Shoplifter (Pantheon Graphic Library)

Michael Cho's first graphic novel is deceptively simple and if you aren't careful a fast read. This is the kind of book that should be read, and then read again this time taking full measure of the artwork which is beautiful and clean presenting a story far too many of us have experienced but few actually do something about-- actually follow your dreams. The power of graphic novels is their ability to tell a lot of story in just a few pages because we can see the expressions and body language of the characters, we can see the environments they exist in and walk in their world. Cho's art is especially effective, evoking something deceptively simple while masterfully composed. A stellar first effort from a major talent.

A short but enjoyable story. Well written, art is solid. If you like Michael Cho this is worth picking up.

Believable, sympathetic Corrina, an English major graduate, is now working in ad agency in Toronto. She feels alienated, lonely, disconnected from all the money-making schemes and social media that surrounds her. To show she has confidence to herself, she takes up a bad shoplifting habit. As she spirals downward, she finds a way to save her humanity. I really loved this book, the story, the character, the artwork. This is a classic, as good as Ghostworld. Highly recommended.

First off, the art here is 5-star. The story, however, is merely okay. If anything, the narrative would have been helped by being longer. The various threads of the story (job, romantic interest, shoplifting) are lifted and looked at without being fully examined. Still, this is a promising early graphic novel by Cho. I’ll definitely be following his work.

This book is a gem. It offers up a glimpse into the life of a young lady who starts to question the status quo she's built around herself. The illustrations are excellent as well, there are some pages that have no dialogue, but what you see in the illustrations say so much more than can be conveyed with a few conversation bubbles. I'm glad I took a chance and got it. I'm looking forward to seeing more from this author.

A well-drawn and intricately observed story of a young woman at a crossroads in career and life. The drawings are sophisticated, subtle, and subtly funny, and then sneakily emotional. Cho approaches what could be a familiar story from an unfamiliar perspective, with plenty of satisfying surprises along the way. I look forward to future installments.

A short, palpable story with unique drawing technique..amazing! The tone that michael cho's brought in this book was conformable with the emotion he want to tell.. Great storylines even thought in my opinion was too short for a graphic novel..

The story is very short and clique, but really compelling. The art is lovely. It reminded me a little of Adrian Tomine’s work (strangely powerful stories of lonely people and seemingly mundane situations) but 'Shoplifter' is much more optimistic I think and ends on a really nice and hopeful note.

Corinna Park hat Englische Literatur studiert und danach eine Anstellung in einer Werbeagentur gefunden. Eigentlich wollte sie Schriftstellerin werden, aber inzwischen hängt sie seit fünf Jahren in der Agentur fest und das Leben droht an ihr vorbei zu ziehen. Überhaupt hat Corinna es nicht leicht, denn sie ist nicht gut angepaßt an eine Gesellschaft, in der persönliche Kontakte zunehmend von den sozialen Netzwerken verdrängt werden und Likes und Links das Leben ersetzen. Von ehemaligen Freunden weiß sie kaum mehr als das, was bei Facebook, Twitter & Co. als persönliche Updates eingestellt wird, und mit neuen Bekanntschaften tut sie sich schwer. SHOPLIFTER ist eine in Duotone umgesetzte Short Story mit überwiegend melancholischen Bildern, in der es um nichts Geringeres als die Frage geht, wie Corinna ihr zukünftiges Leben gestalten wird. Michael Chos Bilder treffen meinen Geschmack voll und ganz und ich liebe all die kleinen Indizien und Hinweise, die Anspielungen und Realien in ihnen. <spoiler>Ein schönes Beispiel ist die Metapher vom Eisbären, der in der Tierdoku im Fernsehen die Eisscholle schließlich verlassen muss, als sie zu klein wird</spoiler> SHOPLIFTER ist ein großartiges Debut voller Einsamkeit und Melancholie, aber auch menschlicher Wärme <spoiler>Was würde, wenn der Ladenangestellte Corinna anzeigte, als er sie beim Ladendiebstahl erwischt? Zum Glück läßt er sich von seiner Menschenkenntnis leiten</spoiler>. Die untypische Heldin, die sich den Zeitströmungen nicht anzupassen vermag, ist mir sehr sympathisch und so toll beschrieben / gezeichnet, dass sie mir wie eine wirkliche Bekannte vorkommt. Vielleicht frage ich in ein paar Monaten "He, weißt du, was aus Corinna geworden ist?" und ernte dafür fragende Blicke. Immer wieder sage ich, dass ich keine Lieblingsbücher, Lieblingsfilme, Lieblingsmusiker etc. habe, aber SHOPLIFTER hat das Zeug dazu, eines meiner Lieblingscomics zu sein und ich werde es sicherlich immer wieder zur Hand nehmen. Hoffentlich werden wir von Michael Cho noch viel hören.

I think most of us can identify with this character, I know I did, we do these things we know we shouldn’t & we think it’s no big deal but it is really !!!?

A lovely story, drawn with a simple but polished and effective style. It is almost like a mini movie. In my opinion, this comic would have benefited from a larger size. The pages are only 14 by 21 cm, which is rather small.

Michael Cho’s ”Shoplifter" is a gem of a graphic novel. I borrowed it from my local library and loved it so much I ordered a copy to keep and study in my own collection. I'm a commercial illustrator and I've been taking notes-to-self about Michael Cho's commercial work for close to 2 decades now. His level of craftsmanship is exquisite. He's totally owned and mastered a career-long commitment to a black and white plus one colour, comics-inspired aesthetic. He has approached his graphic novel storytelling with the same care. The layouts and images arranged just so to give me, the reader, just the right information to build the story in my imagination, as all great stories do. It’s a digest-sized book, adding to that intimate feeling of the story, and the high-quality hardcover binding gives it a sense of being something valued, something to keep and treasure for a long time with the same level of care he’s put into creating it, which I intend to do. The black and white plus one colour (pink) harkens from the old print days when when designers felt pressure to save money by buying fewer colour plates to print with, which lends the art a timeless quality. The story is a slice of life from a pivotal time for his protagonist, Corinna Park. A simmering disillusionment with her career and life path that leads her to some risky behaviour. Cho has so tenderly felt his way into her experience. And he’s left lots of space for me as the reader to imagine and relate my own life experience to Corinna’s, to think for myself what she must be experiencing on the inside.

I was fully hooked from the beginning: the premise, the gorgeous black/white/pink artwork, the main character and her worldview. The story is very small, but with big personal stakes. Sadly, I didn’t feel the ending lived up to those stakes - I found it to be equally small, and a bit clichéd.