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THE NORM: KEYS #3 - HOTEL
Recommended (8/10)
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Norm.com
Writer/Artist: Michael Jantze
Price: $4.00 US |
Michael Jantze's slice-of-life comic strip reads quite well in collected format. Like many other strips these days, Jantze has an continuing plotline going on, and reading a big chunk of it like this makes for entertaining reading. There's a universal quality to the slightly weird relationship dynamics in this issue. It's easy to see oneself in Norm and Reine, and therein lies the strip's greatest strength.
While keeping his feelings for Reine to himself, Norm agrees to pretend to be her fiance in order to keep her parents off her back. The plan backfires, though, when Reine's folks insist on paying for a trip to Hawaii for the four of them as an engagement gift. Relaxation, frustration and naps ensue. Oh, and Norm annoys the living hell out of Sting, and a Wookie gets a job.
If I didn't know better, I'd suspect that Bill (Calvin and Hobbes) Watterson is dead, because Jantze is channelling him here. And yes, that's a compliment. The simplicity of his style is balanced by how expressive it is. Mind you, Jantze's hardly copying his style either. Despite limited space, he gives a strong sense of background and setting, and then he dumps the backgrounds altogether to achieve a narrative or isolated effect.
Stuggling with feelings about a friend whom you wish was more than friend? Man oh man, have I been there, brother. Testify. Norm's emotional juggling act makes us smile, not just because of the witty presentation, but because it's so easy to remember oneself doing the same juggling act. It's also easy to relate to Reine's damaged self-esteem and her desperation when it comes to her parents' perceptions of her.
Keeping things unpredictable and unconventional are the surreal elements Jantze throws into the story. From waiting in line with Sting for an airplane bathroom to talking with one's inner child, these weird little detours add a little extra spice to an already entertaining strip.
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