Strange Planet by Nathan W. Pyle: a review

I remember a couple of years back I first discovered Nathan W. Pyle’s art. It’s cute and fun, and quite frankly exactly the sort of thing I needed after Lolita. I also have no idea how I’m going to feel about what’s next, so cute and fun is perfect.

            Strange Planet by Nathan W. Pyle is a collection of short comics looking at aliens living as humans might. It strips back everyday occurrences taking objects, activities, and sayings at face value. It’s a sweet and literal look at the world around us.

            The “mildly injured” comic really warmed my heart so much. I mean, this whole collection is pretty heart-warming, but this one in particular really got me. I just realised how it sounds saying that I love a comic about an injury, but it’s about a kid with their parent at a park, and the parent kisses a small cut better. It’s sweet; I’m not callous.

            The push-up comic is also a firm favourite. As someone who, no matter how fit I get, has never been any good at push-ups, this comic really hit the spot.

            I think my absolute favourite comics are the piercing and tattoo comics. The “do you love birds or not?” line really got me. It’s bang on the mark in terms of both client and artist. I love it.

            Overall, I really enjoyed this. It’s pretty simple but it was a joy to read. I can certainly see myself borrowing this again even if I don’t read it all in one go like I did this time. I can definitely recommend that you check this out, and if you’re in the Burnley are, it’s available at the library.