Don't let the title (or the tantalizing cover) fool you; this isn't some kind of porn book. Instead, Lurid is exactly what the solicitations promised, a realistic look into the lives of exotic dancers. Lee and Huntley walk the fine line between sanitizing the story and making it so sleazy and, well, lurid as to be little more than a book designed to titillate. Instead, we're invited to sympathize with our lead character, who is in a tough job and a tough situation, and though I am the farthest thing in the world from a hot young girl who dances on stage, I found plenty to empathize with in this book. Huntley's work is also quite impressive, reminiscent of Lapham's Stray Bullets work. This is a promising first issue in an untapped genre.
Lurid actually plays out in a decompressed fashion, as the story encompasses a fairly small amount of time. The downside to this is that we don't get a lot of exploration of the character's life, more of a glimpse than a long look. The upside, and it probably balances out the downside, is that I am anxious to know more. Lee crafts Christine (a.k.a. Maddy) into a likable and believably frustrated young woman, and while her job is certainly unusual, Lee focuses on the easily accessible customer service aspects of the job that make it easy to relate to.
I'll be honest here, I've been to strip clubs a few times, whether for my bachelor party or another such occasion, and I thought that Lee and Huntley absolutely captured the vibe of those places, particularly when they're partly empty. While they aren't quite as sleazy as a porn shop or an adult theatre, there's a certain pathetic vibe that some of the regulars give out, and there's a sense of fake friendliness and sexiness from the dancers that even the most drunk customer probably won't wholly believe. Lee captures both the front stage seductive attitude and the back stage weary customer service rep attitude very well.
I don't know where Adam Huntley came from, but he's way too good for this to be his first work. He conveys the loud music in the background and the stale smell of the place with simply visuals, and he manages to play the girls as both sexy and a little tawdry without making them sleazy or unrealistic. In fact, the artwork is very realistic, with an attention to anatomy and facial expression that really brings the characters to life. I'm reminded of Lapham's work, although where Lapham has a certain deliberate ugliness, Huntley goes with a less exaggerated sense of real, almost mundane, detail.
Some will find the choice of subject matter offensive, and some will be unable to sympathize with the lead character simply because of her job. Some will probably be disappointed that the story doesn't feature more blatant nudity and focus on the lap dance aspect of the job. However, I expect most will find Lurid to be a new kind of slice-of-life book, brought to life with strong characters, terrific artwork and a realistic and believable setting.
