Emma Maree Reviews: Anya’s Ghost

Book: Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

File Under: Graphic Novel/Comic/Fiction/Young Adult/Fantasy

Anya could really use a friend. But her new BFF isn't kidding about the "Forever" part...

Of all the things Anya expected to find at the bottom of an old well, a new friend was not one of them. Especially not a new friend who’s been dead for a century.

Falling down a well is bad enough, but Anya's normal life might actually be worse. She's embarrassed by her family, self-conscious about her body, and she's pretty much given up on fitting in at school. A new friend—even a ghost—is just what she needs.

Or so she thinks

Comic books are one of those mediums that exists on two separate plains: adult comics, and children's comics. Sometimes they overlap, but there's almost no real middle ground, no equivalent to the YA/teen fiction section of a bookstore.  "Anya's Ghoost" is one of those few comics that aims itself directly at teens.

Anya, a Russian immigrant in America, is struggling to fit in: she's dark-haired and curvy when all the popular girls are skinny and blonde, she's only got one real friend, and she's had to spend years getting rid of her accent.

When Anya meets Emily, a ghost who's spent decades at the bottom of a well, a whole world of new possibilities open up. Emily can float around the classroom getting her the right answers for tests, she's someone to talk to at home other than Anya's annoying little brother,  and she might even be able to help Anya get together with the cute boy in the class above. With Emily's help, Anya might actually be able to be one of the popular girls -- but at what cost?

"Anya's Ghost" is drawn in greyscale/blue and greyscale with a clear, simple style with smooth lines -- slightly reminiscent of "Scott Pilgrim". It also comes recommended by Neil Gaiman. It's a great, quick read with a lot of positive messages. I wish I had this comic while I was growing up.

Here's a preview of the first pages. I think it might be the US edition only that uses blue shading, my edition uses grey.

“We3″ Comic Review

I'd seen the work of Scottish artist Vincent Deighan, penname Frank Quitely, before in the Sandman comic "Endless Nights", and I'd enjoyed legendary comic writer Grant Morrison's work in "Arkham Asylum".

So when I heard about their miniseries "We3", a short story about three 'animal weapons' that escape captivity, I went straight out and bought it. Robot animals!

If you're an animal lover, We3 is heartbreakingly powerful. It's also gorgeous - hyper-violent and bloody, yes, but the art is colourful and the detail in the mech (robot) designs is amazing. It's often described as a 'Western Manga' style, but any influence is slight - the art is still recognisable as comic-styled and the realism of the animals really helps to carry the story.

The panel layouts are fantastic - an opening scene is told through rows of tiny squares representing CCTV stills, panels twist and bend to fit the motion of the action, and huge graphic scenes are overlaid with smaller panels showing the details of the fight.

The 3 animal main characters - a rabbit, cat and dog all modified to become powerful animal weapons - speak very little, but still manage to be sympathetic and realistic characters. They act like you would expect your pets to act, searching for shelter and safety, which makes the moments when they're forced to fight or injured in battle all the more difficult to see.

Experimental panel layout adds motion to the fight scenes

It's a short read - almost too short, as I'd have loved a little more time with the characters - but it definitely makes good use of every available page.

[easyreview cat1title="Overall" cat1detail="A perfect example of standalone comic storytelling, with stunning art, solid writing and a fresh sense of experimentation with panel layout." cat1rating="5" overall=false]