Welcome to Part 1 of our discussion of Breathers from cartoonist Justin Madson! In the first part of this extra-long deep dive, Mike and Alex start by taking a look at Madson’s storytelling approach and style, touching on the short story cycle-ness of the mini-stories presented in the comic and on his distinctive visual style. Then the guys examine the interlocking nature of the small cast of characters at the center of this story and how the way Madson weaves those stories together to create a full realized world in this one small town is the book’s real strength.
There is a lot more to talk about with this comic, so please join us next week for Part 2 of our discussion of Breathers!