Blankets by Craig Thompson

There were a lot of moments in Blankets that affected me on a personal level. I think since it's a coming of age story it's something that is easily relatable to a lot of people. But for me, specifically, the way he slowly lost his belief in God, the way his first love ended, and the way his relationship with his brother fluctuated really hit home. I found that the depth of emotion he showed in his storytelling was extremely captivating. So even if the situations weren't exactly what happened in one's own life, it's still extremely easy to connect to Craig's reactions and feelings about those situations. For example, his relationship with his brother isn't exactly like mine. There are a lot of differences but the guilt he feels is something that's incredibly relatable. If you're the oldest sibling there's a sense of responsibility you feel to look after your younger brother. And when you can't do that there's a feeling of helplessness and regret. But you could spread that even further. If you whittle it down, what he's showing is just the general remorse of letting someone down. It doesn't even have to be a sibling. Anyone could relate to that core feeling he showcases. Which is a huge indicator that his visual storytelling is amazingly well done. He's able to tell his specific story in a way that focuses on the raw emotion rather than the specific circumstance. I think he accomplishes this through his expressive, imaginative drawings, and his naturally flowing panels. There are some pages where the panels just meld into one another in a way that completely transforms you into his world and his emotions.