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BLUE MONDAY: ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS #4
"Hands Off, She's Mine!"
Recommended (8/10)
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Oni Press
Writer/Artist: Chynna Clugston-Major
Letters: Sean Konot
Editor: Jamie S. Rich
Price: $2.95 US |
In the conclusion to Absolute Beginners, Clugston-Major has perfectly captured the adolescent date, in all of its excruciating glory. Her addition of hijinks in the form of a mischievous Pooka and romantic rivals helps to raise the comedy of errors beyond simple teenage clumsiness to hysterical proportions, reminiscent of a lot of teen sex comedies. Clugston-Major's artwork is especially geared to outrageous comedy, and this issue gives her a lot of comedy to play with. I wasn't quite as impressed with the conclusion of Absolute Beginners as I was with Kids Are Alright, but overall this is another fine example of Clugston-Major's talent and the enjoyment that Blue Monday has to offer.
While the last series focused
on an Adam Ant concert, this series has centered on two events, the videotape of
Bleu in the bath and the date that Alan managed to arrange by using the video as
blackmail. This issue is the conclusion to both of those stories, largely
focused on the big date, and Clugston-Major takes us through everything, from
the preparations both teenagers make to the dinner and the movie to the ride (or
walk) home. This is no sweetly romantic tale, though... it's mostly a look at
those dates gone wrong that everyone has had, although I doubt most of us have
had dates that went so spectacularly bad as this one.
Opinion seems to be divided on
whether or not the addition of Seamus the Pooka was a good thing or not. I'll
admit that I sometimes found him a bit obtrusive, but he makes for some great
comedy, notably his "freeing" of the lobsters or his faux pas in the movie
theatre, as well as his jealousy of Alan and Bleu. He serves the purpose of
another complication this issue, just as Monkeyboy, Victor and Erin serve as
complications for Alan.
However, as with any true
teenager, Alan doesn't really need further complications. His attempts to
impress Bleu at the fancy restaurant are painfully real and very funny, and
though he's very smooth in his ability to actually get the date and figure out
what she might want to do, his execution of the date falls flat largely due to
his own nervousness and attempts to show off.
Throughout the issue, Clugston-Major inserts her always charming side notes, whether it's cultural references, doodles in the margins or musical cues. Setting Alan's misadventure in the bathroom to Marilyn Monroe singing "Diamonds are a girl's best friend" or looking at the little "liner notes" of editor Jamie Rich or lobsters on roller skates just completes the Blue Monday experience.
The music, fashion and general style of this book marks Clugston-Major as a child of the 80s, but her characters are timeless, appealing to readers of all ages who remember (or are experiencing) their teenage years. I look forward to the next series of Blue Monday.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review. |
