What do you think?
Rate this book
Bloom County Relaunch
Bloom County Episode XI: A New Hope
OPUS AWAKENS!
In 2015, Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Berkeley Breathed began (without warning!) producing ALL-NEW Bloom County strips—for the first time in more than 25 years! Breathed released the new Bloom County strips exclusively through his Facebook page, to the cheers of devoted and delighted fans everywhere. These brand new strips have NEVER before been available in print—until now! All the wit, charm and biting satire that are trademarks of Bloom County and Berkeley Breathed are clearly on display and evident in this handsome new volume. Featuring all your favorite Opus, Milo, Bill the Cat, Steve Dallas, Cutter John, and many more. Bloom County has come home… and it’s about time!
In 2015, Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Berkeley Breathed began (without warning!) producing ALL-NEW Bloom County strips—for the first time in more than 25 years! Breathed released the new Bloom County strips exclusively through his Facebook page, to the cheers of devoted and delighted fans everywhere. These brand new strips have NEVER before been available in print—until now! All the wit, charm and biting satire that are trademarks of Bloom County and Berkeley Breathed are clearly on display and evident in this handsome new volume. Featuring all your favorite Opus, Milo, Bill the Cat, Steve Dallas, Cutter John, and many more. Bloom County has come home… and it’s about time!
144 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2016
About the author
Berkeley Breathed
88 books414 followersGuy Berkeley "Berke" Breathed is an American cartoonist, children's book author/illustrator, director, and screenwriter, best known for Bloom County, a 1980s cartoon-comic strip which dealt with socio-political issues as seen through the eyes of highly exaggerated characters (e.g. Bill the Cat and Opus the Penguin) and humorous analogies.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
December 29, 2017
I would like to thank NetGalley and IDW Publishing for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Introduction:
Now, I will admit that I had never read the “Bloom County” comics before, even though I had heard of the series way back in the 1990s. I guess it was because that by the time I started reading newspaper comics, “Bloom County” had all but vanished from the strips and I was not able to read the series then. So, imagine my surprise when I found out that a) the author of the “Bloom County” comics Berkeley Breathed, had decided to bring this comic series back to the pages in his newest comic book called “Bloom County Episode XI: A New Hope” and b) NetGalley has given out this book for readers to check out!
What is this story about?
After twenty-five years of the “Bloom County” comic strips going out of the pages, the Bloom County gang has finally come back with new adventures and are trying to get used to all the new technology, such as social media and dealing with all the political drama in this modern-day world!
What I loved about this story:
Berkeley Breathed’s writing: Wow! I never would have thought that there would be a day where I would actually read Berkeley Breathed’s legendary comic strip “Bloom County” and now that day has finally come! Berkeley Breathed has done a brilliant job at writing this comic book series as the humor is sharp and witty and I really enjoyed the way that the satire on the modern-day era is handled in this series as I found myself laughing at each jab at the current state of politics. Now, I will admit that I do not normally read many books or comic books that deal with politics because most of them tend to be a bit too one-sided for my tastes. However, Berkeley Breathed was able to make the political satires in this comic be more hilarious and memorable as it managed to poke fun at both liberals and conservatives and that really amused me! I really liked the fact that the comic is written in a way where you do not have to read the previous “Bloom County” comics to get the characters or the setting. The fact that the characters felt the same way as they did decades ago except for the fact that society has changed over time, really made reading this comic a pleasant experience for me! I also loved the way that Berkeley Breathed wrote each character, especially Bill the Cat and Steve Dallas as all the characters were hilarious and entertaining to read and I especially enjoyed their interactions with each other, especially with how Steve usually acts like a jerk towards the other characters, but is still on friendly terms with them.
Berkeley Breathed’s artwork: Berkeley Breathed’s artwork is hilarious to look at as all the characters are drawn in a semi-realistic way and yet, the images of Opus the Penguin and Bill the Cat are much more cartoonish than the human cast and they really stand out in the artwork.
What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:
For anyone who does not like language and sexual dialogue, this comic strip does have some language such as the constant usage of the “a” word and also there are some sexual dialogue littered throughout the comic, mainly coming from Steve Dallas himself as most of his story arcs involve him trying to get a date with various women.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, “Bloom County Episode XI: A New Hope” is a fantastic continuation of the “Bloom County” comics and anyone who is a huge fan of the “Bloom County” comic series will surely enjoy this graphic novel!
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
Read
December 2, 2018As a person who came of age in the 1980’s, one of my favorite comic strips was Bloom County with Opus the Penguin, Bill the Cat, Milo Bloom, Steve Dallas, Cutter John and others by Berkeley Breathed. I was sad to see Breathed end this strip in September 1989. Although in the 1990’s and 2000’s the artist offered Sunday-only comic strips of Outland and Opus, fans yearned for more Bloom County.
