Pop Gun War: Gift is many things. It's poignant yet alien. Universal yet surreal. Gritty but innocent. One thing that Pop Gun War is not, however, is easy. Dalrymple's storytelling is purposefully ambiguous and bizarre, and at first, it seems random and even gratuitously weird. But as one delves deeper into the creator's unusual city and its equally unconventional denizens, an odd but welcome sense of recognition comes over the reader. Dalrymple explores the sad and selfish little corners of society and the lone souls that comprise it.
An angel comes to Earth and discards his wings, and a boy named Sinclair finds them and claims them for his own. He flits about the city, chatting with friends and mourning the loss of his sister to her talent and burgeoning music career. Meanwhile, a corporate shill does his best to get the residents of Sinclair's neighborhood to sell out, and an invisible man walks the streets, whispering nasty suggestions and attitudes into the ear's of anyone who will listen and obey.
Dalrymplee's realistic, gritty style reminds me of the work of a wide variety of established industry creators. His linework put me in mind of the efforts of such artists as Mike (Sandman) Dringenberg, Kyle (Why I Hate Saturn) Baker, Renee (The Soap Lady) French, Paul (100%) Pope and Sam (Zero Girl) Kieth. Note that he's in good -- and unconventional -- company in the world of comic art. The backgrounds bring a strong tone of realism to the story, balancing the surreal qualities of the characters and dialogue.
Speaking of balance, Dalrymple does an excellent job of blurring the line between protagonist and antagonist. The more likable characters have flaws -- some of them significant ones. I was particularly taken by the scene in which Sinclair -- the central cherubic figure at the heart of the stories -- lashes out quietly in his room and then embraces a thoroughly hypocritical view as to someone else's echo of his sentiments.
Judging from the City map included with this volume, it's clear that Dalrymple has put an abundance of thought into not only what these characters think and do, but where they do it. Setting plays important roles in various sequences, and Dalrymple's planning and forethought has reinforced the more grounded aspects of the book.
Pop Gun War: Gift is about pettiness and paranoia. It's about one's failure to celebrate self and one's failure to think beyond the self. Many of the characters here yearn for sympathy, but they have no empathy. The clearest and most resonant point Dalrymple makes, though, is about self-esteem. These characters are miraculous and magical, but they're incapable of seeing themselves as special. They wander aimlessly through their lives, oblivious to their gifts.
