The latest graphic novel from Charles Burns is as visually stunning as ever, in his inimitable style. In this tale, we are presented with a melancholy, teenage angst story that verges on horror by the end. as a group of friends attempt to make a home movie. The autobiographical aspects may not be subtle, as one of the protagonists struggles with the difficulties of turning the images in his head into reality, but as we flit from the tortured artist to the girl he has become fixated on, taking in their mutual friends and his situation at home, Final Cut presents us with a moving, layered tale of creation and destruction.
Final Cut by Charles Burns, (List Price: $34, Pantheon, 9780593701706, September 2024)
Reviewed by Doron Klemer, Octavia Books in New Orleans, Louisiana