Review: Waves Hard Cover

Thanks to the ever present “event”, promising us the “best story ever, spread over too many issues and taking too long to hit the racks (yes, I am looking at you Doomsday Clock (three issues to go, will they arrive by the end of the year?), we can sometimes forget that comics can tell a more personal story, a story full of emotion rather than bombastic action.  Waves, from Boom! Studios seeks to redress that balance.

Waves features a young couple as they finally fall pregnant after years of trying.  What follows are the waves of emotions, dreams and nightmares that flow in the wake of their happiness, leading up to and overtaking the most traumatic of losses.  Together, and sometimes alone, the couple forge ahead looking to rebuild and somehow recognise that their scars, both emotional and physical can perhaps give comfort with their worst fears perhaps being realised.

The book is written by Ingrid Chabbert, an author of around 60 children’s books, who is taking her first steps into graphic novel territory.  The story is a personal story, as discussed by Chabbert herself in the back of the book.  For any one, any couple, the loss of a baby is horrific.  Having lived through it myself, I would not wish it upon my worst enemy.  The book, rightly so, focuses on the Mom, her feelings of desolation, turning into hope and  then seeing it torn asunder.  Chabbert’s writing is emotional, leading you into the character’s world with ease to the point you want to believe that there is a happy ending; spoiler – there possibly is, though not the one you are may be hoping for.  All the aspects of the story are fantastic and clearly well observed; the pages after the loss where the would be mom is left on a maternity wing is truly heartbreaking, as is the one panel where her partner is allowed to fall, ever so slightly, the latter being part of a system that seems to think that partners do not lose anything in this circumstance, an opinion that Chabbert, I think shares and recognises with the last couple of pages and the last panel with any dialogue.

Carole Maurel, an artist  who revived critical acclaim for her graphic novel Luisa: Now and Then is the artist on this project.  Maurel’s European style, both writer and artist are French, suits the various moods of the book well.  The line work is quite simple, but highly effective, with backgrounds that are relevant and easily recognisable.  The simple style also allows for the expressions and emotions of the characters to come to the forefront.  There are various locations throughout the book and each carries a perspective of the journey.  These perspectives are also created by the fantastic use of color.  From the outset red is the danger color, for obvious reasons which weren’t lost on me from the get go.  Looking through the book, I think it’s Maurel’s colors that actually tell the story artistically speaking.  For example, after the event all color is gone from the world, save for a journal.  As the pair try to re-assemble their lives, color is added bit by bit, evocative of where they were and where they are now.  Finally, Derron Bennet provides the letters with an almost handwritten, not handwriting style that emphasises the personal aspects of the book.

As stated, I have gone through a loss akin to the one in this story.  This gives the book a deeper relevance to me, I guess, a relevance that will be shared by those with a similar history.  As on certain cold,wet days, when you think of what could of been, you can lose sight of what you have. I am glad that Ingrid Chabbert had the courage to share her story and with the help of Carole Maurel, has produced a book to honour the memory of one little baby.

Trés bien, merci beaucoup.

Writing – 5 Stars
Art – 5 Stars

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Written by: Ingrid Chabbert
Art by; Carole Maurel
Letters by; Derron Bennett
Translated by; Edward Gauvin
Published by; Boom! Studios

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network

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