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UNLIKELY original graphic novel
Highly Recommended (9/10)
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Top Shelf Productions
Writer/Artist: Jeffrey Brown
Price: $14.95 US |
Unlikely, like Jeffrey Brown's first work Clumsy, is a rough work. I don't just mean the art style, which is not what most would consider conventionally beautiful, but I mean in terms of reading it. Brown's experiences may not be universal, but the subjects he writes about, such as your first time having sex or a good relationship going bad, are experiences most of us can relate to on some level, and he doesn't pull any punches. Actually, his style is one that captures moments, sequences of varying length that are sometimes clearly important and sometimes seem almost trivial, but which all add up to matter in the grand scheme of the story. Brown seems to have examined his life fairly closely and honestly, and that is impressive enough, but it's even more impressive that he has managed to capture that same close examination and honest approach in communicating his story.
When I hear that someone is telling the story of their first time, my mind immediately goes to all the goofy teen comedies about losing your virginity. That is most certainly not the approach of Unlikely, which instead of being a sex farce or indeed a story about sex, this is more a story about feelings and love and how it can be more difficult when sex is involved. Brown's story makes an interesting contrast with Craig Thompson's Blankets, which is about a first love and has a similarly painful honesty about it. Where Blankets had a wistful, pleasant memory about it, Unlikely feels a little bit more sad, as if the relationship is doomed from the outset.
Brown does capture the giddy feelings of new love and a growing physical expression of that love, as well as the nervousness and excitement that comes with losing your virginity. The early sparks of relationship between Jeffrey and Allisyn, the uncertainty of her feelings and the transition from casual acquaintances to friends to lovers is done very well. Though there are signs of the trouble to come with some of the differences between Allisyn and Jeffrey, the early part of the story is mostly about the charm and sweetness of a new relationship, although it carries a certain anxiety with it thanks to Jeffrey's personality type.
It is when the relationship actually gets going that Unlikely starts to grow both more engaging and more dark. There is no magical first time moment in Unlikely; instead, the sex is clumsy and often-times comes across as not terribly satisfying. In addition, though it doesn't seem to be Brown's intent, the character of Allisyn starts to come across pretty badly early in the relationship. She comes across as a bit damaged, and more than a little selfish, and one gets the feeling that Jeffrey is allowing himself to be walked on by this girl because of his feelings, and even though she does return them, she seems unable to express them in the same way. It's a fascinating relationship to read about, but it must have been hell to actually live through.
Though Brown's artwork is unusual and might even be called crude, it is absolutely great in telling the story. Brown is a consummate storyteller, with a mixture of believable dialogue that carries both wistful romance and casual cruelty blending with simple artwork that nonetheless conveys a wide variety of emotions and actions. For example, there are several times when one lover is trying to connect and the other one is being cold, and Brown captures that perfectly. He also captures the longing gazes, the giddy feeling of being drunk, many different aspects of sex and a number of other subtle storytelling cues.
This comic book was not among this week's new releases.
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