Suburban Glamour

[Hankinstien]

Did anybody else read McKelvie's Suburban Glamor? I just read the first issue and LOVED it! Of course I was a big fan of Phonogram, and seeing McKelvie's art in full color glory was pretty much greatness.

I enjoyed the odd pacing as well--a lot of time was taken setting up the relationships and defining the characters, which too few comics do well enough, in my opinion.

Curious to see what anyone else thought.

-Mike

[DJ Kenobi]

Could you provide a bit more of an indepth review to kick off the conversation? What is the book about? What specifically did you like about? Art? Story? A good verbal-visual blending? Etc.

Thanks.

[Hankinstien]

Oh, sure.

The story, set in England, is about three high-school students who are labeled as "emo," "weird," etc. and thus rejected by most of society. This doesn't seem to bother them at all, but what does bother them is the crappy small town suburban life they lead. The lead character, a cute girl named Astrid, is particularly sick of the suburban existence and longs to get out of town as soon as she can. What shakes things up is the appearance one night of two imaginary friends she had as a child. Turns out she may not be the only one in town experiencing such imaginary sightings...

I loved how the book really takes it time to show you the characters, not with exposition-heavy scenes, but just showing you who they are and how they act, letting you see the relationships. I have an easy time identifying with characters who feel out-of-place in their own lives, and just about everything that came out of Astrid's mouth was something that resonated with me. The dialog was never forced, but always felt real and fresh, although it is full of British words that some of us yanks aren't used to hearing (who calls somebody "pillock?"). The slower, but never ever boring pacing, and rich characterization was what drew me into the book, even though the "hook" for most people will be the fantasy element of these imaginary creatures becoming real.

The artwork was simply stunning. Fans of "Phonogram" are probably familiar with McKelvie's super-clean and super-perfect line work. Not only is McKelvie a great draftsman, but he understands body language and facial expressions incredibly well. Every panel is filled with life and gesture and energy, and seeing it in full color (by Guy Major) is a feast for my eyes. His page layouts are great too: simple but exactly what is needed. The title page of this issue is a great design piece, and the covers are sheer greatness.

This is a great read, especially if you're looking to branch away from the people-in-tights books. I hear the first print just sold out, so maybe they'll do a second run. I'm sure some shops have some copies lying around somewhere...

Hope that helps...

-Mike

[DJ Kenobi]

Great, thanks!

[Frito]

I thought it was awesome. I picked up the first issue the other day and can't wait for the next. I'm a big fan of mckelvie's art and the story was great.

[Digital Klown]

I really liked it. Art was pretty damn good.. and the writing really made you feel that you know the characters.