un glossaire "tongue-in-cheek" est glissé à la fin de l'ouvrage, afin de s'assurer que les non-natifs des Îles britanniques comprennent bien ce dont il s'agit. Il y a aussi un étrange bestiaire...**** et 1/2(1) Best Friends, Forever.

First, I must apologize to John Allison. I've been reading his comics for a decade, and never quite came around to purchasing anything. Sorry, John. Two books jn the Amazon cart. Consider it a small down payment.Second, I must thank John. My children, who are both about the age of John's characters, have spent the past two days curled up on the couch, chewing through the books and sharing lines. So much kid lit these days is snarky, or stupid, and I'm glad they recognize the good stuff. It's worth putting up with the forthcoming weeks of British accents.Third. The book. The books. Buy them. They're funny. They're witty. They're far more clever than you. And they're comfortable in their sweetness. I've been following Bad Machinery since the children popped, fully formed, from Tackleford, and I've never yet seen John hit a false note. So support the man, both for what he's done, and for what the next decade will bring.

I've been reading John Allison's work for over 10 years now, and his latest creation, Bad Machinery, is by far the best. The characters are well-drawn (literally and figuratively), the dialogue is bright and funny, and the stories he creates are equal parts heartwarming and absurd. The art is beautiful and this volume is laid out very well. As for the story--The Case of the Good Boy is Allison's second Bad Machinery collection, and one of my favorite story arcs to date. I don't want to spoil the plot if you're not familiar with it, but it was fun at the time and holds up on repeat reading.I can't say enough good things about this book and author, to be honest--if you like graphic novels, British humor, bright kids having adventures, or any of these, you will enjoy this book. Definitely recommended.

John Allison's Bad Machinery presents a new story that brings back the heart and comedy one can expect from the series, now in a smaller format. The smaller size is great and easier to carry, speaking as someone who bought the older book (which was larger in size). It's an excellent book by my favorite comic book writer/artist!