Fast-forward to 2015, when Berkeley Breathed started including new Bloom County comic strips on his Facebook page! I already “Liked” “Berkeley Breathed’s Bloom County” on my account so I had a front row seat for Opus and Bill waking up in 2015 and having to learn how things have changed from the 1980’s. This book encapsulates the first several months of his Facebook strips which he created with no deadlines and whenever he wanted to! Many strips are “Laugh Out Loud” funny—two of my favorites are an “Early Projectile Hairball Test” and when Opus innocently thinks “Twitter” is a chat room for birds. But all the old gang from the 1980’s is back as is the Meadow Party which would run on the 2016 presidential campaign slogan, “2 spaces after a period.” This book has an added benefit of a small sampling of the hilarious and heartwarming Bloom County fans’ comments to Breathed’s original Facebook posts.
Breathed continues his strip on Facebook to this day and it is one of the things I look forward to. I am so glad he published this collection that we can all enjoy and laugh heartily at our Bloom County friends adjusting to life in the second decade of the 21st century. - Sara H.
Fast-forward to 2015, when Berkeley Breathed started including new Bloom County comic strips on his Facebook page! I already “Liked” “Berkeley Breathed’s Bloom County” on my account so I had a front row seat for Opus and Bill waking up in 2015 and having to learn how things have changed from the 1980’s. This book encapsulates the first several months of his Facebook strips which he created with no deadlines and whenever he wanted to! Many strips are “Laugh Out Loud” funny—two of my favorites are an “Early Projectile Hairball Test” and when Opus innocently thinks “Twitter” is a chat room for birds. But all the old gang from the 1980’s is back as is the Meadow Party which would run on the 2016 presidential campaign slogan, “2 spaces after a period.” This book has an added benefit of a small sampling of the hilarious and heartwarming Bloom County fans’ comments to Breathed’s original Facebook posts.
Breathed continues his strip on Facebook to this day and it is one of the things I look forward to. I am so glad he published this collection that we can all enjoy and laugh heartily at our Bloom County friends adjusting to life in the second decade of the 21st century. - Sara H.
July 1, 2016
ARC for review - EPD: September 13, 2016
It was unbelievable when new "Bloom County" cartoons started appearing on Facebook, and so exciting....and I love that Breathed immediately acknowledges all the time that has passed and how things have changed before moving on to the topics of the day. I don't know that these new cartoons rival Breathed's best work, but having him back at all is so wonderful that the book nearly deserves five stars just for existing at all - the tribute to Harper Lee brought a tear to my eye, and seeing our old friends Opus, Bill, Steve, and the rest of the gang (along with some welcome new characters) is just as wonderful. This collection will be a must for anyone who has the entire opus (get it?) or for anyone who missed some along the way.
It was unbelievable when new "Bloom County" cartoons started appearing on Facebook, and so exciting....and I love that Breathed immediately acknowledges all the time that has passed and how things have changed before moving on to the topics of the day. I don't know that these new cartoons rival Breathed's best work, but having him back at all is so wonderful that the book nearly deserves five stars just for existing at all - the tribute to Harper Lee brought a tear to my eye, and seeing our old friends Opus, Bill, Steve, and the rest of the gang (along with some welcome new characters) is just as wonderful. This collection will be a must for anyone who has the entire opus (get it?) or for anyone who missed some along the way.
July 9, 2016
Ah! Back to good ol' Bloom County. I'm so glad that Berke Breathed has returned to his roots and given us more of Bill, Opus, Milo, Steve, and the rest of the gang.
In dark times we need to be reminded that we should still laugh at life.
I snickered and guffawed through this volume. I think my girlfriend is planning on reading it after just hearing me laugh through it.
Highly recommended to Bloom County fans. And if you're not, what are you waiting for!
ACK! THBBT!
Thanks to NetGalley, Diamond Distributors, and IDW for a copy in return for an honest review.
In dark times we need to be reminded that we should still laugh at life.
I snickered and guffawed through this volume. I think my girlfriend is planning on reading it after just hearing me laugh through it.
Highly recommended to Bloom County fans. And if you're not, what are you waiting for!
ACK! THBBT!
Thanks to NetGalley, Diamond Distributors, and IDW for a copy in return for an honest review.
February 5, 2018
Berkeley Breathed is brilliant.
This book is funny, compassionate, relevant and necessary in today's world.
The characters from long ago are back and their shenanigans in this book, and through the regular updates on facebook are helping me cope with the world's ills.
I loved this book. Loved it. Love, love love, love, loved it. (Note: this review uses 2 spaces after a period!)
This book is funny, compassionate, relevant and necessary in today's world.
The characters from long ago are back and their shenanigans in this book, and through the regular updates on facebook are helping me cope with the world's ills.
I loved this book. Loved it. Love, love love, love, loved it. (Note: this review uses 2 spaces after a period!)
