AHOY Comics have carved out a niche in the comic landscape for themselves. As the company that delivers witty, clever and occasionally irreverent comics, they’ve taken control of their own corner of the industry. While known for their tone and sense of humor, they’re equally renowned for their variety — a fact that is stressed once more with their newest book, G.I.L.T.
G.I.L.T. is the story of two different women who take a time traveling trip back to 1973, the day they first met, although neither knew it at the time. AHOY does it again with a book so distinct from mainstream comics that it can’t help but stand out.
The Good
G.I.L.T. by Alisa Kwitney and Mauricet might not sound like a comic book on premise alone, but don’t let the lack of spandex fool you. Despite the time travel, this is a down-to-earth book about recognizable people. With the usual AHOY charm, Kwitney and Mauricet have crafted two characters that instantly stand out within one issue.
Not much happens plot-wise for an opening issue, but that’s because the pages were all dedicated to introducing readers to the protagonists, Hildy and Trista. Think Golden Girls meets Sex and the City, or even Absolutely Fabulous for the UK readers. Again, the book doesn’t scream ‘comic.’ But with AHOY’s success so far, as a publisher they’ve developed a level of trust with readers that no matter what they pick up it’ll be entertaining. G.I.L.T is no different.
You don’t have to be an aging second wave feminist or a cynical underachiever to understand these characters. The beauty in Kwitney’s writing is the way in which everything is relatable. If we haven’t been these characters before, then we’ve definitely met them before. For an issue that’s almost entirely setup, there’s a striking amount of familiarity developed already.
Mauricet’s artwork is exceptionally pretty. It goes so well with the book’s tone that you almost never want to see the creative duo work with anyone else. Between busy streets, messy apartments and quiet hallways, everything looks spectacular. Let’s not forget that as with any AHOY book there’s also extras in the way of prose stories.
The ‘Bad’
As is very often the case with AHOY books, there’s little to complain about. This time around there’s specifically nothing to complain about. If anything, this issue sparks a debate on comic books and what they can be. A time-travelling, Absolutely Fabulous-style story is no doubt a difficult sell in today’s comics scene dominated by superhero multiverses, but that’s not to say it’s not worth reading books like this, or that they shouldn’t be published. AHOY is doing a great service putting books like this on store shelves.
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