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By Leroy Douresseaux
December 17, 2007 - 12:42
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| Thanks to Amazon.com for the image. |
The Other Side of Midnight, Vol. 1 opens in New York City and follows two star-crossed and mismatched young people. One is Lou Schutlz. He is a farm boy who headed for NYC and is now, an unemployed young man who hustles drinking matches to earn money. The second is Sunny Corrigan. Like Lou, she originated in South Carolina where she grew up in a highly dysfunctional household. Now, this Southern belle is a prostitute on the rough streets of NYC, but she’s not very good at it.
After a disastrous first encounter, Sunny and Lou become connected. It’s not quite a romance; it may not even be a friendship, but something’s there.
[This volume includes the short story “99 Roses,” an afterword by and interview with Jo Chen, and some sketchbook material.]
THE LOWDOWN: Jo Chen is a dynamic illustrator, and her fluid line work and rich brushstrokes instill a sense of warmth in her comic art, as seen in her evocative Buffy covers and in the two painted images that appear at the front of this volume. The narrative here intrigues because not only is there a sense of a developing romance, but there is also a strong sense of mystery that surrounds this couple. The reader is encouraged to care whether they find happiness or find more misfortune.
The extras here are also nice. “99 Roses” is one of those lovely Victorian-infused love stories, but with a comedic ending to go with the tragic twist. The six pages of sketchbook material offer a welcomed, but small view into the talented Ms. Chen’s process.
POTENTIAL AUDIENCE: Anyone who loves Jo Chen’s Buffy covers will want this.
B+
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