July 3, 2019
I'm a little late in getting back into Bloom County since it returned, but I'm glad that I did. I used to read the original run of Bloom County in the newspaper when I was a kid, and I loved it then. Now that we're living in strange times, it's comforting to know that Bloom County is back to comment on what's going on. One thing that I like about this comic is that there are characters from both sides of the political spectrum, so it's a comic that everyone can read.
July 15, 2016
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley, Diamond Book Distributors, and IDW Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
There are several advantages to having a presence on Facebook. No . . . no, I'm thinking, I'm sure I can think of . . . holy crap, new Bloom County comic strips? Appearing on Facebook? Well crap, that'd have gotten me onto Facebook by itself, in and of itself. I might even use my real name if it had been Calvin and Hobbes, but I'd fake my way for Bloom County. Luckily for me in this specific instance, the only time I heard about this is when I saw the book appear on Netgalley and had the opportunity to read it right then and there. So no need for fakeness and stuff. Now excuse me for a few moments (or hours or . . whatever) while I read this book here I have in my limited time hands (55 days? I'll be done, like, immediately *nods*)
Ah Bloom County, how I loved the . . the. . . how do I spell the when it is spelled exactly like the? pfft. Okay then. Ah Bloom County, how I loved you, no matter what name you go under (and there have been several). Well, I did love you, but I'm still in the excited moment of realizing this book exists but before I actually read it. I've only gotten so far as to opening the book up. Hmm. I do not have the cover. No matter. Instead I open up on a picture of Opus hitting Bill the cat in the butt with a light saber.
Okay, one problem with reading this on this locked PDF reader thingie that I can't remember the name of - the text is tiny. mmphs. Ah, good, got it bigger. *reads*
A word about the accompanying text in this volume: all commentary comes from the original Facebook posts as written by fans in reaction to Bloom County strips
See? If you are like me, you do not even need to have been on Facebook - the entire experience is right there for you. Okay, the part wherein the comic strips are there plus the comments, minus having to read this on Facebook.
Okay, I just spent like 5 excited minutes getting the book, then writing in this box. At some point I need to actually read the book, right?
Hmm. Berkeley Breathed notes that Harper Lee directly inspired his comic strip.
Don't let Opus die
Love, Harper
As in Harper Lee.
After 26 years, Berkley Breathed played around with a panel. Not sure if he would reach the fourth one. And when he did he . . . snickered. He had found joy. And so, the comic strips he then produced.
hehaha - Opus tries out the internet for the first time. Visits Google. Puts in two words (separately, though Google doesn't know that) that bring him joy. Suds. Nuns. hehehe
hehe - Opus doesn't want to go back to a world of Clinton vs. Bush, Donald Trump running around weirdly, he wants to stay in this world. - hehe. Okay, I'll stop doing that now.
We're stuck in a National Groundhog Day Nightmare! Bill Clinton will soon be stalking the halls of the White House again, pinching asses with both hands!
Hmm. The comic strip just insulted cats and then started a 'Support Trump' grassroots. mmphs. 'Flightless fowl for Trump'.
This was a super funny series of comic strips.
July 15 2016
May 18, 2016
OPUS! BILL THE CAT! STEVE! Bloom County is back! I unexpectedly came across the Limited-Edition Preview of Bloom County: A New Hope, a 47 page, soft cover at Bookcon this past weekend in Chicago and it is an absolute delight! From Mariachis, to Ministry of Silly Walks, to Star Trek, to Trump bashing, this book had me chuckling like I did in the 80's when I grew up in Iowa City. The humor is just as funny as my favorite strip where Opus takes Hare Krishnas, Prayer Temples to Pear Pimples for Harry Fishnuts. After 25 years it is time to take my much loved stuffed dandelion hunting Opus out of moth balls and display him on the bookshelves. I cannot wait until September of 2016 for the 144 page hard cover to come out!
July 29, 2016
Berkeley Breathed took 25 years off after deciding he had said all he wanted to with his Bloom County and seven years after he abandoned Opus. Then, without any real warning, he resurrected Bloom County¸ publishing new daily and Sunday strips on Facebook. He was initially floored by the enthusiastic reaction he received but didn’t let that stop him and now, IDW is releasing the first collection of the current run.
Visually, the strip shows no overt change in art style although Breathed is playing with gray tones and spot color and it enhances the storytelling rather than distracts. The 154-page book is irreverent and exceptionally timely.
Whereas he had to work many weeks ahead of publication, he can be far timelier with his content so the strips here trace the rise of Donald Trump, the arrival of Star Wars Episode VII, and the current state of human affairs. He’s been rewarded with two Harvey Award nominations (syndicated strip and online comics work) and that’s because his material remains sharp, funny, and occasionally poignant. The latter is best seen here in the Christmas strips as we see a rare side of Steve Dallas.
