Shutterbug Follies is something unusual, the reproduction of an online strip in print format from a major book publisher. Doubleday's experiment definitely pays off, however, with a story that has an innocence and energy, but an undercurrent of darkness, and winds up reading like a grown-up Nancy Drew adventure crossed with the quirky style of creators like Chris Ware and Dan Clowes. Little's story is one of photography, murder and romance, and while some of the threads get a bit lost at the end, overall it's a highly entertaining and very engaging read.
It's worth noting, since this is an early production from Doubleday, that the book is simply gorgeous in terms of production values. It has the same beautiful, unusual color that characterized Acme Novelty Library, but with a brighter palette, and the length-wise presentation is perfect for Little's story. I'm given to understand that this was originally published on the web, but there's definitely not a feel of the story having been shoehorned into a different format.
Little's art style is as distinctive as the exterior packaging, based in the European style that characterizes books like Tin Tin but with a deeper detail and a higher level of cartoony exaggeration. It's a look that would commonly be seen on "animated" books, but Little has elements of adult reality, both in terms of nudity and violence, that makes it very clearly a more sophisticated and adult book. In addition, although Bee is fairly young, she comes across as very capable and adult, a seasoned denizen of the city.
The story blends the outrageous and the mundane in equal measure, and that makes for a story that is by turns exciting and wholly believable. Trapped in a cabinet by Russian mobsters exists side-by-side with routine looking at undeveloped film, and a dinner at an Indian restaurant is one experience while another is following a suspected murderer in a cab. What makes the story work is that Bee and her friends feel real, albeit a bit odd, and their reactions to these unusual goings-on are realistic as well, drawn in and repulsed at the same time. Bee is a little more tenacious than most girls in her position might be, and some of her friendships develop awful quickly, but it reads more like personality traits than stumbling blocks for the story.
While the story is centered around a gallery photographer who may or may not be a murderer or a complete fake, the story moves along thanks to the life journey of Bee. Her relationship with Huey is sweet despite the trouble and weird elements, and Lyla provides a fun grounded friend for Bee's unusual circle of friends. I was a little disappointed that Bee's relationship with Huey sort of fades into the background and doesn't get resolved, but I was drawn into their story while it lasted.
Shutterbug Follies is an unusual book, with a tone that veers between horror and humor, and it's easy to find yourself drawn into it. The plot is fascinating and the characterization exquisite, and Little also provides plenty of little moments, such as Bee's examination of the photos she's developing or Huey's own photography, that make the book entertaining on a moment-to-moment basis as well as on the whole.
