Cellphones. Business meetings. Drive-thru lineups for a morning fix. Many of us leave in a world of schedules, a world in which we're shackled by dayplanners and e-mail. Most of us have jobs we need, not enjoy, lives we live, not love. That's what this quiet, almost surreal graphic novel is all about. Is Last Exit Before Toll exciting? Jesus, no. It boasts a slow pace, gradually drawing the main character into a different lifestyle and community. At its heart, though, it's a thought-provoking story that's both heartening and tragic all at once. Once again, Oni Press proves there are some comic-book stories that really only work in the longer, self-contained format of the graphic novel.
Number-cruncher Charles Pierce has a life of routine. He pours himself a cup of coffee every morning, has a brief but routine conversation with his wife, and he's out the door, on his way to grab a bagel before beginning his working day. An out-of-town seminar breaks up that routine a little, but things take a truly unexpected turn when car troubles leads him a small, unnamed community. Waiting for his car to be fixed, Charles discovers quiet, little pleasures that he'd forgotten. Small talk and pot roast lure him away from what he knows to feelings he'd lost.
To be honest, the artwork here isn't something that I find all that pleasing to the eye, but penciller Christopher Mitten nevertheless makes an important contribution here. His scratchy style -- reminiscent of Scott (Avengers) Kolins's and Arthur (Kissing Chaos) Dela Cruz's approaches -- convincingly brings the rustic setting of the story to life. The artwork also makes it easy to see what Charles is attracted to Mary, and the comfortable nature of Marty's home shines through in the linework as well.
At first, I thought Shaffer was bringing too much of the mundane, everyday qualities of the modern world into the story. I kept waiting for something to happen, but the plot is crafted in such a way that there's no one moment when Charles changes. There's a point at which, though, when the story seems to take on an almost supernatural tone, an eerie, unsettling quality one might expect from an M. Night Shyamalan film. I think Shaffer is purposely trying to mislead his readers for a bit, creating tension that keeps the audience engaged and invested in Charles's fate.
Ultimately, this is a story about a fleeting chance to recapture one's innocence. Charles isn't in the middle of a simpler place, but a simpler mindset. He casts aside responsibility for the simpler pleasures that he feels he's lost. One envies his ability to cast off the burdens of everyday, urban life, but Shaffer isn't telling readers that is what all should strive for. The moral is about balance, but it's one that reveals itself slowly.