Breathed has grown his cast which is nice as that stirs the pot and the emphasis is more evenly spread than when the strip ended a quarter century past. Overall, this is an immensely satisfying collection.
Visually, the strip shows no overt change in art style although Breathed is playing with gray tones and spot color and it enhances the storytelling rather than distracts. The 154-page book is irreverent and exceptionally timely.
Whereas he had to work many weeks ahead of publication, he can be far timelier with his content so the strips here trace the rise of Donald Trump, the arrival of Star Wars Episode VII, and the current state of human affairs. He’s been rewarded with two Harvey Award nominations (syndicated strip and online comics work) and that’s because his material remains sharp, funny, and occasionally poignant. The latter is best seen here in the Christmas strips as we see a rare side of Steve Dallas.
Breathed has grown his cast which is nice as that stirs the pot and the emphasis is more evenly spread than when the strip ended a quarter century past. Overall, this is an immensely satisfying collection.
July 18, 2016
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Bloom County was the Doonesbury of my generation. It was printed in my college newspaper and was the first comic I read every day in the student union between classes. I had a Bill the Cat t-shirt.
I was a little scared about this book. What if it was like those “Beatles” songs that were remixed and released long after John was dead. The ones that sucked. The ones that were the musical equivalent of trying to run a Keurig cup for the 5th time and getting something that was a diluted bland version of the original.
Well this isn’t like that at all. Our beloved characters pull their Rip Van Winkle act and it works. Filled with both social and political commentary, these strips retain the same edge yet gentle nature that I remember and loved. Breathed’s political lambasting is quite even handed, blasting both Trump and Hilliary in equal measure, as good satire should, since both are equally deserving.
All doubts are banished. Bloom County is back and still great. Let’s just not wait another 2 decades for the next installment, please?
Bloom County was the Doonesbury of my generation. It was printed in my college newspaper and was the first comic I read every day in the student union between classes. I had a Bill the Cat t-shirt.
I was a little scared about this book. What if it was like those “Beatles” songs that were remixed and released long after John was dead. The ones that sucked. The ones that were the musical equivalent of trying to run a Keurig cup for the 5th time and getting something that was a diluted bland version of the original.
Well this isn’t like that at all. Our beloved characters pull their Rip Van Winkle act and it works. Filled with both social and political commentary, these strips retain the same edge yet gentle nature that I remember and loved. Breathed’s political lambasting is quite even handed, blasting both Trump and Hilliary in equal measure, as good satire should, since both are equally deserving.
All doubts are banished. Bloom County is back and still great. Let’s just not wait another 2 decades for the next installment, please?
June 9, 2017
After many years of absence, Berkeley Breathed returns with a collection of comic strips around Opus and the old merry Bloom County gang as well as new members.
But some things never change. Opus and Bill the cat are still running a presidential campaign and Steve Dallas is still being obnoxious to women (until he runs into Sam the Lion, a sweet kid undergoing chemotherapy).
It is, of course, a collection of strips now posted on to Facebook where it finds an audience of thousands who almost immediately post hilarious comments about the strips; some of which find their way into the book.
For those new to Bloom County, this may not be the best book to introduce the cast as it assumes you know the backstory to the characters. But for those who read Bloom County in the past and enjoyed it, they will welcome this new collection.
But some things never change. Opus and Bill the cat are still running a presidential campaign and Steve Dallas is still being obnoxious to women (until he runs into Sam the Lion, a sweet kid undergoing chemotherapy).
It is, of course, a collection of strips now posted on to Facebook where it finds an audience of thousands who almost immediately post hilarious comments about the strips; some of which find their way into the book.
For those new to Bloom County, this may not be the best book to introduce the cast as it assumes you know the backstory to the characters. But for those who read Bloom County in the past and enjoyed it, they will welcome this new collection.
July 17, 2016
I'm a fangirl. I did a happy dance when Opus showed up on Facebook. I admit it.
Berkeley Breathed bringing Bloom County back has been just as magical for me as his strips were in the 80s. Political and social commentary mixed in with a bit of philosophy and a big helping of silliness, they make me smile, groan, and laugh out loud. Ready to re-read already.
Thanks to NetGalley, Diamond Book Distributors, and IDW Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Berkeley Breathed bringing Bloom County back has been just as magical for me as his strips were in the 80s. Political and social commentary mixed in with a bit of philosophy and a big helping of silliness, they make me smile, groan, and laugh out loud. Ready to re-read already.
Thanks to NetGalley, Diamond Book Distributors, and IDW Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 12, 2018
Yayyyyy Bloom County!
I am SO happy to see these characters again. I discovered Bloom County in 5th grade while visiting my aunt in Oklahoma (1985), cut out comic strips in junior high (Booooooo Reagan!! Booooooo Bush!!), and was devastated when Breathed quit. (But I guess it prepared me for Watterson's exit.)
