Young Liars # 3
By David Lapham
Published by Vertigo/DC Comics
Well, once again, I judged a book by its cover. Okay, I didn’t judge it. I PICKED it because of its cover. I picked it because (blush) the guy on the cover, his profile, looked kind of like my husband. And I thought it’d be really fun to read a comic book, um, about my husband.
But it really doesn’t look like him. And so, there went that.
The cover, I don’t know, did not lead me to believe that this comic was going to be as dark as it was. And every time I read a comic that includes violence, drug addiction, sex, etc., I’m always shocked. I don’t know why. Its like after a long day teaching preschool I forget that there are other picture books other than “Llama Llama, Red Pajama.”
Look, I don’t know anything, anything, anything about this comic. I discussed it with no one. I did no sort of googling or wikepedia-ing. I just read it. And so I immediately concluded that it was not a superhero comic. And then something would get said or something would happen and my brain would lurch and think, “Oh, wait. Do we have to go into super power mode? Is it time to suspend disbelief?”
The first time I had that thought was right in the beginning when we find out that the main character once set himself on fire, yet lived. And he says “It was the hardest thing I ever did in my life. It was the day I knew I was strong enough to do anything.” See…..it almost alludes to some super-human strength and/or fortitude. I mean, he set himself on fire, lived and looks to exhibit no scarring. Kinda amazing, right?
But then there’s no kind of super-heroy things going on...Until some thugs come to fight. And then out of nowhere come the “Pinkertons.” And, our little gang of characters kick the hell out of the thugs, and slaughter the Pinkertons. I mean SLAUGHTER. They bludgeon these guys. They BEHEAD one of them. Like, easily. Breezily. So, again, the brain lurch. Super-stuff?
Nope. So once again, I settle for a “reality” comic, and then Sadie says something about her father trying to impregnate her with spider eggs, etc., etc. Which would normally make a person realize that she’s cuckoo. But this is comic-book-land, folks, and anything is possible. So, it took me a couple of pages to realize that this is not about super-people. Just fucked up people. Its definitely a comic that takes a second read. Upon second read, all the pieces fall into place a little better. (At least they did for me.)
I don’t know where this comic is coming from or where it plans to go. I’m still not sure why the Pinkertons are after that girl. But I did feel really, really sa Yound for that guy at the end. I mean, we start with him sobbing and lighting himself on fire over some girl. And at the end we realize that he’s involved in and having sex with a girl that, before HE SHOT HER, she treated him like shit. And now that she’s somewhat mentally incapacitated….its all working out for him? Oy.
All in all this comic left me with the bleakest feeling. I mean, that might make me wanna say it’s a bad comic--but then I realized...when has a comic been able to make me empathize with and almost experience that empty, bottomless feeling of sadness and depression that seems to be in all of the characters in this comic? I don’t wanna live in that place, but I have to say they do a great job of constructing that reality. I remember times from my late teens/early 20s…..when the people I hung with and the things we did – well they weren’t as dark as Young Liars, but things were somewhat dark. A lot of us were “walking wounded” trying to get love, find love, feel good and just making ourselves and everyone else feel worse in the process. That’s sex, drugs and rock n’ roll for ya. Not that glamorous. More like an endless pit of despair.
Oh, how did this become about me? Er…ahem. In conclusion, I find myself a little more intrigued by this comic the more I think about it and the more I go back to it. So, who knows, maybe I’ll check in for issue 4 to see what happens. Hopefully it’ll go somewhere unusual, otherwise it will just be a trip of nostalgia through the worst times of your life. And that’s just weird.
-Nina Stone, 2008
interesting, i'll be back later
Posted by: Jorbidok | 2008.10.30 at 01:16