I first heard the name Scott Mills in New Orleans, when I attended the then-new (and now defunct) Big Easy Con and picked up his mini-comic Cells, which blew me away. Since then, I've picked up something new at every convention, and always make a point to pick up his graphic novels when they come out. Why? Because he's got a unique style, fun and unpretentious but intelligent and engaging, and his range is amazing. The story of a pair of roommates in prison, a woman and a man in feudal Japan, a group of men in World War I and now, a group of half-punk/half-outcast teens in the 1990s which is more than a little autobiographical. What's astounding isn't just that Mills tackles such a variety of subjects, but that he's so good at all of them.
My Own Little Empire is must-reading for those who enjoy Blue Monday, although going in it should be stated that it's a more realistic take on teen angst and culture in the 90s, more reminiscent of Jamie Rich's Cut My Hair. I was starting college in 1990, so I'm just a little older than Mills and the others depicted in this book, but it's close enough to my experience to resonate. Even the stuff that isn't within my experience, like dropping acid and visiting an abandoned hospital, comes through clearly thanks to the well-developed and real characters.
At the center of this story is that familiar plot, the teenager who wants a girl who is dating a jerk. It's familiar, but it never really gets old for me, because it is something that absolutely rings true. In addition, the story always works when the friendship of the lead and his circle of friends feels real, and when the romance is less romantic and more messy and real as well. That's definitely the case with My Own Little Empire, where the boundaries of friendship include sometimes hurtful banter and encouraging foolish behavior, and where the crush comes with plenty of potential heartbreak.
Mills's artwork lends itself to a somewhat skewed view of the world, and though My Own Little Empire is most certainly about a relatively normal group of kids in 1990, there are some odd elements as well. The aforementioned acid trip is done very well, with the borders and the characters sort of stretching and melting, and the idea that the janitor is walking between other worlds comes from both a hilarious little rant by Pete and a cute gag that finishes off the story, fitting right in with the general tone of the book despite its weirdness. I did sometimes have trouble telling a couple of the characters apart, notably the very similar Pete and Kevin, but the different relationships they have with Joe make it easier. And overall, Mills's artwork and structured storytelling (four panels per page, in general) is always captivating.
My Own Little Empire is a snapshot of teen life, indicative of one of those moments where you get a sense of perspective about your own life, even if you lose it later. The veracity of the period and the way the characters act make it clear that Mills has put a lot of himself and his experiences into the book, and the result is a "slice of life" read every bit as good as the stories of war, ancient culture or science-fiction that I've seen from him in the past.
