It's going to be tough for me to put into words why I was so floored by Grand Gestures. It's not the story material, which is really pretty low-key slice-of-life stuff. And it's not necessarily Ullman's style, which is terrific but not so ground-breaking as to be something I've never seen before. But somehow Ullman's talent with words and pictures comes together to create believable and fascinating characters, and this story of three friends and their romantic troubles is a fascinating read that grabs you and doesn't let go, as well as being pretty damn funny. I'm reminded of the honesty and likability of the late, lamented Copybook Tales or the work of Andi Watson and Tom Beland.
Ullman's story structure is interesting because it is fairly loose, covering a lot of events, but it doesn't ever feel unfocused. There's a strong focus on the three lead characters, who I believe both as individual characters and friends. Ullman does a terrific job of showing the likable side of Brady, Ken and Perry alongside their flaws, and I'm frankly amazed that he managed to create three such well-rounded characters in 48 pages, let alone tell a story and flesh out any number of supporting characters as well. In these days of decompressed storytelling and writing for the trade, Ullman stands out as a guy who can pack a lot of story into his book without losing the flavor or fun characterization.
In this genre, it's all-too-easy to get melodramatic, and while that usually doesn't bother me too much, I'm more impressed when a creator can keep things pretty low-key. Ullman's story here is not unlike the kind of thing that I experienced or heard about at college, well within the realm of the believable instead of being in the American Pie or Porky's vein. Brady's adventures are about the closest the book gets to exaggeration, but it's not hard to imagine womanizers like him or a group of smart women ganging up to seek a revenge prank, and his boisterous personality and antics contrasts nicely with the more subdued conflicts of Perry and Ken.
The artwork here is also something fresh and new, reminiscent of some of my indie favorites like Andi Watson, Tim Levins and Christine Norrie. I'm particularly impressed that he manages to convey hot girls and believable emotion with what is essentially a cartoony style, both of which are important elements of this story. In addition, his style is versatile, capable of slapstick humor, lovesick yearning and quiet moments between friends, among other things.
If you're at all a fan of slice-of-life comics, or for that matter if you ever went to college, you should make an effort to check out Grand Gestures: From the Curve. Every so often I find an indy creator whose work not only impresses me but seems certain to make a completist out of me, and based on this book, I can easily see Ullman joining names like Andi Watson, Scott Morse and Guy Davis on my list of "buy their stuff sight unseen."
