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TRUE STORY SWEAR TO GOD #1
(Best of the Week!)
Highly Recommended (10/10)
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Clib's Boy Comics
Writer/Artist: Tom Beland
Price: $2.95 US/$3.95 CAN |
I read a scant few mini-comics, but one that I got hooked on was Tom Beland's True Story Swear to God, a series of strips that dealt with the everyday humor of life, as well as issues close to Beland's heart such as his departed father or Lily, the love of his life. When I first picked up the book, I thought for sure that Beland was ready for the move to mainstream comics, and he seems to have thought so as well, with the publication of this first full-sized issue of True Story Swear to God. Though the name, characters and style are all the same, this is a first issue, with no continuity or anything silly like that to worry about. Instead, what Beland provides is the true story of how he met Lily, his now-fiancee, on a trip to Disneyworld. It's a very touching and often funny romantic story, and although the story is very self-contained and there hasn't been a True Story #2 solicited yet, it is my hope that we'll be
seeing more of the book in the future.
When I first read the mini-comics, I thought
that Beland's greatest gift was a great sense of humor and the ability to convey
it in words and pictures. But what really makes his work stand out, both there
and especially in this issue, is his ability to portray the emotions and
important things in his life without feeling self-indulgent, as too many
autobiographical comics are. His love for his deceased father and the absolute
magic of his meeting with Lily comes through in a way such that anyone could
identify with them, regardless of whether they've shared such experiences. And
if you're lucky enough to have found someone the way Beland and Lily have found
one another, you'll get an incredible charge out of the personal memories that
this book stirs up for you.
The art style is simple and clean, reminiscent of the work by Keith Knight's K Chronicles or Brian Michael Bendis's Fortune & Glory. Despite some fairly basic forms, Beland makes all the characters
really expressive and conveys emotions quite well. In addition, despite
relatively simple backgrounds, he really manages to give a feel for Disneyworld,
the Stevie Wonder concert and other settings.
Of course, Beland's storytelling gifts are
being put to use for a story that has both intense personal meaning for him and
a narrative flow straight out of fiction. The notion of destiny and that perfect
night is like something out of a romantic movie, and as a married man myself, I
have to envy Beland what is going to be a great answer to "So how did you two
meet?" Love at first sight, an incredible concert and simply talking until the
wee hours of the morning all provide a story that is magical but believable. And
the way that Beland keeps reinforcing the notion of destiny is well-done, giving
the reader a strong sense of what he's talking about without ever feeling like
he's reaching or pushing too hard.
Beland has given us a very personal story
that is funny and touching, and it is my hope that we'll be seeing a lot more
from him in the future.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review. |
