REVIEW: Someone To Talk To

Europa comes out of complete left field in a season known for a seemingly infinitesimal solitude due to a race of humans now almost solely dependent on the virtual goat. “Someone To Talk To” is just that slice of life reader’s should be on the watch for it they prefer to play voyeur while watching a man change his past and his future in an existence where those concepts seem so concretely set in the stone bars of what has been dubbed time.

Panacionne invites readers to Paris,France while focusing in on the isolated Sam – a man who calls up his ex-girlfriend on his birthday as his only personal contact (been there, done that) and works at some desk job designing sports wear for pets, when in his heart of hearts he would rather be penning novels. This passion of his becomes reignited as he calls the phone number to his childhood home and ends becoming something of a pen-pal to his prepubescent self.

Panacionne’s paints are in the same juvenile vein of pencils by Sergio Aragones, which betray a tale that has to have a healthy amount of comedic elements, which “Someone To Talk To” has more than enough of. At times the dialogue is racy, the pencils within the panels goofy or erotic. Still, for those looking for the drama that only a one-shot can offer, there is enough death and heartbreak to go around as Sam deals with the reality of the finite as fatal illnesses strike those closest to him, those who show Sam affection end up losing their livelihood’s, and even the prospects of romance eventually soil. Such is life, common experiences, but “Someone To Talk To” allows the opportunity to get that inner child on the line – none of that ghosting or straight to voicemail shit far from uncommon in this modern era of avoidance.

Sam faces his self, reopens old wounds (both literally and figuratively) and turns the knob on new doors. And the beauty of Sam’s journey is that the audience not only gets to witness Sam conquer his fears (both ingrained from youth and beat into him by maturity) but such an observance can only give way to subconcious reflection that allows readers the opportunity to identify and deal with some of their own personal baggage as well that may be holding them back from the adventure that life is supposed to be.

“Someone To Talk To” is a reminder of not only that , or the fact that communication barriers can be simply removed, this one-shot also serves as a sincere reminder that your inner child is still waiting on hold, and the shame that the weight of society can put up on an adult is never heavy enough for your inner child to pick up that receiver.

Score:5/5