Trouble has all the makings of being a great book. It's not a great book, though, but it's not really bad either. It entertains and shocks, but the writer keeps skirting real depth. For a book that's holding back on language and imagery, it's surprising just how much it revels in teenage sexuality. Is this a romance book? No. Coming-of-age? I suppose. But at its heart, this is a teen soap opera, and I'm surprisingly taken with the raunchy plotlines. I described the first issue as Fast Times at Marvel High, but now it strikes me more as Dawson's Creek, a la Marvel.
OK, it's the late '60s, see, and there are these two couples. One of them -- May and Ben -- are having sex, and a lot of it. And another couple -- Richie and Mary -- are smoochin', but the nakedness isn't happening. The weird thing is, though, that Ben's the slow-mover, the sensitive one, and Richie's the player who's getting more than a little frustrated. But hey, it's summer. It's time for fun... and for paychecks from the summer jobs. The quartet of friends hit the town with cash burning holes in their pockets.
Given that sex is at the heart of this story, it makes sense for Terry and Rachel Dodson to handle the art chores. The four main characters are vibrant, and the young women are particularly sensual. The enticing, curves of the linework and Hollingsworth's bright colors really convey the energy and carefree nature of the youthful protagonists. I found it a little odd that the artists get a little heavy on the inks when it comes to the male characters' eyes. Sometimes, it looks like May and Mary aren't the only ones wearing mascara.
It occurs to me that the afore-mentioned Dawson's Creek is even more fitting than I originally thought. The characters here boast a remarkably well-spoken and verbose nature that reminds me of the implausibly perfect banter among the characters of that now-defunct teen/young adult drama show. Sure, the characters here lack some credibility as a result, but there's no denying the playful and entertaining nature of the dialogue.
Well, the rumors were flying just before the first issue's release, and now, Millar's dropping hints left and right: somebody, at some point, is getting pregnant. And that's the key to the book at this point. Millar is dangling that fertilized carrot in front of the reader's nose, and I have to admit... I wanna know. He's got me hooked. I want to see what comes of this potentially volatile social scenario. I'll be checking out the third issue. Whether or not I'm still interested in the carrot after that remains to be seen.