Ok, so here's the thing. I teach English (which means teaching reading)--and we tend to privilege novels. But I was an eclectic and omnivorous reader...and I read Garfield and the comic pages and joke books and Big Little Books about Donald Duck and Archie comics and Bloom County books (and Sweet Valley High, too). Basically, lots of what seems to be categorized as "junk" reading by people who teach reading. (And English.) And I am now a successful and happy reader.
This is not a new insight, but it is an exhortation to parents and to certain teachers--people who learn to love to read learn to love it because it is FUN.
To sum up: YAY BLOOM COUNTY!
I am SO happy to see these characters again. I discovered Bloom County in 5th grade while visiting my aunt in Oklahoma (1985), cut out comic strips in junior high (Booooooo Reagan!! Booooooo Bush!!), and was devastated when Breathed quit. (But I guess it prepared me for Watterson's exit.)
Ok, so here's the thing. I teach English (which means teaching reading)--and we tend to privilege novels. But I was an eclectic and omnivorous reader...and I read Garfield and the comic pages and joke books and Big Little Books about Donald Duck and Archie comics and Bloom County books (and Sweet Valley High, too). Basically, lots of what seems to be categorized as "junk" reading by people who teach reading. (And English.) And I am now a successful and happy reader.
This is not a new insight, but it is an exhortation to parents and to certain teachers--people who learn to love to read learn to love it because it is FUN.
To sum up: YAY BLOOM COUNTY!
May 30, 2018
Once upon a time I was smitten with Doonesbury - the sociopolitical-humorous take on US life. But after a while it seemed to become more bitter than fun. Then there came Bloom County. How could I go wrong with a penguin led troupe of pre-teen political commentators? The humor suited me to a 't'. But then the author got tired(?) and things changed. Bloom County ended and, at least for me, the follow-up 'Outland' was a bit too 'out there'. I was less enthralled. And then it all ended. For 20+ years.
Then - an internet whisper was heard, and Bloom County was back! Not on a regular schedule, but still - back! The new stuff is more like the old Bloom County and, again, very enjoyable. As long as you're into the type of humor that skewers everyone - right/left/alt-right/left, etc. and along the way offers it's characters a bit of grace.
Then - an internet whisper was heard, and Bloom County was back! Not on a regular schedule, but still - back! The new stuff is more like the old Bloom County and, again, very enjoyable. As long as you're into the type of humor that skewers everyone - right/left/alt-right/left, etc. and along the way offers it's characters a bit of grace.
October 5, 2017
We were so excited when we heard that Bloom County was back! Opus and all your favorites are back and with a vengeance. Each strip is beautifully illustrated and the dialogue on-point. Can't wait for more from Berkeley Breathed.
My Rating: 5+ stars
My Rating: 5+ stars
Read
May 8, 2018Thrilled to see Bloom County back! This book will make a lot of people happy!
October 3, 2016
'Bloom County Episode XI: A New Hope' by Berkeley Breathed brought me back something I remember loving, and it turns out I still do.
I was a Bloom County fan for a lot of years. Towards the end of its original run, I stopped reading. It seemed to be feeling a bit thin and forced. I still missed it when it was gone. Zoom ahead to 2015 and it is back. Not only is it back, it's as funny and touching as it ever was.
The book includes a foreword talking about why the creator quit and what brought him back. I read it more than once, and it made me tear up. The strips include the usual dailies and full color Sunday strips. On each of the Sunday strips, there is a comment from a reader who is happy this is back.
The comedy has a lot of political edge, and in this season of election, there is much to make fun of. The cartoon claims to be bi-partisan and it mostly is, but it's all pretty funny. All the favorite characters are back and some new ones, including a young cancer patient who provides some really touching and unusual moments for a comic strip to make.
It's really good to have this back, and anyone who was a fan 25 years ago can rest assured that it's just as good.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, IDW Publishing, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
I was a Bloom County fan for a lot of years. Towards the end of its original run, I stopped reading. It seemed to be feeling a bit thin and forced. I still missed it when it was gone. Zoom ahead to 2015 and it is back. Not only is it back, it's as funny and touching as it ever was.
The book includes a foreword talking about why the creator quit and what brought him back. I read it more than once, and it made me tear up. The strips include the usual dailies and full color Sunday strips. On each of the Sunday strips, there is a comment from a reader who is happy this is back.
The comedy has a lot of political edge, and in this season of election, there is much to make fun of. The cartoon claims to be bi-partisan and it mostly is, but it's all pretty funny. All the favorite characters are back and some new ones, including a young cancer patient who provides some really touching and unusual moments for a comic strip to make.
