Bolero

I love this series so much. Even the title is too perfect, a repeated motif that is circular and ends where it begins. The art by Luana Vecchio is stunning; crisp and dynamic with such numinous color palette and strong character design. The visual storytelling is unreal; even without dialogue, the reader can instantly tell even more subtle emotions like sheepishness and awkwardness, and it is always bolstered with a strong sense of setting. For their part, Wyatt Kennedy knows people and writes them so goddamn well. We feel for our main character and see ourselves in her, for all her flaws and damage and also her gumption and great humor. Kennedy does an excellent job of showing us a very real struggle with mental illness and substance abuse that rings uncomfortably true and familiar. These feel like people who are in your scene, a bar friend, a one night stand, a person that everyone else loves but you just can't stand. It is also a wonderfully creative exploration of the multiverse, the drama is so human, but the sci-fi is so cosmically grand and mysterious. I also greatly appreciate the communication between Kennedy and Vecchio when it comes to how they handle the sexuality of the series. It is effortlessly queer, and erotic without feeling exploitative in a way that very few comics are able to do. Even my dude Brandon Graham's lettering adds remarkable amounts of texture to the visual storytelling. His lettering is sensitive, almost confessional. His words look like how people talk, and the imperfection adds a weight that would have been lacking had a standard word processor been used. Hell, I even appreciate his stiff 한글 as it almost relates to us Devyn's level of fluency in Korean. If you are looking for a new series to pick up, I cannot recommend this one enough. It is heartbreaking, beautifully rendered, and honest. Truly a special series. I cannot wait for the final two issues.