Bad Houses

Bad Houses is a book about many things: young love, familial obligations, growing up, dealing with the past, and the connections between people's possessions and memories. It follows two young adults, Lewis, who works for his mother who organizes estate sales, and Anne, who lives with her mother who is a hoarder. They are both complex people in a narrative that powerfully and elegantly defines people's situations and contexts.

These two young people are trying to figure out how to live their lives and deal with the expectations of their respective single moms. Anne's situation is further complicated when her mother starts dating and wants her boyfriend to move in with them. So much of this book is involved with interpersonal relationships, and the powerful impacts that folks have on one another propels much of the plot. Certainly, events, some of them quite dramatic, occur, but what is more powerful and evocative here are the delicate and complicated interplay of people's various emotional reactions. The characters are well detailed both in terms of their back stories and their visual depictions. Take for instance this simple yet devastating scene at Anne's house.

I should also add that in addition to the characters and plot that the setting and context also play large roles, almost as if they were characters in the story. The town of Failin, Oregon where this tale is set is in decline, the site of an abandoned brewery and rampant unemployment. The past weighs heavily, and long forgotten events still have a profound and unexpected impact on the present. So much is interwoven into this beautiful and compelling narrative tapestry. 

The concept of interplay also applies to how this book is composed. It is one of those excellent kind of comics where the words and pictures coalesce so well and complement each other in telling this story. The background details, graffiti, and local signs are just as essential to the plot as the deft dialogue and intricate narrative. Additionally, this book oozes charm, personality, and humanity in the most beautiful ways. It is absolutely winning in execution.

This book's creators are both well accomplished for their solo works but here collaborate extremely well. Writer Sara Ryan is a full time librarian and an award winning author of young adult novels, including The Rules for Hearts and Empress of the World. She has also written a number of comics for various anthologies, including Comic Book Tattoo and Hellboy: Weird Tales. Artist Carla Speed McNeil is a Lulu, Ignatz, and Eisner Award winning cartoonist. She has been publishing her Finder comics series since 1996 and began the webcomic version in 2005. She has also illustrated a few other series, such as a run on Queen & Country, and she is editor-in-chief of Saucy Goose Press. Both creators speak about their inspirations and work on this book in this interview.

Bad Houses has received and well deserves high praise. Publishers Weekly gave the book a starred review, calling it "a drama with true depth." Time's Douglas Wolk put it on his Top 10 Best Comics and Graphic Novels list for 2013. Reading Rants described it as "a well-told and astutely drawn story of fate and forgiveness." Hillary Brown opined that it is "more than just a tale of young love and the way life opens up when you find someone who clicks. The book operates in a kind of clockwork universe, a.k.a. a small town, where everyone is connected in some fashion." Its subject matter might not be typical graphic novel fare, but it is a unique and exquisite book.

Bad Houses was published by Dark Horse, and they provide a preview and more here.

Thanks to Sara Ryan for sharing a PDF of this book with me!

Finder: Voice

Regardless of the reasons why, science fiction of late has had its share of dystopian future stories (also check out this graphic). This entry in the genre is from the Eisner Award Winning series Finder. The series takes place in Anvard, a domed city where a complex clan structure exists. Citizens strive to belong to clans, because such membership brings social status and also a measure of security. Being a "cull" makes life much more difficult and uncertain. This stand-alone volume follows Rachel Grosvenor, a young woman who was born to parents of different clans. Her drive to belong to the Llaverac clan, which is devoted to physical beauty and all the members are virtually indistinguishable, becomes derailed when a family heirloom is lost. In desperation, she turns for help from a Finder named Jaeger. The problem is complicated further by the fact that Finders can never reveal where they are located.

Voice is the product of Carla Speed McNeil,a Lulu, Ignatz, and Eisner Award winning cartoonist. She has been publishing Finder comics since 1996 and began the webcomic version in 2005. She has also illustrated a few other series, such as a run on Queen & Country, and is editor-in-chief of Saucy Goose Press. She speaks about her work and career in this interview with Washington City Paper.

Voice has won the 2011 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in the Graphic Novel category and has been generally well received. Yogikai praised the book, "This is an amazing volume and really makes me want to read the entire series." The Comics Journal's Shaenon Garrity wrote that this book is one of those that builds such a personal connection that causes the reader to think "this comic was made just for me." Steve Bennett added, "Once again McNeil immerses you in her meticulously detailed world and you’re immediately caught up in a beautifully drawn and deftly written story."

It should be stated that although this volume is only a small part of a larger series, it is a great stand-alone story. I had no familiarity with the series, and I was not lost at all. McNeil even provides voluminous footnotes in the end of the book to dispel any confusions new readers may have. Additionally, knowing there are other volumes to peruse will be attractive to those who enjoy the book. Lastly, I should also say there is some course language and slight nudity, so this is a book probably more suited to more mature readers.

The book's publisher Dark Horse provides a preview here.

More information about the stories, characters, and world of Finder comics can be found at this website.