It's really good to have this back, and anyone who was a fan 25 years ago can rest assured that it's just as good.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, IDW Publishing, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
November 30, 2016
Bloom County will always and forever have a special place in my memory. It was not only one of the first comic strips I'd laid eyes on and followed day to day, but also one of the first "graphic novels" I'd read....a collection of strips checked out by my mom for me from the public library around, oh, 1982, when I was home from school sick. Remember when Opus met the Hare Krishnas? Ha! Good times. Great oldies.
It was also one of the four or so strips I read and reread (and clipped and collected) every day from the newspaper (along with Garfield, Calvin and Hobbes and The Far Side and, oh, Blondie if she was having one of her "nice headlights" days).
And, back in the early 80s, it was kind of a rough guide to the Adult World. Some of the jokes, you just knew, could only be "got" if you read the other parts of the newspaper. And you didn't want to be left out of the joke, so, yeah, you read the "A" section so that, a few weeks later, you could get why Opus was doing this or Bill was doing that or Milo was saying this or Binkley was afraid of that.
This reboot has all the heart and humor I'd grown up with (and away from, and back to, and away from, and back to and etcetera). This collection, this revisitation, I enjoyed it.
It was also one of the four or so strips I read and reread (and clipped and collected) every day from the newspaper (along with Garfield, Calvin and Hobbes and The Far Side and, oh, Blondie if she was having one of her "nice headlights" days).
And, back in the early 80s, it was kind of a rough guide to the Adult World. Some of the jokes, you just knew, could only be "got" if you read the other parts of the newspaper. And you didn't want to be left out of the joke, so, yeah, you read the "A" section so that, a few weeks later, you could get why Opus was doing this or Bill was doing that or Milo was saying this or Binkley was afraid of that.
This reboot has all the heart and humor I'd grown up with (and away from, and back to, and away from, and back to and etcetera). This collection, this revisitation, I enjoyed it.
November 25, 2016
I picked this up because I was a fan of the original series, at least until the "Oral Bill" storyline. To the best of my knowledge, Mr. Breathed publishes his new strips only on Facebook. I check FB mostly on my phone, but because he publishes each entire strip as one image, it's hard to zoom in enough to appreciate an individual frame. I was really looking forward to reading these strips full-size, but the first several pages at least, and several more throughout, were an unexpected twist of the knife. Many of the strips were written during the primaries, when multiple candidates and one in particular were easy to write off as jokes. I did like the tributes to David Bowie and Harper Lee, and the discovery of Steve Dallas's heart of gold.
November 10, 2016
The wonderful mind of Berkeley Breathed returned to us simple folk in 2015 to much surprise and joy. Opus, Bill the Cat, Milo, Binkley, Steve Dallas and Cutter John are all back to show a different side of today's events. Every Bloom County should have this book.
This may be a selection of Bloom County 2015 comics as toward the end of the book is the Ernie Dinklefwat story arc. I do remember it being completed, but the resolution is not in this book. I hope it appears in the next book, but wonder why it wasn't resolved here. Other than that you'll laugh and cry as the Bloomers romp through the meadow and the 2016 presidential campaign season.
This may be a selection of Bloom County 2015 comics as toward the end of the book is the Ernie Dinklefwat story arc. I do remember it being completed, but the resolution is not in this book. I hope it appears in the next book, but wonder why it wasn't resolved here. Other than that you'll laugh and cry as the Bloomers romp through the meadow and the 2016 presidential campaign season.
August 1, 2016
I could not have been more excited to see Berke Breathed writing new Bloom County strips than if I swallowed a cat and broke out in kittens (to borrow a Liberty-ism). It's as if Opus and Bill and Milo and Steve Dallas have just been waiting in the wings all along to burst into the scene (aka Facebook) at a time when we all needed a laugh and a good dose of perspective. Berke has the gift to give us pathos and humor in one frame. I have a signed sampler from BEA but I'll be the first one with bells on to hear him read if he books an appointment with Prairie Lights.
January 6, 2017
When Bloom County seemingly popped out of nowhere (Facebook, actually) in 2015, his loyal fan of Opus, Milo, and Bill the Cat was beside himself with unrestrained glee. Berkeley Breathed's return is nothing short of a godsend in these troubled times.
144 pages of joy. Get the book, and follow the fun on Facebook.
144 pages of joy. Get the book, and follow the fun on Facebook.
October 15, 2016
While I'm waiting for Calvin and Hobbes to come back, I'll console myself with the return of Opus and the rest of the occupants of Bloom County. Some absurdist, much political - especially a certain tonsorialy challenged orange person.
August 31, 2016
Bloom County is back for the first time in 25 years and IT IS GLORIOUS!. Berkeley hasn't missed a beat in all that time. It's just as much fun today and it was in my formative years.
