Three weeks ago, I decided that I wanted to start writing comic book reviews. I’ve always had a hidden passion, but I’ve never done anything to execute it– until now! That day I pulled out my laptop, looked to my girlfriend, and spoke the twelve words that constantly ring through her adherent ears, “I have an idea and I know what I need to do!” She nods and smiles, as she normally does, and begins to run her fingers through my hair to show me that she is here and that she supports me in every way.
We had recently gone to California and while we were there we visited The Last Book Store, located in downtown Los Angeles, and a week prior my friends and I had attended the wet dream for nerds near and far, Comic Con San Diego!. Between those two trips I had acquired enough new comics to keep me occupied with write ups for sometime. Now, understand that I had well over forty-seven comics that I had purchased over the two week span. Everything from crime noir, coming of age, biographies, liberal politics, punkology, historical fiction, and even thrillers, but out of the stack that I had attained, one stood out to me in particular.
Celebrated Summer by Charles Forsman, a story that calls to my adolescence through almost every illustrated panel throughout the sixty-seven page graphic novel.
Forsman forges a stagnant, yet copious connection with his readers as he takes us through his amplified way of illustrating the journey of our two main characters, Mike and Wolf. The story starts with the two friends and their decision to drop acid and venture out into the world. However, during their mild trip, certain life events begin to unfold. For those of you who have tried or done LSD you will notice that the methodical detail Forsman pays attention to is almost reassuring. As you dive into the story and begin to get a weird familiarity between Holden Caulfield and our main character Wolf, you automatically feel a inscrutable depression shown through a constant blending in with friends and with life. A feeling we all know a little too well, finding our place through our existence and sometimes suppressing our emotions to benefit others. This isn’t, however, a numbing depression, rather, it can be better explained as the self-exploration we have all experienced through our own youth. This comic was released last year and has almost slipped into the cracks, being washed over by the mainstream of comics and movies. Yet, with this being Charles Forsman’s first go at both writing and illustrating, he’s stamped his style permanently in the hearts of his readers.
With my first attempt at comic reviews, I will leave you in that same style. You know enough, yet you are still left oddly wanting more.
