Review: THE MALL TP

The Mall is a great combination of Robin Sparkles and a gangster movie. The book takes an interesting look at life in an 80s film if it was as twisted and unexpected as reality. The book deals with very dark themes contrasted against the bright colors and fashions of a Saved By The Bell type sitcom world.

The action begins when a trio of heroes each inherits a shop in the mall from their shared father. Not only do they have to grapple with the responsibility of running a business, they must also deal with the gang that is working out of the backrooms of each shop. Add to that troubles including drugs, HIV, harassment, gambling, and of course dating.

At the core of the story is the friendship between our three heroes. They are ostensibly step-siblings although we do learn in the course of the story that things aren“t quite that simple. Each of the characters has their own growth. Each learns to take responsibility in their own way.

The writing by Don Handfield and James Haick is well done although purposefully stereotypical in parts. The story is meant to be an homage of the films of the 1980s, but it is truly about growing up in any era. The most interesting aspect of the book, is watching our heroes navigate an increasingly violent and horrifying world. Managing a football game is nothing compared to managing your mom after she has overdosed. Going on a date, is nothing compared to taking on a rival gang. Dealing with the dance is nothing compared to escaping an abusive stepfather. But of course our teenage heroes worry about all of these problems in equal measure.

The Art by Rafael Loureiro and colors of Dijjo Lima are perfectly reflective of the era, content to be about the 80s pop brightness to contrast against the darkness of the surrounding themes and events. This is a smart book with much to say about the difficulties of finding oneself and growing up in broken families and a broken world. The characters have enough depth to keep things interesting and each react to their conflicts in very different ways.

Writing: 4 of 5 stars
Art: 3.8 of 5 stars
Colors: 4 of 5 stars

Overall 3.9 of 5 stars

Writing: Don Handfield and James Haick
Art: Rafael Loureiro
Colors: Dijjo Lima
Publisher: Scout Comics

Author Profile

M.R. Jafri

M.R. Jafri was born and raised in Niagara Falls New York and now lives with his family in Detroit Michigan. He's a talkative introvert and argumentative geek. His loves include Star Wars, Star Trek, Superheroes, Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, Transformers, GI Joe, Films, Comics, TV Shows, Action Figures and Twizzlers.