Chester 5000 (Book 2): Isabelle & George (Chester 5000 XYV)

This volume went in all sorts of directions I wasn't expecting! I hadn't been made this emotional by a book in months! Seriously, I'm just giving this all the stars because I was bouncing around in my seat, bursting with so many different emotions while reading: sad, happy, worried, excited, heartbroken, swooning---I was all over the place! *This comic doesn't even have words, and I freaking cried.* It was so not what I was expecting after the first volume, which was basically a silly steampunk porno.But before I get there, I've a few things to mention. First of all, this book is named "Isabelle & George" but, in my opinion, it was mostly about Robert. I mean it---if you didn't love Vol. 1 but did love Robert and are wondering whether or not to read this one, READ IT. Second, it's meant to be (and definitely should be) read after Chester 5000 XYV Vol. 1 since it functions like a prequel and a sequel; the timeline got confusing for a few pages when it was transitioning over the events of Vol. 1, but, on the artist's site, she explains in the notes (the part after "6 months later" takes place during Vol. 1, and the part after "3 weeks later" takes place after Vol. 1). Third, this one was significantly less porn and more story (though still some porn, so do expect some explicit pages). Fourth, something great about both these books is how they they're inclusive of so many different sexual pairings (M/F, M/M, F/F/M, M/M/F, solo M, solo F, hell, one character is a robot, so toss an R in there somewhere too).But what really took me by surprise wasn't any of that, it was how much emotion and depth and even plot there was. This added a lot of depth to the characters by showing us the backstory for them and for all the events in Vol. 1, and it made me sympathize with everyone more. In Vol. 1, Priscilla seemed like all she wanted was sex all the time, whereas in this one, I could understand why she wasn't satisfied with Robert. In Vol. 1, Robert was mostly portrayed as an unhappy workaholic, whereas in this one, it was nice to see a side of him that was happier and more carefree at times, but I also felt bad for him because of all the pressure he was under at work and because of his sexuality crisis. [Hidden spoiler can be found in my review on my blog or Goodreads.]And then, ugh, I knew what was coming because of Vol. 1, but it still hit me in the feels. I literally had like three whole tears fall down my face, which, for me, is a lot since I don't cry from books. And then I felt even worse for Robert and understood why he pushed Priscilla away. But actually, the artist did a good job of showing the grief/loneliness/emotion of all the different characters for their various different reasons. But then all the sudden, when it got to the part that took place *after* Vol. 1, more things started happening, and I was totally on the edge of my seat wondering where the story would go. THERE WAS EVEN MURDER. Well, not really, but kinda. Maybe, actually. [Hidden spoiler can be found in my review on my blog or Goodreads.]Also, I felt kinda unsure about the ending of the first book because I thought it might've been better for Robert and Priscilla to work things out, but this made it even more clear that they weren't right for each other, and the ending of this one made me feel so much happier about how things turned out.One last thing, I think it's so neat how the artist was able to convey so much without using any dialogue. I was a little unclear on the details of some of the more complex things (like the contract that was signed), but it all made sense eventually, and the thoughts/feelings of the characters were always so clear. The lack of words forced me to focus more on the drawings, and the author really used the visual medium to her advantage since there was no dialogue to rely on. And I totally found myself making up my own dialogue in my head sometimes lol.So yeah, this is a little gem of a comic, and I’ve already bought myself a physical copy because that’s just how much I loved the characters and story and artwork. Overall, this was maybe a little silly and not particularly realistic but still emotional and sweet and fun and beautifully illustrated in a stylistic kind of way and I ADORED it!*Note: The artwork in the physical copy is black and white rather than purple-ish.*Rating: 5 StarsOriginal Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight (link in profile)

It’s a fun time. I like Finks art a lot so if you’re looking for something fun to look at for a bit, check this book out.

If you enjoyed the first book in this series then you're bound to love this one just as much if not more. Once again you can read it completely for free on Jess Fink's website but there is also a print edition releasing on the 14th of February. This story actually starts before the first book begins but I would definitely recommend reading them in order because it spans a much larger length of time and continues beyond the end of Chester 5000-XYV.We already met Isabelle in the first book but this story allows us to get to know her and her husband George much better from how they met and married through to when Isabelle was introduced in the first book. I have to say I like George a LOT more than I liked Robert but we actually get the chance to see more of Robert here too and he wasn't as bad as I initially thought he was. We get to see just why he became so work obsessed and started neglecting Priscilla and that made him an easier character to like.As with the first book Chester 5000-YXV: Isabelle and George is written completely without dialogue so it's impressive how well you are able to connect with all of the characters and understand what motivates them without them ever speaking. The artwork was just as impressive and I think this had more of an actual story than the first book. That's not to say there isn't sex in here (in fact I think it's a little more risqué this time around!) but there were other things going on too which is probably what held my interest enough to read both books in one sitting. I hope that this isn't the last we've seen of these characters, the web comic hasn't been updated in a year but the book is only just being released in print so perhaps there is still more to come.Source: Read for free online at Jess Fink's website

I loved the first Chester 5000-XYV, so it was an easy choice to pick up, and I love it even more than the first one I think?Jess Fink draws some lovely erotica and no comic porn shelf is complete without it. The story is lovely, the lgbt characters feel natural and real (which is really refreshing, let me tell you), and everytime I read it, it makes me smile. Did I forget to mention it was sexy? Its super hot.Just treat yourself to it okay? You wont regret it.

It has an amazing quality, like the previous issue <3and the story is really cool without the need of words.