Monday, June 16, 2008

Review by the Dork: Suburban Glamour TPB


Writer and Artist: Jamie McKelvie
Publisher: Image Comics (May 21, 2008)
Price
: $9.99
Softcover
Format: TPB
Includes: Suburban Glamour #1-4

First off, I avoided the single issues of this book because I wasn't overly thrilled by the Phonogram TPB; which I believe had been drawn AND written by
Jamie McKelvie. The writing on Phonogram came off a little too pretentious for my taste.

So it came as a nice surprise when I found myself enjoying the story as well as the art in the Suburban Glamour TPB. Upon further investigation (like reading the credits) I discovered something!
Jamie McKelvie did NOT write the Phonogram series. He did, however, write Suburban Glamour.

My quick, ill placed judgment of
Jamie McKelvie was undeserved and almost cost me a good read. Sorry about that dude. Now back to the book at hand.

Suburban Glamour was enjoyable to read and nicely complemented by
Jamie McKelvie's clean art style. The story was not overly original, but what stories are? In the end, it's how you tell the story that matters and Astrid Johnson's story is told quite well.

What I especially liked about the series is the character development. Too often characters in comics are blank slates with little or no personality. But
Jamie McKelvie manages to give his heroine a voice, a persona; which is cool and unexpected.

My only criticism is of his artwork, which feels stiff at times. My guess is that pages and deadlines will hammer that out.

I look forward to his next project as artist AND writer and will pick up the single issues this time.

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