Posted in: Comics, Review | Tagged: comic book reviews, comixology originals, Curt Pires, youth

Youth #1 Review: The Ennui of this Issue is Palpable

There is a sense of disconnectedness that has permeated the character of youth culture long before Slackers, maybe even as far back as Rebel Without A Cause. Stuck in some lame podunk town, seeing the same people, hearing the same "get it together" shtick from authority figures or the same backwoods superiority. These myths perpetrated by people who couldn't compete in stronger marketplaces, it is the pressure that drove George Lucas and Janelle Monae and numerous other creative geniuses to build more interesting worlds.

Here, two similarly disaffected young people — Frank and River — are somewhere between "here" and "there," and they've had it up to here with all of it. From their sexual orientation to their disenfranchisement, they make decisions that drive them out of their dead-end lives and into some rather unexpected circumstances, hand in hand.

Why are they stuck? Why don't they have a plan to better themselves? What would they actually prefer to be moving toward? The book doesn't say. Aside from Frank's burger-slinging job and River living at home with his mother and her overbearing new boyfriend after the father figure lost a fight with cancer, the only thing the reader knows these characters want is "out." While the ennui is palpable, the rationale behind it is opaque.

That brings us to the production values. The visuals from Alex Diotto, Dee Cunniffe, and Micah Myers show great command of composition, making moments pop out and astonish (the parking lot, the cool credits sequence, the shocks in the third act). That's great. Unfortunately, the coloring and inking are rough-hewn and look hurried, even though they're clearly a stylistic choice, making the work appear to be of an almost DIY zine-ish quality, despite the clear craft and experience that went into its making. That dissonance is jarring and makes things like the party scene not have as clear an impact as it should.

The vibe here might remind some of the tones of the British series Misfits as things escalate but without the kineticism of live-action or the polish of more clear linework, it's a mixed bag. Still, the underlying idea might be strong enough to keep some readers on board. Maybe. RATING: MEH.

Youth #1 (of 4)
YOUTH is a coming of age story that tells the story of two queer teenagers as they run away from their lives in a bigoted small town, and attempt to make their way to California. Along the way their car breaks down and they join up with a group of fellow misfits on the road. Embarking together in a van traveling the country they party and attempt to find themselves. And then something happens …
YOUTH is Larry Clark's KIDS meets CHRONICLE. X MEN by way of FRANK OCEAN. It smashes together the violence of coming of age with the violence of the superhero narrative — as well as the beauty.

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