Johnston and Hawthorne's dark "romantic" comedy continues, and I'm relieved to find that it gets more cynical as opposed to shmoltzy. While the first issue struck me as being about how easily people are manipulated by what society perceives is what one needs in order to achieve happiness, this one is about how easily they can be manipulated by their emotions and by others. The parallels in this issue are obvious, but the subtle differences say a lot about the two main characters.
Jack goes to the art exhibit opening in Paris alone, though he'd arranged the invite for his girlfriend, Jill. As he expected, the place is overflowing with pretension, but what he doesn't expect to encounter is a snobby vixen who takes a shine to him. As for Jill, she's in London, watching a televised performance of Jack's favorite band. Their new stuff appeals to her, and she suddenly finds herself more than a little starstruck.
Hawthorne's work here combines the simple sensuality of Bruce Timm's artwork with the lighter, more innocent tone of the house Archie style. I enjoyed how he portrays the French sexual predator who sets her sights on Jack as both physically attractive and ugly all at the same time. Jill's naivete comes shining through in the art as well. The backgrounds are sparse, but it works. This is a character-driven book, and our attention is drawn to those figures.
The most refreshing aspect of this romance title is that it seems to strive to point out that the starring couple was never meant to be together rather than destined to share their entire lives. They're not better people for having met; there's no opposites attract here. The fact that they're so easily able to cast aside their feelings in favor of new lovers reinforces that notion, a seed of doubt that was first planted in the debut issue. The message here isn't "Love conquers all," but the more practical, cynical mantra of "Get real, people."
The parallels are quite clear. Both Jack and Jill end up finding what they think are "replacements" for one another in something the other is passionate about, and both are being set up as victims of their new partners. But those parallels are enhanced by the contrasts. Jill is Pete's sexual prey, but it looks as though Jack is going to be the target of something a bit more sinister. Jill sees a depth in Pete that's not there, giving him too much intellectual credit, while Jack underestimates Vivienne.
