One-man comics come with a myriad of issues, such as the artists being good at some things while not very good at others and putting out a work that can be subpar. However, it also comes with many benefits, specifically that the vision of the artists is not compromised, and we get exactly what one mind wants to express. Thankfully, this comic does not have the first issue. Other than the style mismatch on the cover (which actually reflects the inside pages), this book is a very deep read and will no doubt surprise you.
For a children’s story, it is pretty dark and sad, using a palette of muted colors and strong black shadows. We are treated to an inner world of frustration, hopelessness, and dread. Danny’s mother is in the hospital with cancer, and this kid is not taking it well. And how can we blame him? Cancer is no easy thing, even more so when it happens to your mother. Yet, Danny is plagued with visions of an alternate world, a world of imagination and fantasy, a world of creativity. A world where cartoon birds sing Julie London songs and WrestleMania zombies wander hospital morgues. A world where motorcycle bears explode and manga and comic heroes battle it out. A world where imagination and reality intertwine and leave us living a story that is not altogether real but, all the while, deeply emotional.
I will go ahead and say it, while the art is quite good and the use of bright, vivid colors for the cartoon characters can be jarring, it is such an intentional choice. And the writing is something I’ve never read before. I think this author could be such a great novelist too. I am very happy that they chose to combine words with pictures because this comic is so avant-garde and so innovative that to think we would be deprived of such a wonderful work of art because they chose to go the Stephen King route would be a shame. It is not particularly a fun read because it’s not a fun story. It’s an introspective voyage into the use of words to convey ideas, emotions, and feelings. And yet, it has the colorful characteristics of the mind of a child that grew up reading comics.
This book is like if you held your hand outside the window of a moving car and pretended your fingers were a superhero flying atop the highway. However, here the superhero is real, or maybe they aren’t… We are not sure. Things happen around Danny, and he has an explanation for how and why it happened, but all the adults see are the broken pieces of the imaginary battles that Danny witnesses. I’ve never read a book and felt perturbed. And heck, even though it shakes me to my core to feel this way after reading a book, I can’t help but think that this is what Danny is feeling right this moment as his mom sits in the hospital, possibly waiting for her last breath. Is that not marvelous? Is that not magnificent? To be able to cut through all the nonsense, all the frills and special effects, and really get you to feel what the characters in the story feel? I think that’s genius. This is such a weird comic, but it’s so weird in the best of ways.
Normally I would be complaining about the lack of SFXs in a story where we see cartoon characters interacting with the world and each other. But at the same time, I think the lack of SFXs enhances this comic because such lettering is “fun,” and this is not a fun story. Danny is not in the mood for fun right now. Danny is not in the mood for childish things and being treated like a little kid. Danny is suffering. Danny is going through something heavy right now, and this book feels heavy. Even the writing is heavy, even though it’s a short comic of about 30 pages of illustrations. This feels like a longer read because the words are so descriptive and dense. This is one of those books that feel sad. It feels like Danny is going through something the author actually went through, and it taps into your sense of empathy in such a great way that I can legitimately feel my heart tightening up while reading this.
I don’t know what to say, other than kudos and massive props for this work of art. This type of comic shows us that it’s not all about explosions, fight scenes, blood, or even jokes (which, by the way, Szymon even manages to throw in a couple of jokes here and there to ease your tension), but that a story can also be sad and downright profound and still be just as captivating as the superhero flavor of the week. The lettering by DC Hopkins is great, the art is wonderful, and the writing is amazing. The cover leaves a little to be desired, but overall, this really is something epic.
Writing: 5 Stars
Art: 5 Stars
Colors: 5 Stars
Overall: 5 Stars
Writing & Art by; Szymon Kudranski
Lettering by; DC Hopkins
Cover art by Szymon Kudranski
Published by Image Comics
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