"In essence, what I think James Turner set out to do
with this book was to give us something that was almost totally
unique, and to my mind, he absolutely succeeded...I really
haven't seen a book so refreshingly unique in a long, long
time, and it's put a big smile on my face ever since I finished
reading it. Please don't make the mistake of passing this
book up. Harass your comic shop to get this for you (or order
it direct from Slave Labor Graphics), set aside a day or
two to take it all in, boil up a pot of coffee, get a danish,
and then settle back and enjoy Rex Libris: "I Librarian".
You'll be glad you did."
Matthew Bylsma, Cellar Door
"What a strange comic this is. I mean strange in the
best sense, and while you're probably expecting this to be
a humor comic with the description above, it's not actually
a laugh riot. It's amusing, but in ways you'd never expect...So
at once, this issue is a dry, absurdist comedy about a librarian
fighting evil one book at a time, a fantasy about what fallen
gods get up to once they're relegated to mythology, and a
satire about publishers whose heads are so far up their tuccus
that they think they're going to "reinvent" comics
by doing the same damn thing everyone else has done. If you're
looking for a meaty, unusual comic, seek this one out."
Andrea Speed, Comixtreme
"Rex Libris is a seriously odd comic. For one thing,
it's a comic within a comic. Or rather, it's a comic book
story within equally fictional comic book packaging. It's
a bit complicated."
Xaxis
"Buy it. Enjoy it. It's a book that deserves to be
read. And re-read."
Joe Hillard, Popthought
"If for some reason I went destitute and could only
afford to buy one comic book this month, Rex Libris would
be it. Action, humour, history, absurdity, metaphysics, hyper-stylized
art - what's not to like? If you've been looking for something
different, well, this is different. But it's also pretty
damn good."
Graig Kent, CHUD Review
"...Turner occasionally fills nigh-entire pages with
text, which can overwhelm the reader. It's always very entertaining
and well-written text, but it still seems excessive at times.
Rex Libris, for all its ridiculous concepts and general silliness,
is still a book for people who want to read and think; the
humour on display here lies a good deal above "Man Hit
With Football in Groin". It's played entirely straight
for the most part, and the jokes are seldom spelled out for
the audience.... Rex Libris may take a while to absorb and
fully appreciate, but it's certainly worth the effort. Not
entirely unlike the Dewey Decimal System, but a good deal
more fun."
Ryan Day, Comixfan
Trade Review
"This is a very well-planned comic. Everything, each line, letter and shape is expertly placed
for maximum enjoyment. The book flows nicely, but it could be a challenging read for anyone
not familiar with Greek Mythology or political philosophy. For those who aren't up on their
ancient gods or modern thinkers, the art is great to look at, and it makes the story comprehensible
and enjoyable... With great humor and even greater art, Rex Libris is a knockout of a comic.
If it does have a downfall, it's that the audience who will get the most from it
are probably literary snobs who don't bother reading comics, or funnybooks as
they might call them. But, if a sci-fi fantasy comic about a near-immortal
gun-toting librarian and his magical friends doesn't garner a lot of fans,
who could really say they're surprised?"
Gabe Bullard, Playback
Issue 7 Reviews
"Hyper-literate, funny, and wonderfully strange, Rex Libris is
always one of my favorites when it comes out. This isn't an ideal jump on point for
new readers, so I strongly suggest you get the trade when it comes out and then catch
up on these issues. You won't be sorry."
Andrea Speed, Comixtreme
Issue 8 Reviews
"Recently optioned by the Hollywood types for one of those big motion picture deals,
James Turner's Rex Libris is a book that is getting noticed. If you're unfamiliar
with the book or its protagonist, Rex is a seemingly immortal librarian warrior,
who works for a Canadian library that has quite the selection of rare and mystical
books, and whose patrons include aliens or people prone to (literally) getting sucked
into what they're reading.... Although it's the finale to Rex's adventure inside the "Book of Monsters",
this issue doesn't really wind down until the last bunch of panels. Nearly every page features Rex
tackling monsters, from Nazi Zombies to giant alien lice, side stepping Nosferatu and Pod People on
the trail of Beowulf's Grendel (scamming the Omega Man's ride along the way)."
Graig, Rack Raids
"Therešs a real genius behind every issue, most evident in how quickly these great ideas appear in the book
and then are pushed aside to get to the next great idea. Turner almost seems to be tossing every good joke,
character, and monster onto the page without any regard to where the next bit of goodness will come from.
Quite different from the comic book writers who have one good monster or character idea and intend on milking
it because therešs no telling how long it will be before the next one comes along. Turner is doing fantastic
work here, and itšs a shame that so many of the substandard books from DC and Marvel will grab the attention
while Rex Libris so clearly deserves it more."
JP, Chickity China
Issue 9 Reviews
"After fending off a book full of monsters, Rex is all set to resume his primary duties as a librarian,
only to discover that certain books have metastasized into actual reality. It's a problem he and the other
librarians are going to have to deal with - only Rex is reminded about the time he had to retrieve a very
powerful crystal from a group of dissident Russian writers in 1933, and spends much of the issue lost in the
memory. What results is a story of heavy action, filmnoir ambiance and square-jawed know how only James Turner can deliver."
Brandon Schatz, Comixtreme
Issue 11 Reviews
"I can't even describe this book, because it's so wonderful. Rex and the United States government have to
fight Cthulhu Two, a "memetically generated duplicate every bit as dangerous as the original," so of
course there's a lot of gearing up for action (the story is continued next issue, so they don't actually
fight Cthulhu Two), but, as usual with an issue of Rex Libris, there's so much more. There's the secret
of the bad coffee next door to the library; why the patrons don't notice the monsters in the lobby; the
thrilling drama of a phone ringing (seriously!); an interlude on Benzine V, the planet Rex visited a while
back; tinfoil hats; the grumpy and hungry Sphinx in the basement; a reference to the classic work "My Dinner
with Cthulhu, the Mind Devouring Horror from Beyond Space"; Russian pilots speaking Swedish; and pandimensional
architecture... Ah, joyful comics, thy name is Rex Libris. Pick up an issue today!"
