In Review: Grey Area Our Town by Tim Bird

Grey Area Out Town - Cover By Tim Bird
Published by Avery Hill Publishing
ISBN 9781910395240
Published on 1st October 2016
32 pages, full colour, 210x297mm

Reviewed by Emily Owen

The Story: Our Town is Tim Bird’s follow-up to From the City to the Sea, which won Best Comic at the 2015 British Comic Awards. The focus in this instalment turns to remembered places. Memories from childhood, relationships with those we love, the environment that we experience and the time and place within which we exist.

Grey Area Out Town - S1

Grey Area Out Town - S2

Grey Area Out Town - S3

The Review: Our Town follows a simple 12-panel grid, each containing the simple illustration and sketchy style which Bird is known for. The muted colours are easy on the eye with the use of bright crimson really popping against the otherwise subdued backgrounds.

I have to confess that as I was half way through reading Our Town I didn’t get it. I wasn’t sure what Bird was trying to achieve, but led by the lovely illustrations I was convinced that all would become clear as I read on. And it did. This book is the snapshot of a memory through different points in time. It shows how our recollections change and that key moment’s stay with us throughout our lives.

The modest illustrations and economy of words allow the story to move along without too much prompting. The page of origami birds is the perfect example of beautiful simplicity; I spent a fair while gazing at it in wonder. I’m a little OCD about colouring and in an ideal world I’d prefer it to be cleaner, but I adored the soft colour pallete.

Another great book from the ever-excellent Avery Hill and a perfect little bit of escapism, well worth £7.00

Grey Area Our Town is available for pre-order with a copy of From the City to the Sea at averyhillpublishing.com for just £12.00 for both. The first 100 copies bought via AHP’s online shop come with an exclusive bookplate signed and numbered by Tim Bird and an origami bird made by April Swain

• Tim Bird can be found at timothybird.co.uk | Follow Tim Bird on Twitter @t_j_bird | Find Tim on Facebook

• Avery Hill can be found at Averyhillpublishing.com | Facebook | Follow them on Twitter @AveryHillPubl | Instagram: @averyhillpublishing

Emily Owen is a social hand grenade. Trying to see the wonder in little things everyday, and swearing about the bad s*** that goes on in the world. Follow her on Twitter @TomboyPrincess



Categories: British Comics, Reviews

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