Same Difference

The first publishing of Derek Kirk Kim's "Same Difference & Other Stories" (by TopShelf) is one of my favorite graphic novels of all time. I fell in love with Derek's method of storytelling and his ability to capture the human emotion within his characters faces. That hint of surprise, that pang of sadness, or the look of longing over a lost loved one so eloquently captured in the characters faces. And while I missed out on the chance to buy a new version of the older book, I was excited to see FirstSecond offering a new edition of "Same Difference" in a nice hardcover format. And while it is a beautifully designed book (I especially love the mylar cover with the fish)...I'm a bit disappointed that it is literally only "Same Difference" and that the "other stories" got left by the wayside with no way for new readers to enjoy them unless they go and purchase a used copy of the original book.The actual story, "Same Difference," is still absolutely fantastic and remains timeless. In the story we meet a group of friends sitting at a local restaurant, in front of the fish tank, discussing where they are in life and what they want from the future. Over the next few pages Simon and Nancy both share secrets about themselves...and in order to resolve a couple of them they head off to Simon's hometown. And the theme of the fish tank, the kinda of outside looking in theme from going back home and watching folks but not really fitting in, reverberates throughout the story in many ways. Especially with the new mylar cover where the reader feels like they're inside the fish tank looking out and hearing the stories being told is a nice touch. The artwork in the story is evocative and captures the emotions of the characters well.Overall it's a really nice edition of "Same Difference." I just wish other readers had a chance to see the variety and breadth of Derek's abilities without having to purchase a used copy of the original (like I did) and that this new version had a place for the other stories.

I sent the book as a gift not knowing the copy I was sending was a black and white paperback proof. Not sure if I missed that in the description (I think it said hardcover). Though my friend liked the content of the book, I was dumbfounded when I saw the copy with my own eyes. The one I’d originally read was hard cover and full color. Disappointing. The book itself is great.

Cute, cheap little book. Very short, but a good read. Tells the story about some recent hs graduates trying to decide how to move on with their lives. Black and white on newsprint.

One of the modern classic works spawned from the webcomic era. Fittingly won all of the industry awards and still rings true with timeless humor and pathos. Get it!

Not having read "Same Difference" before purchasing and getting 20 copies from World Book Night, I was hopeful that one of the standards in graphic novels would be wonderful for my middle school kids/families. Although the overall message is a good one, the details are far too "graphic" for a middle school population (let alone their parents!). I will need to develop a new distribution plan for these novels.

I remember reading this a very long time ago when it was online and free. I am very pleased to own it now and the hardcover is lovely. It came quickly and was packaged nicely!

Great graphic novel. Only wish that they had included the shorter stories that were part of the earlier edition.

great, tight graphic novel.