Received an advance copy from IDW and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Received an advance copy from IDW and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 14, 2016
The Return of Bloom County has been hilarious, especially little Abby and her yoga school. Stay alert til the very end of the book for a Halloween surprise appearance (not technically legal, but....TOTALLY worth it.) :-D
January 2, 2017
It can be argued that the one good thing about Trump running for President was that it inspired Berkeley Breathed to bring back Bloom County. The book can be 300 pages of nothing but Opus and Bill scratching their butts and I would still give it 5 stars. That's how much of a fan I am.
August 31, 2016
Bloom County is back! And all is a little better in the world.
July 27, 2018
Whoa, this was a blast from the past. 3.75 stars, rounding up.
Berkeley Breathed, the cartoonist, makes a good point in his foreword: a lot of the great cartoonists of the 80s and 90s - Gary Larson, Bill Watterson, and himself - kinda disappeared in the mid-90s to vague early retirements. Bill Watterson had his hole anti-corporate, hermit thing going on; Gary Larson I have no idea where he went; and same with Berkeley Breathed. They just stopped. Meanwhile, we lost Dilbert's Scott Adams to virulent Trumpism, complete with a totally snide twitter/blog "voice". Ugh.
Hey, what about Foxtrot guy? Bill Amend? He doesn't seem very political. Holy shit, I just googled, Foxtrot started in 1988. That man's been cartooning that for THIRTY YEARS PEOPLE.
HANNNYWAY. I used to binge this stuff back in the 90s, and I remember that Bloom County - more than any other strip, except maybe Gary Larson's - made me LOL the most. I still chuckle when I think of the strip about the resident Bloom County unreconstructed chauvinist asshole, Steve the Lawyer, getting a table at a restaurant. The maitre'd asks him a bunch of questions: "Smoking or non?" "Smoking!" he obnoxiously announces. More questions, ending with "Did your ancestors violently conquer and oppress large parts of the world?" Steve leans in, "YEEEESS!" Last panel: Steve sitting, cramped into a tiny table, asking a woman of color nearby for salt. "Apologize," she deadpans. HAAAAA.
The 2016 presidential election lured Berkeley Breathed out of his 25-year retirement, and this book is a collection of his comic strip-sized reactions to Trump, American politics, identity politics, the new Star Wars movies, screen addiction, and did I mention Trump? He skewers right and left pretty evenly (which is probably safer for his bottom line), but doesn't seem so much angry as amused by the incoherent raging and doomsday panic and quasi-religious consumerism of this American life.
I LOLed quite hard at some of his little punchlines, which are usually delivered via Opus the Penguin, a soft and squishy idiot. I screenshotted (screenshat?) a LOT of panels, just because they either tickled or charmed me. The little girl offering free yoga classes and decorating Opus into "Zenguin" were some of my favorite moments.
Berkeley Breathed, the cartoonist, makes a good point in his foreword: a lot of the great cartoonists of the 80s and 90s - Gary Larson, Bill Watterson, and himself - kinda disappeared in the mid-90s to vague early retirements. Bill Watterson had his hole anti-corporate, hermit thing going on; Gary Larson I have no idea where he went; and same with Berkeley Breathed. They just stopped. Meanwhile, we lost Dilbert's Scott Adams to virulent Trumpism, complete with a totally snide twitter/blog "voice". Ugh.
Hey, what about Foxtrot guy? Bill Amend? He doesn't seem very political. Holy shit, I just googled, Foxtrot started in 1988. That man's been cartooning that for THIRTY YEARS PEOPLE.
HANNNYWAY. I used to binge this stuff back in the 90s, and I remember that Bloom County - more than any other strip, except maybe Gary Larson's - made me LOL the most. I still chuckle when I think of the strip about the resident Bloom County unreconstructed chauvinist asshole, Steve the Lawyer, getting a table at a restaurant. The maitre'd asks him a bunch of questions: "Smoking or non?" "Smoking!" he obnoxiously announces. More questions, ending with "Did your ancestors violently conquer and oppress large parts of the world?" Steve leans in, "YEEEESS!" Last panel: Steve sitting, cramped into a tiny table, asking a woman of color nearby for salt. "Apologize," she deadpans. HAAAAA.
The 2016 presidential election lured Berkeley Breathed out of his 25-year retirement, and this book is a collection of his comic strip-sized reactions to Trump, American politics, identity politics, the new Star Wars movies, screen addiction, and did I mention Trump? He skewers right and left pretty evenly (which is probably safer for his bottom line), but doesn't seem so much angry as amused by the incoherent raging and doomsday panic and quasi-religious consumerism of this American life.
I LOLed quite hard at some of his little punchlines, which are usually delivered via Opus the Penguin, a soft and squishy idiot. I screenshotted (screenshat?) a LOT of panels, just because they either tickled or charmed me. The little girl offering free yoga classes and decorating Opus into "Zenguin" were some of my favorite moments.
