Review by Aaron Cooper

So I was thinking to myself one day “How long has it been since I read an honest to goodness graphic novel”? I mainly check out trade paperbacks and collected editions. The graphic novel is very few and far between, not very many are actually made any more.

So being the cheapskate I am I’m perusing this box of books at my local comic joint that are 75% off. I come across this Vertigo graphic novel entitled I, Paparazzi. I’ve got $8.00 to spare, so why not?

The book is about a down on his luck Paparazzi photographer. You know the type that gets down and dirty, everyday photos of famous people for the tabloids. Only this guy gets in way over his head. In attempting to get photos of a director that plays hard to get, he uncovers the conspiracy behind Hollywood fame and how one attains it at the party to end all parties that blurs the lines between natural and supernatural.

The writing by Pat McGreal is about average. There is nothing really new presented here. It’s nothing we haven’t seen explored before, especially from Vertigo comics. It’s got a sense of noir, a bit of non-linearism, and a good premise in the Paparazzi underworld, but I felt like I was reading a Grant Morrison, Neil Gaiman or Alan Moore book from the late 80’s. In other words, good but nothing we haven’t seen done and done better years ago.

What drives the book is the artistic direction by Stephen John Phillips and Steven Parke. Instead of standard pencil, ink, or paint art, the art is made up of real photographs using real models, with computer manipulation. If you are familiar with the artwork of Dave McKean on his covers for Sandman or Hellblazer, or the Arkham Asylum graphic novel back in the day, you’ll have a sense of the art direction, only using far more real photography with an abstract touch.

Everything said and done I, Paparazzi is an interesting tale with a unique art direction. The tale is a little dated and a little tired, but the photography used is top-notch and makes me wonder why we don’t see more books like this. I’d really like to see a really well written story use this technique, even if it crosses the line beyond traditional sequential art. Did I, Paparazzi deserve to be in the closeout bin for $8.00 instead of $30.00? No, but I can see how it was overlooked, much like a movie is looked at as a rental versus a buy. It is worth a read, but not worth $30.00.