|
MY DEAD GIRLFRIEND (VOL. 1) |
|
|
Saturday, 14 April 2007 |
 | | ▪ | PUBLISHED BY: | | TOKYOPOP | | | ▪ | ART/AUTHOR: | | ERIC WRIGHT | | | | ▪ | FORMAT/COLOR: | | JAPANESE FORMAT / BW | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 189 | | | ▪ | RATED: | | 13+ | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 01/25/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 04/15/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | CHRISTOPHER SEAMAN |
MY DEAD GIRLFRIEND, created by Eric Wright, who has achieved famed as an artist on the series OC, is a recent release from TOKYOPOP that has caused something of a stir for its plotting and characterization. Much anticipated, plastered on the back cover with endorsements from some pretty respectable names in the entertainment industry, this work has been well and truly ‘buzzed’ since the time of its release in January.
And deservedly so. It is darkly funny in tone, yet light as reads go. This manga-which-isn’t-manga comedy from Stateside is clever and easily accessible to audiences who are open to reading graphic novels that don’t strictly adhere to the stylistic conventions of East or West. If the artwork is to be labeled, it is more retro than either conventionally western or manga in style. No problems here. The drawings complement the story beautifully and the story itself mixes comedy with a little bittersweet teen angst in just the right amount.
Opening with a short meditation on destiny, the story links this to the burden our hero- Finny Bleak- carries, knowing most of his ancestors met with less than salubrious ends. Alienated in school, he faces a daily onslaught from witches, werewolves, and other students, Finney finds comfort in the company of Jenny, a girl he meets at a local fair. She is beautiful, witty, and very smart. She sees the goodness in Finney and becomes attached to him. Further meetings are planned, but something happens and Jenny goes missing. For Finney, it is not so much the hurt that is hard to deal with, but the fact that his life is such a catalogue of misery that he doesn’t appear to be even be surprised by this turn of events.
However, the answer to the mystery of the missing Jenny and the story’s hook comes fairly quickly. After having a run in with the Grim Reaper, and later encountering the local goon squad in a forest and getting in over his head, Finney is rescued from a cruel and typically ‘Bleak’ fate by a black caped spirit who turns out to be…you guessed it, his girlfriend Jenny. It seems she encountered the bony guy with the scythe herself soon after meeting Finney, and has been unavailable for dates ever since. Thus starts the story proper, and one can only imagine where Eric Wright is going to take it next.
So far, so good. This is a traditional kind of offbeat romantic comedy- if traditional and offbeat can actually be used in the same context- and there are no surprises. Doesn’t every teen feel like their school is some kind of Mephisto High, populated by aliens and goblins? Doesn’t the inner loser within most of us feel that the only good companion we might find would have to get an afterlife first? Sure! But this is not nearly as grim as it could be. Eric Wright keeps the tone light, and the artwork bold from beginning to end. You will find it easy to like Finney, and Jenny herself is quite a lovely character. The supporting cast is a lot of fun with their various quirks and routines. Also, this ‘manga’ has a great bonus section at the end, with artwork for various cover concepts among other things included to give us some context on how this tale evolved. From cover to cover, MY DEAD GIRLFRIEND is weirdly wonderful.
IN SUMMARY:
Who can argue with the likes of fans like Joss Whedon, Meg Cabot, Brad Meltzer and Josh Schwartz? Eric Wright’s retro/mangaesque styled dark comedy MY DEAD GIRLFRIEND is great fun from beginning to end. The combination of memorable characters, twisted storylines and funky art make MY DEAD GIRLFRIEND a star among releases from TOKYOPOP in 2007. |