Comics Will Break Your Heart: 03/26/19

Comics Will Break Your Heart by Faith Erin Hicks is the graphic novelist's first prose only novel. It's set in a small town in Nova Scotia, a town with ties to a hot comic book franchise, recently adapted to a blockbuster movie.

Miriam is working in a comic book shop and meets a newcomer to the town, Weldon. He's interested in one of her mother's paintings featuring characters from The TomorrowMen in their original costumes. It doesn't take long for these two to realize they're both descendants of the co-creators of the comic. Weldon's family now holds the entire copyright and all the profits, while Miriam's family has nothing beyond the small amount of money their grandfather got when he was bought out.

The book is sold on the idea that it's a modern day retelling of Romeo and Juliet set around the comics book industry. It's not. Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy. This book is a romantic comedy. It's more like Much Ado About Nothing with a smaller cast of characters and fewer shenanigans.

You don't have to be a follower of either of the major comics publishers to enjoy this book. Nor do you have to have seen all (or any) of the recent superhero movies. Everything you need to know is in the book and in the characters. It's self contained and utterly delightful.

It's a good similar read to Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian.

This novel also fits into the road narrative spectrum. While most of the book takes place in Nova Scotia, the climax is set on the other end of the continent in San Diego, at Comic Con. Because the ultimate goal is the coming together of these two characters into a romantic coupling, the travelers are a couple (33). Their destination is San Diego, a city (00). Their method to getting to San Diego is offroad (via airplanes) (66).

Five stars

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