Stylish Vittles is definitely something unusual... a personal story being self-published is nothing new, but to see it come out as a series of graphic novels rather than in the serial format sets it apart. However, Stylish Vittles does have some comfortable familiarity about it, with a style that reminds me of Terry Moore, Alex Robinson and (this is an esoteric one) Filipino creator Arnold Arre. All the Way, the second in the Stylish Vittles stories, is a somewhat scattered read, hinging on the love affair between two characters but diverting into their friends and acquaintances and even into a strange cosmic bit of philosophy, and I would have wished for something a little more focused, but Page's characterization rings true, and his presentation of college life and relationships is one that most readers will have no trouble relating to.
Central to the story of Stylish Vittles is the relationship between Tyler and Nanette, and though it's not spelled out completely, it seems likely that it is an autobiographical tale for Page. He presents his romance with Nanette with the same sort of wide-eyed love that Tom Beland brings across in True Story Swear to God, but he tempers it with some of the realities of stupid fights and minor difficulties reminiscent of Alex Robinson's Box Office Poison. To be honest, I sometimes found Nanette and Tyler to be a little selfish or needy in their thoughts and actions, which made them realistic but not always completely likeable, and the romance doesn't feel like as much of a sure thing as the magical romance at the center of True Story.
Stylish Vittles is something of a rarity in today's comic market, because while it fits into the slice-of-life genre, it is definitely largely a romance book. Page gives the reader an in-depth look at his relationship with Nanette, however, not just a highlights reel, and the characters all get plenty of time to develop outside of the relationship as well. While the central story is about Nanette and Tyler, Page spends a fair amount of time on the other characters, including Tyler's friends and Nanette's family. It felt like these characters should have been more defined in the story by how they relate to the central romance, as the story tended to wander off when it was focusing on these roommates and family. Page has the room to play around with in this graphic novel, but the story sometimes felt a bit meandering as a result of all these characters.
In fact, it does feel at times as if Page is experimenting with the form as much as he is telling a story. The constant pages of spacescapes with philosophical word balloons seem unrelated to the story, and Page shifts narration and style several times, breaking the fourth wall and letting both Tyler and Nanette tell the story. I quite enjoyed the latter, as it gave us insight into both viewpoints in the main relationship, but the breaking the fourth wall and talking directly to the reader was obtrusive, and the unrelated splash pages of space very obtrusive.
Page's artwork also shifts in tone throughout, but it's always solid at the very least and occasionally much more. It's clear that he has put a lot of time into practicing his storytelling, and while he experiments with panel arrangements and different narrators and other elements of the story, the book is always clear and interesting to read. Much of the character work is designed for blocking, with enough detail to get the general impression but a dashed off quality at times, but when he really wants to nail something, he puts the detail in. The splash pages, the scenes of Nanette running, the crowded party, the pictures of Tyler trying to define what a man is and any number of other pages are detailed and beautiful to look at.
Stylish Vittles is a massive story spread over several graphic novels, and it seems like Page is using the space to spread the story out a little more than I would like, but there's definitely a strong story at the center of all this. I'm also very impressed that despite missing the first volume, I had no trouble picking up and reading All the Way as a self-contained story, and while Page leaves the reader wondering what happens to Nanette and Tyler next, it's easy to imagine each volume of Stylish Vittles as a standalone tale even as they fit into a larger tapestry.
