REVIEW: Fall in love again with Arnold Arre’s ‘After Eden’

“Love is the biggest mystery of the universe. But why try to solve it, when one simply view it for what it is and marvel at the wonders and strangeness it brings?” - After Eden

After the huge success of Halina Filipina, Arnold Arre has come back again to capture the hearts of his readers. This time, he is taking everyone back to 2002 where he first placed his hands on the pedal and his writing in to the test with After Eden.

[CHECK OUT… GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW: Halina Filipina]

After Eden is the story of Celine and Jon, separated childhood best friends who saw each other again in a very unexpected manner, both found themselves lost in the ups and downs of love. The story also depicts a fight between angels and demons and and we get to see which one wins at the end.

This is a revised edition, but it is definitely the same story that mirrors our reality. On how we deal on our lives after our academic graduations, our concept of love, on dealing with dating and balancing our time with friends — all of these topics are touched in this graphic novel. The story shows the extreme standpoints of the couple who were deeply in love and the voice of the gender of the couple. You can clearly hear their voices and their opinions about what is going on to their mind and the notions that goes to their brain in finding that “right one”. It shows us the adjustments that a couple make when the reality catches them up — that no relationship is forever in cloud nine. There are always obstacles and struggles as you get by with your partner.

Flipping through page by page, you are drawn to the emotions and voices of the characters. You could be Celine, or you could be Jon. You could also be one of their friends. Every reader can truly relate to this, well, cheesy but innocent vibe that Arnold Arre placed in every panel. You can feel the emotions in every word etched in the pages — the anger, the frustration, the disappointment, all of these are  in the pages of After Eden. Arre’s talent in articulation, expressive lettering and dialogue draw you inside the story. Also, the panels are simple and not busy that you will not feel confused or dazed at all.

If you’ve read the first print, it clearly showed us the fight between the angels and devils. However in this new edition, the said fight is minimized. Which is a good choice because it seems it is not necessary anymore. Large panels of the said part are removed and it now directs us straightly to the story of Celine and Jon.

Overall, Arnold Arre not just refurbished After Eden, but he actually makes it into a new graphic novel for everyone. With his eloquent dialogues and story writing, they give justification on why After Eden deserves reprinting, and why his readers love it so much. Yes, there are tons of cheese oozing out from the panels. The story is predictable, yes — but the way Arnold Arre handles the story in a level of simplicity and beauty, makes it one of his best works ever.