Book Review: Menz Insana [Christopher Fowler]

RATING: 5 Stars! An all-time fave!

Leisure Suit Larry turned mad scientist? :P

This is one of my all-time favorite graphic novels. Found this title in a bargain bin in near-perfect condition. Sweetest find eveeer! 

Menz Insana tells of a wacky love story set in the realm of the insane, the Mental Plane, where things poof in and out of existence, float in the middle of nothingness, cause random implosions and explosions, and- well, you get the idea. Skinny, balding, ex-pharmacist Menz is contented to be living in the realm of insanity, and has never felt happier in his entire life. However, his girlfriend, the lovely Jaz (who is Playboy Playmate material), wants to go back to the realm of sanity to find out who she was before insanity. 

The plot takes an unexpected twist when she DOES find out who she was, how she got to the Mental Plane in the first place, and her relationship to Menz in the sane world. Will their love survive after the truth is revealed?

I absolutely loved Fowler's creation of the Mental Plane. Kudos to John Bolton's art as well, which shifts from sophisticated altered photography to cartoon-ish illustrations, which sets the mood by emphasizing the difference between reality and insanity. The Mental Plane can be described as Alice's Wonderland with an R-rating. Fowler also makes a humorous analogy of the Mental Plane to Dante's "Inferno", where there are different levels of insanity which can be visited via an elevator.

And of course, who can forget the other inhabitants of the Mental Plane such as the adorable Squid Baby, or our couple's arrogant, hormone-raging, thick-skulled, suit-wearing neighbor ("Neighbor?? We don't even have walls!") Cowhead, or Drips the Inside-Out Man (*drip* *drip* eeew...) and tons of others. The characters are all delightfully cheeky, and the conversations full of razor-sharp wit. And, ironically, given the theme of the story, Fowler manages to leave no loose screws (pun intended) in the end. 

Menz Insana is brimming with intelligence: light, quirky and funny on the surface, but it leaves the reader reflecting on the line between what's sane and insane, what's good and bad, the shackles and restraints society imposes on people, and the pressure of today's social system on people's minds. An excellent read.