What is Neverboy? It’s a trippy, dreamlike story with an ethereal cover to boot. But is this book just an acid-fueled buzz or does it pack more of a punch? More importantly, is it good?
Neverboy #1 (Dark Horse Comics)
This comic features one hell of a story, and at times it’s tough to keep up. Especially towards the end of the comic as the creators pull out all of the stops and almost don’t distinguish between reality and dream, it’s kind of draining keeping track of what’s going on. That being said, the story has a lot going for it, so I’ll try to summarize. Basically, in the first issue of Neverboy we are introduced to an unremarkable family living in an unremarkable city. The only thing that seems a tad off about the family is the fact that no one seems to even notice that they’re there.
We are never explicitly told that they are invisible to others, but it’s alluded to heavily. This understanding that the writer creates with the reader, telling us personally that they aren’t visible, instead of making it a realization by the characters makes for a very unique feeling. This comic somehow seemed much more personal than a normal comic book. It felt like the author was speaking directly to me, and that I wasn’t just reading about these events, but they were sort of whizzing by in front of my face. The whole experience was eerie.
Then there was a flashback scene, which I’m still not totally clear about. In the scene we see Neverboy with another kid, yet he describes the story to his son as though he is the kid. It’s strange and a little off-beat, but it contributes to the sort of hazy and surreal atmosphere. It’s a little discouraging to not have all the facts in front of me to start the series off, but it is very intriguing how the author is building the story slowly and very mysteriously. I have a lot of confidence that much will be answered in the future.
Having never taken psychedelic drugs myself, I can’t accurately compare this comic to being on an acid trip, but I bet it’s pretty darn close. There are some really interesting choices made artistically here, mostly in the way of coloring. I absolutely adore Tyler Jenkins’ figures and landscapes, but Kelly Fitzpatrick’s coloring is really the star of the issue. She absolutely nails the real-life sequences, making the drab city look just so plain and unremarkable, letting Jenkins’ incredible line work express most of the emotion. Then, when the dreams start to bleed into the real world we are treated to a plethora of pinks and yellows and blues that make our minds start to melt. Everything seems to blend and swirl around the page, I felt like I was being carried away in a riptide of comic book beauty as I read the last few pages. Truly remarkable stuff.
Is It Good?
I certainly enjoyed it. This debut was exciting if not a touch confusing but with enough intrigue and cool ideas in play to make me hungry for the next issue.
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