Review: Sina Grace’s “Not My Bag”

By Agent Burgos on Oct 04, 2012 with Comments 1

I usually don’t write reviews anymore, call me a slacker, but between my real job, video editing,interviews and setting up cool stuff for the website, along with my awesome partners here at CBT, I honestly have little time.

But when I found out that Sina Grace was coming up with his own graphic novel “Not My Bag” I said to myself: I must read it and review it.

Last time I read something that had Sina’s name attached to it I loved it.

It was “The Li’l Depressed Boy”. Enough said.

So you understand why I had to give Not My Bag a chance.

Well, let me tell you what Not My Bag isn’t about.

It is not an action, full of blood and sex comic book. It is not about zombies (even though Sina used to be the editorial director for Skybound), and it is not about aliens, although an evil Skrull makes an appearance.

So what is it about then?

It’s about retail hell! Yup, it’s about the six months Sina spent working for a retail store, and how unpleasant his experience was.

Well, that sounds boring you might say. A semi autobiography about a guy who works at retail store?

Well, sorry to disappoint you guys but it is actually a very entertaining book.

What the author is sharing with us, aside from his artwork and writing, is one of the most intimate experiences in his life. He is letting us in to his world, into his diary basically, an he illustrates it and describes it beautifully.

In the book, Sina deals with the ghosts of his past relationships, which are always haunting him and don’t let him move on. He is dwelling on the past and is having a hard time moving on.

He is a young, skillful and artistic individual but keeps getting put down by some o the evil co-workers who do not care about anything else, but their own interests. It makes you wonder if these people are actually human.

I think we can all relate in some extent to that type of co-workers.

I don’t want to give out too much, because you have to buy this book.

Sina’s art goes very well with the story portrayed in this book. It feels very personal and unique. I can’t think of any other artist drawing this book. The art as well as the story go very well together, and the fact that it is a black and white graphic novel, adds so much depth and texture that it leaves a good taste in your eyes.

It is not your typical graphic novel at all. It is very entertaining and emotional at the same time, and because is not a book for everyone, is hard to look away. But that is the beauty of it.

It’s Not My Bag perfect? No. It is not.
Why? Because to me the story is too short. I wanted to see more. That’s it, that’s my only complaint. Give me more. What happens afterwards? How does he land the job at Skybound? Hehe who knows, maybe we will see a second part and he can call it “My Bag Is Full” haha ( we can talk about it later Sina).

One important thing want to mention is that I have to give big props to IMAGE Comics, for allowing young talented artists like Mr. Grace, tell stories that are not just focused on just one particular group or genre.

Variety equals excellence in my book, and Not My Bag it’s a perfect example of quality, hard work and excellence.

I rate Not My Bag a 9 out of 10

A 96-page, black-and-white graphic novel, NOT MY BAG (AUG120476) will be in stores on October 10

Follow @comicbtherapy

Bio
Latest Posts

Agent Burgos

Website Coordinator at ComicBookTherapy

I am Agent Burgos S.H.I.E.L.D. Information Director. I like to bring you the latest news from the Comic World, I do not discriminate, and often venture in other galaxies and alternate universes.