I've loved all of the Oni original graphic novels, and for that matter, all of the work done by DeFilippis and Weir, but I think Maria's Wedding represents a pinnacle for both the format and these particular writers. It's an amazing piece of work, with an enormous cast, several intertwined stories and messages about family, romance, marriage and how all three of them relate to one another, in both positive and negative ways. Weddings have always been a great place for drama in any medium, and using the backdrop of a big Italian wedding, DeFilippis, Weir and Garibaldi have crafted one of the finest stories to come out of Oni Press to date.
On the first two-page splash of this book, you get a sense that maybe this creative team has set for itself an impossible task. There are 22 characters involved in this little drama, each with their own personality and their own story to tell. Given the 88-page length of the graphic novel, it seems impossible that each of these characters will get to shine, and maybe not even possible that the reader will be able to keep track of them all. Amazingly, though, it works. While I can't deny that at times I wondered "Wait, who is that again?" it's more like trying to keep track of a big new family at a wedding than being confused about what's going on, and it just adds to the atmosphere of the story.
The central conflict here is that it's the first big traditional Italian wedding after a non-traditional wedding between two men sort of rocked and almost divided the family. Central to the story's conflict we have our point-of-view character, the exceptionally (but believably) nice Frankie Pirelli Jr. and the bitter aunt Giulia Mazzone, who doesn't get as much characterization or screen time as Frankie. But then, she really doesn't need it... it's been my experience that just about everyone has or knows at least one cranky aunt amongst the various families they know.
In amidst this central conflict, which boils down to "can the family keep it together at this wedding?" and "will Frankie say something to Giulia about the last wedding?" there are a whole bunch of other stories. Frankie's long-time flirtation with Brenna Doyle, the strained relationship of Tony Pirelli and his son Mark, Mark's relationship with Trisha and whether she's got "hidden depths," whether or not Victor Dybow is worthy of the beloved Maria and several other smaller stories. Sounds like a lot, doesn't it? And yet, in 80 pages, each of these stories comes to a satisfying conclusion. Indeed, the story of Frankie and Brenna is as affecting and powerful as the true-life romance told of in True Story Swear to God, and it's hard to imagine that readers won't fall in love with Trisha once they realize how great she is. Humor, heartbreak and happiness all combine in these pages to take the reader on an engaging trip that I don't think many will be able to put down.
Jose Garibaldi was a find, a perfect choice for this graphic novel and a talent I surely hope to see again. His work carries with it elements of Andi Watson, Scott Morse and Dean Haspiel, but it stands on its own as a recognizable style as well. He gets the difficult task of managing 22 people and not only keeping them distinct (which would be difficult enough) but giving them a family resemblance, which almost runs counter to the first goal of keeping him distinct. He manages beautifully, giving each character a personality in their look, especially Nonna, Maria and Sally Dybow and conveying every emotion that the script calls for. If I'm not mistaken, this is Garibaldi's debut, and you'll probably find it hard to believe that this could be his first published work, because it's simply gorgeous and professionally polished.
I've had a wedding of my own and been to a few more... hell, I'm headed to one this weekend... and though the weddings I've been to don't have the controversy at the center of this one or usually the large and traditional family, this absolutely brought back memories of weddings, and the good feelings that they can generate. Maria's Wedding is a joy to read, and one of my favorite reads of the year so far.
