Andi Watson has stood out lately as the King of the Slice-of-Life comic book. Breakfast After Noon, Dumped and Slow News Day were all wonderful stories of everyday humanity. Well, if Watson is the King, there's a new Queen sitting beside him, and it's Christine Norrie. In only 64 pages, she explores two relationships, betrayal and guilt in incredible depth, and she does so quietly and naturally. Cheat is a remarkable piece of work, and it should get people to sit up and really take notice of Norrie's work.
Marc and Janey are more than just husband and wife... they work together as well. While Marc is off globe-trotting in order to research their latest travel book, Jane organizes his notes back at home and handles the adminstrative side of the business. The problem is that they only see each other occasionally, and when they are reunited, there's friction. Janey ends up spending time with Davis, the married neighbor from across the hall, and they become fast friends. But there may be something more to it, and Jane can't deny that she's begun to have feelings for someone other than her husband.
Norrie boasts a simple artistic style, one that uses some charming curves to really bring out the characters' individuality, male and female. But the real strength of her art is the fact that its simple tone brings a universal quality to the players in the drama. It's easy to imagine oneself as one of the characters, living his or her life. Still, even with her less-is-more approach, Norrie tells much of the story through the art rather than the script. Janey's guilt isn't something that's literally communicated the reader. We can see it in her eyes and body language.
The art isn't the only thing to tap into a sense of the universal. The tension in Jane and Marc's relationship is something that's familiar, as is the friendship between the two couples. Davis's charm is believable, as are the women's engaging personalities. These seem more than just characters in a comic-book story. They seem like people I know.
The key to the success of this story is that Norrie doesn't over-dramatize it. There's no crisis that brings two people together in adultery. There's no turning point in their respective relationships that drives them away from their spouses. Instead, Norrie presents us with a natural progression. It's easy for the reader to believe in the betrayal at the heart of the story because it seems completely understandable. On the other hand, Norrie never lets the reader think that the encounter is right either. While the two characters reach that point naturally, there's something that feels unnatural, uncomfortable, about the choice they make.
