This third issue of Pete Stathis's dark, character-driven comic story stands out the strongest of the series thus far. The writer taps into universal human experiences to bring the story of one woman's self-destruction to life. I still don't know where the hallucination/fantasy/horror elements fit in, but with scripts this strong, I find I don't really worry about it. This is a wonderfully mature and brutally honest look at the kind of lows we'll all go through in life.
Phoebe's been hiding away in her bedroom for two and a half days, overcome with sadness and lethargy. She begins to wonder if it's more than depression, if perhaps she's getting sick. That thought leads her to think of her mother, who recently succumbed to cancer after a lengthy illness. Despite her father's and roommate's attempts to get her to come out of her shell, she only does so in order to indulge in another form of self-destructive behavior, leading her to the Temple University campus.
Stathis's ink black-and-white artwork really captures the sullen and ugly mood that envelops the main character. It's amazing how easily one can see one's past in the filth of Phoebe's home, and in the leaf-cluttered street-scape into which she eventually ventures. Stathis manages to capture her youth quite nicely. She's still clearly an adult, but one can also see that in many ways, she's still something of a child as well. I was also impressed with how Phoebe's seductive moment in the issue was also portrayed as something of an ugly one.
We've all had that afternoon, day or week in which we just can't ourselves to move, to care, to exist. There are those days that we futilely attempt to hide from our lives and ourselves, and Stathis brings such an experience to life with great skill here. The creator explores different ways in which Phoebe tries to lose herself, to leave her problems behind, and they all paint her in a desperate and even pathetic light. It's powerful and universal characterization.
Stathis wisely provides moments in which Phoebe is portrayed in something other than a self-pitying, bitter light. The flashback with her mother was a touching but heart-wrenching scene, and it represents an all-too real circumstance that many of us have had to or will have to face. Her surreal journey back to her childhood was also a welcome -- but effectively creepy -- scene.
