Randy and Don join a young man on his journey into his past and his future, and discover the talented new comics creator behind Content.
Don:
Every year, the Xeric Foundation doles out grants to a handful of neophyte comics creators to fund the creation and publication of new comics storytelling that explores unusual points of view. Content is the result of one of those grants.
Randy:
Content is an unusual package, a black and white book with cardstock color covers in a size about an inch smaller than your average comic. Within this unusual package is an unusual but very compelling story.
Content #1
written & illustrated by Gia-Bao Tran
Don:
A disillusioned young man volunteers to serve as a test subject for an experiment designed to stimulate unused portions of the brain during dreaming, but the test subject quickly discovers an unusual side effect. He glimpses his future, and encounters his past self. He becomes determined to change the past to improve his present.
About the odd title of the book... here's a hint: it's an adjective, not a noun.
Randy:
I actually noticed this book in Previews, and couldn't figure out how the odd title connected with the interesting premise. After reading it, though, and making the same realization that Don just mentioned, it made perfect sense. Content is about questioning your life, trying to be happy, even if you're already happy and just don't realize it. It's the kind of thing that might shake a reader out of a bad mood and make them realize how much they've got.
Don:
The first thing that struck me about this book was the art. Tran's style reminds me of the work of Arthur (Kissing Chaos) Dela Cruz and Guy (Deadline) Davis, with a touch of manga softness thrown in for good measure. Though the book offers a number of amusing and touching moments, there's always a dark undercurrent. Tran's sketchy approach maintains that foreboding atmosphere nicely throughout the book.
Randy:
I agree, and Tran also reminds me of work by Becky Cloonan (Jennie One) and Paul Pope. Basically, no matter who you see in these pages, it's clear that Tran has talent, and his style is unusual and moody but absolutely clear in its storytelling. I like that the "time travel" sequences are more sketchy, perhaps left uninked, to give them a dreamlike feeling.
Don:
There's a surreal, almost spiritual quality to the sci-fi premise. This isn't so much a story about time travel, but about one man's inability to be happy. That refusal to find any sense of satisfaction in his life -- let alone a promising future -- paints a rather pathetic picture of the main character. Even with the ability to see the future, he's unable to let go of his past. Ultimately, this is a psychological story, not one of science-fiction wonder or the oddities of paradoxes.
The greatest strength of this book, though, is the characterization. Elin and Stef are thoroughly believable characters, and watching the former pursue the latter is a surprising bit of fun. Despite the fantastic premise, the characters are grounded, and they serve as our gateway into this near-future. It's easy to take Elin's place and ponder one's own childhood and one's own hopes for the future.
Randy:
And that's the key strength of Content. Time travel may be a far out there concept, but questioning what we would have done then if we knew about it now, or what we'd do now if we knew what was coming, is endemic to the human condition, and I suspect that most of us if not all of us can relate to the struggles at the heart of Content. In addition, as Don notes, Tran has created a strong pair of characters in Elin and Stef, and I found myself wanting to shake Elin to make him wake up and realize what he already had. Content is a strong offering from a new creator, and I can see why it earned the Xeric Grant.
For more information about Content, email
