Tell Me SomethingTell Me Something is a charming, gently comedic but tragic novella of love that was never meant to be. The unnamed protagonist is a poet, who falls in love with a lady he rescues from an attempted mugging. Sadly her father is against the union with someone as lowly as the poet and does everything in his power to get in their way. The story is largely wordless. Any words that are used are put in separate panels of their own, giving the already monochrome artwork the feel of a silent black and white movie. As the plot moves on, it also flits between the past and the present, using border colours to help the reader work out where they are. With its anthropomorphic characters it would be simple to dismiss this as childish but the artwork disguises the story's depths and universal themes. This is a complex love story told simply and powerfully, using minimal words and maximum illustrative impact. Jason's simple bold lines hide a wealth of detail that transcends language and speaks directly to the human heart - a claim that few other comics can boast. Comment on this graphic novel review
|