Uncommon lives

Demo is a collection of twelve different stories about outsiders. There are no recurring characters and some of these young people appear to have mutant powers of some sort yet this is in no way a superhero comic. I didn’t love every single story, but feel the book was a success as a whole and enjoyed the journey.

Written, drawn and produced over 18 months, there is a real evolution in style and tone. Even Becky’s artwork shifts and changes, sometimes using a more manga style and at other times using bold strokes and deep shadow, or incorporating photographs of actual places like Brian does in comics like DMZ and Channel Zero.  This approach kept things fresh and held my interest, even if the story itself didn’t do anything for me.

Among my favorites were: Emmy, a young girl doesn’t speak anymore because what she says or wishes for immediately comes true. While it was fun when she was younger to get whatever she wanted, one day her anger took over to a devastating effect. One shot, don’t miss follows PFC John Hatfield, a young man who signed up for the National Guard to get money for college and to support his pregnant wife. Then he is sent to Baghdad, where his exceptional skill with a gun is highly prized, but at what cost? What you wish for is told in flashbacks as a newlywed seeks to make sense of something in his past. The last episode, Mon dernier jour avec moi, is  a culmination of of the work before but entirely new, as it is a poem with a real cinematic feel. All in all a splendid book.