October 8, 2020
I used to always read the Bloom County strip in the newspaper. Newspaper? A tortilla made from water and grated trees. Overseas I used to get Bloom County in "The Stars and Stripes." That newspaper arrived in batches allowing for binge reading. The days of the cold war brought the basselope and Opus' SDI solution. Oliver Wendel Jones accidently put his father's Jaguar in orbit around Pluto. While in boot camp a friend sent me the Sunday edition Bloom County were the gang sing "Let's Get Liberal" in tune Olvia Newton John's "Physical." Bloom County followed me around my time in the Marines and was always a welcome break from the seriousness of the military. I mean, who could forget "Deathtöngue"?
It seems Opus has been taking a nap... for the last 25 years. He finds himself in 2016 with all the new technology and no Bush and Clinton (he thinks). The good news is that all his friends are back and they haven't aged. It's a struggle to adapt and there are mistakes. Opus posts a private Steve Dallas video on Twitter thinking Twitter is a chatroom for birds. Berkely Breathed brought back Bloom County last year on Facebook and this is the first collection of the story so far.
There have been some changes in Bloom County over the years. The Starship Enterpoop has been replaced with the Aluminum Falcon and characters from that other space saga. Binkley anxiety closet is armed with a new orange haired anxiety. Opus and Bill run for president, mainly for matching campaign funds. Opus' platform is simple: two spaces after a period. Surprisingly a popular platform until the font lobby starts offering money.
This book was the first I am hearing of Bloom County's return. I guess being a bit like Opus, I prefer Twitter to Facebook. Regardless, it is great to have the guys back. I did read this book in one day. It was hard to put down after a twenty-five-year break.
It seems Opus has been taking a nap... for the last 25 years. He finds himself in 2016 with all the new technology and no Bush and Clinton (he thinks). The good news is that all his friends are back and they haven't aged. It's a struggle to adapt and there are mistakes. Opus posts a private Steve Dallas video on Twitter thinking Twitter is a chatroom for birds. Berkely Breathed brought back Bloom County last year on Facebook and this is the first collection of the story so far.
There have been some changes in Bloom County over the years. The Starship Enterpoop has been replaced with the Aluminum Falcon and characters from that other space saga. Binkley anxiety closet is armed with a new orange haired anxiety. Opus and Bill run for president, mainly for matching campaign funds. Opus' platform is simple: two spaces after a period. Surprisingly a popular platform until the font lobby starts offering money.
This book was the first I am hearing of Bloom County's return. I guess being a bit like Opus, I prefer Twitter to Facebook. Regardless, it is great to have the guys back. I did read this book in one day. It was hard to put down after a twenty-five-year break.
June 20, 2022
Few things have ever matched the feeling of joy as when in 2015, out of nowhere, new Bloom County comic strips started showing up in my Facebook feed. I was too young to get the strip’s humor in the 80’s, but I devoured every single one many times over (and in order) later as a teenager. Berkeley Breathed was instrumental in creating my still unrealized teenage dream of being a cartoonist. Between Calvin and Hobbes, The Far Side, and Bloom County, I really don’t think comics will ever again reach such heights as they did in that period.
So it sure was a treat when Opus woke up from his 25 year nap and discovered the wide 21st century world of Google, smartphones, and a Donald Trump presidential run. Capturing the cultural and political moment (of whatever decade) with razor absurdity and flightless waterfowl among dandelions, Bloom County is a monument to what can be achieved through the comic strip medium. It is a funhouse mirror held up to the world. I truly believe it belongs in the canon of great 20th century American art and culture. Long live Bill ‘n Opus (‘n Milo ‘n Binkley ‘n Steve Dallas ‘n Cutter John ‘n…), oh, and… Two Spaces After A Period!
P.S. The only thing I seriously missed from this collection was Hodge-Podge and Portnoy, those lecherous drunks!
P.P.S. I just read BB’s intro to Episode XI, and apparently his childhood literary hero, Harper Lee, came to be a great fan of Bloom County and pleaded with him not to let Opus die. Is that onions? Someone’s cutting onions again…
So it sure was a treat when Opus woke up from his 25 year nap and discovered the wide 21st century world of Google, smartphones, and a Donald Trump presidential run. Capturing the cultural and political moment (of whatever decade) with razor absurdity and flightless waterfowl among dandelions, Bloom County is a monument to what can be achieved through the comic strip medium. It is a funhouse mirror held up to the world. I truly believe it belongs in the canon of great 20th century American art and culture. Long live Bill ‘n Opus (‘n Milo ‘n Binkley ‘n Steve Dallas ‘n Cutter John ‘n…), oh, and… Two Spaces After A Period!
P.S. The only thing I seriously missed from this collection was Hodge-Podge and Portnoy, those lecherous drunks!
P.P.S. I just read BB’s intro to Episode XI, and apparently his childhood literary hero, Harper Lee, came to be a great fan of Bloom County and pleaded with him not to let Opus die. Is that onions? Someone’s cutting onions again…
Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews