Jonathan Hill (6)

After a massive earthquake hit along the Cascadia fault line eight years ago, everything changed for the west coast of the United States. But for Vietnamese-American Virginia Crane, her life changed the most when her mother left and never came back shortly after the quake.

Ginny has always helped her father out and taken care of her brothers, Wes and Harry. But when a mysterious package arrives for the eighteenth birthday, Ginny wants more to life than what she’s been surviving on. Maybe it’s selfish of her, but she’s determined, now more than ever, to find where her mother is, or what happened with her - even if she must leave her family behind.

Right, so I read this going into it, knowing that there will be more volumes. But I thought, this was written in 2020, at least the second volume would be out, right?! NO! I finished this book, expecting I would go grab the second volume at the library but it’s still not out! I’m quite hooked on Ginny’s storyline thank you very much and want to know where it’s going.

Is this the absolutely best graphic novel out there - no, but I still really enjoyed it. The twists and such kept my interest and I’d like to see what has become of the world past San Francisco after this massive earthquake eight years ago.

I did enjoy the art, it’s done in one of my favorite shades of pink.

I would really enjoy it if the second book would come out soon though. You can’t just leave it on the cliffhanger that it’s on!… (mehr)

I'm not sure where this storyline is going, but I appreciate the detailed world building and the strong character relationships. I think the thing I find most frustrating, like Virginia does, is her father's refusal to discuss why her mother left. I mean, they are surviving in a post-apocalyptic world, the father suspects that Virginia will leave as soon as he does (to the extent of leaving her supplies and a letter) and yet... can't bring himself to talk about the mother. That just seems so... typical. And I think it's the mundanity of the whole story that really works for me. The people are recognizably just traumatized people, surviving as best they can. The details of scavenging and surviving seem like they could as easily be about refugees from Syria as post-cataclysm West Coast, with a few paranormal touched thrown in, and I am interested in that imaginative journey. While the drawings aren't my favorite style, they are highly effective for storytelling purposes, and I think they suit the world well.… (mehr)

"Odessa" is the first long chapter in a sumptuously-drawn post-apocalyptic tale following the journey of teenager Virginia Crane as she searches for her missing mother in a broken West Coast landscape that is stranger than it first appears. Jonathan Hill has created a beautiful and fully-realized world here, drawn in a soft black-white-and-pink palette; he is equally at home crafting scenes of urban chaos and moments of bucolic natural beauty. His character designs have strong elements of iconic cartoon design, but the look Hill has created is quite unique. Despite their cartoonish feel, Hill's characters retain a surprising sense of realism; the reader gets the sense that every line is important to the full expression of Hill's protagonists, their allies, and their many enemies. The small panels (Hill favors a tight 9-panel grid) are full of details that build the world, provide subtle characterization, and foreshadow upcoming plot points in a concise manner (it is no surprise that Hill teaches comics at the Pacific Northwest College of Art, his sequential beats are just about textbook perfect). Action is always clear, grounded, and propulsive, even as the story moves ever further from realism.

The plot and dialogue is perhaps a bit less polished than the artwork and visual storytelling (this is Hill's first outing as a writer), but overall the story is still compelling. The main characters are a trio of siblings, and there is some fun "you can't pick your family" style chemistry between them. "Odessa" clocks in at over 300 dense pages, much of it full of expansive stretches of dialogue as the protagonist Ginny, her brothers, and various other characters bicker, barter, and belittle each other. A bit too much space is given to explanations of the politics, history, and mechanics of the post-apocalyptic world, much of which could have been cut; Hill's lush backgrounds and unique character designs are more than capable of showing the obvious richness of his creation.

The tone varies quite a bit as well: Pitched as a young adult GN, on the one hand "Odessa" is a grounded, near-future post-apocalyptic story that frequently feels like it is about the become a very serious and very scary tale in the vein of the graphic novel "The Land of the Sons" by Gipi or the video game "The Last of Us"; at other moments it feels like a fantastical and light-hearted romp that is more in line with the films ""The Goonies" or "Home Alone." This makes the stakes difficult to ascertain or understand at times: "Odessa" begins as what is essentially an impulsive decision to leave a safe and comfortable home and quickly turns into a violent tale where characters are frequently injured and die and quite young children are frequently placed in mortal danger. The characters frequently make flagrantly dangerous or foolish decisions, which can make for a frustrating read (bad judgement isn't limited to the kids; parents and adults are near-universally absent or criminally negligent, a theme which may or may not be explored more closely). While this can feel realistic at times, at other moments I had the strong urge to round up the wayward adventurers and send them marching back to the safety of home.

Future chapters of the story (this volume ends with a clear "To be continued...") might clarify the narrative arc, and despite some criticisms I am definitely looking forward to future installments in the journey of Ginny, Wes, Harry, et al. Jonathan Hill has created an expansive, rich, and compelling world and filled it with fun characters, now he's just got to stick the landing. I've got every faith that this talented and meticulous cartoonist will succeed.

*ARC provided by NetGalley.… (mehr)