Comic Book Review - Brian & Bobbi

Hello! This week, I wanna call your attention to a great book, it came out a few weeks ago and probably flew well under your radar (or not.. I'd hate to presume. I'm just saying...).

Brian & Bobbi is written by Adam Wilson, with art by Franco Viglino, and is published by 215ink. It's the story of two young adults, one who's lived his whole life with superpowers he could never convince anyone he had, the other born the illegitimate daughter of a world famous superhero and a delusional overbearing mother. Brain has settled into life as a nobody, while Bobbi is still looking to make a name for herself, and when the two meet... well, stuff gets interesting.

It seems this book is aimed straight at the heart of the Scott Pilgrim crowd, and while Scott Pilgrim it is not, it's a solid example of young adult graphic novels. Viglino's art is great, even brilliant at times. The punk-rock schoolgirl character design for Bobbi stands out especially, as well as the very fluid and exciting depictions of the super-powered battle scenes. And the writing, while a bit stilted and sometimes heavy-handed, tells a very unique tale. Genuinely heartfelt and often hilarious, Wilson's script did a great job of keeping me engaged throughout the book.

Overall, I'd give it a B+, y'know, if thats what we did here... it's a great example of what these smaller publishers have to offer. At the first volume weighs in at 120 black-and-white pages for just $9.99, and is a worthwhile investment for fans of the teenage superhero genre. And it looks to be just one of a whole slew of interesting titles from 215ink, so definitely check them out.

215ink titles are available at Treasure Island Comics in sunny Fremont, CA; or find your own local comic shop at ComicShopLocator.com.