Rolston's art has always achieved a nice balance between a lighter tone and an edgier quality. It's enabled him to bring exciting stories to life while maintaining a tender, grounded quality in the characters. Here, the artist demonstrates that he brings that balance to more than just his visual creations. He does the same with the script for this surprisingly grounded yet unpredictable story of an average life that's plunged into far from average -- and far from safe -- circumstances. Oni Press has yet to misfire with its new line of original graphic novels.
Marie and her best friend Justin enjoy a lazy day in Toronto until a chance encounter with an acquaintance from Marie's high-school days changes everything. Suddenly, Marie and Justin discover they're being followed by a mysterious man dressed in black. And he's carrying a gun. Of course, new developments aren't entirely unpleasant, as Justin encounters a femme fatale. Meanwhile, Marie runs afoul of some more unsavory types, and she discovers exactly what's she's capable of in the process.
The most striking aspect of the artwork here is the gradual transformation of Marie. She starts off as a lovable, vulnerable young woman, and by the end of the book, she's clearly hardened. The artwork always walks a line between those two conflicting tones. There's a lighter quality to Justin, but a sexy quality enters his world. The action-oriented scenes flow incredibly well, and they reinforce the cinematic tone of this story.
Rolston really makes these characters come to life through the dialogue. The banter between Marie and Justin rang incredibly true, as did their reactions to the overwhelming events that suddenly dominate their lives. I love how Marie and Justin react differently, but Marie's resourcefulness remains grounded and believable. She's perceptive, but not proactive. She's no uber-action-babe all of a sudden.
One of the aspects of the book that really clicks is how it opens and closes with images of innocence. Marie is a wide-eyed girl when the story begins, and the ultimate answer to the chaos that's invaded her life comes in the form of another image of innocence on a television screen. Those opening and closing images are representative of the real story here. The story isn't about Marie's fight to overcome the sudden influx of violence in her life, but the price she pays, the loss of innocence that occurs over the course of -- say it with me -- just one bad day.
Note: This review originall ran last week and is repeated here due to the rescheduling of the book.
