Heartbreakers by James Self
Graphic Novels. Comic books. Manga. These mediums that blur the lines between art and literature have long been bound by stigma. While being a pillar of pop culture, many have felt that these books are not to be taken seriously and pale in comparison to traditional novels when it comes to storytelling. Over the last decade, this has been proven wrong over and over. Literary masterpieces such as Art Spiegelman’s Maus and Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis series have taken the world by storm, earning their place in the pantheon of written storytelling. After reading Trevor McCallum’s graphic novel Heartbreakers, I’m happy to say that McCallum takes on this torch in a wonderful manner.
In the book, our protagonist Elsie is a bartender on a space station halfway across the galaxy. She regales a lovelorn miner with three different tales, all of which put their heroes through harrowing ordeals. In the first, a dark science fiction tale reminiscent of a Black Mirror episode, a janitor makes a fatal assumption after hours when he underestimates new-age artificial intelligence.
In the second, a frigid, Nordic tale of Vikings and an ancient enemy, a clan of warriors are wiped out one by one until only a son remains. Vowing to take revenge on his foe, this last warrior sets out — while unbeknownst to him, he’s in for more than he could possibly imagine.
In the third story, McCallum utilizes a gritty, classic noir tale with a science fiction twist. He tells of a woman who finds out just how unpredictable love can be when it leads her into the midst of a grisly murder case.
The most striking aspect if McCallum’s graphic novel is his artistic approach. Unlike any other graphic novel I’ve read, the author splits the book into three distinct art styles, each unique to the separate tales told. The first is a classic, timeless comic style that evokes a classic Marvel/DC-esque feel. The second is a drastic departure, clearly a mix of computer-generated models and hand-drawn details, a style the likes of which I’ve never encountered. The third is a beautifully drawn, retro aesthetic that harkens back to the 80s.
While each style is distinct, gorgeous and fits its respective tale, the combination of the three keeps a reader experiencing the entire volume on their toes. Throughout the novel I often felt as if the art styles themselves played a major role in evoking feelings the author wanted to convey. In the first and third stories, paired with the writing the art was robotic and unsettling (in a good way), just like the characters in the story. In the Viking story, the art gave off a classic hero’s tale feel that cleverly disguises the twist at the end.
In Heartbreakers, McCallum’s concise yet efficient storytelling combined with the artistic prowess of both himself and illustrator Ryan Durney makes for an exciting, thought-provoking read that will make those new to the graphic novel medium hungry for more. The unique imagery found nowhere else along with all the twists and turns of any other traditional science fiction novel, Heartbreakers will leave readers thinking long after the last page.
Author: James Self
Page Count: 136 pages
ISBN: 9798368040165
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