0
Posted December 28, 2021 by Ica Hontiveros-Cheng in Comics
 
 

Bolero: An intimate look at ‘What if?’

STL212532

Heartbreak, the loss of love at a young age can be a devastating loss. At some point in our life, we may have experienced this kind of pain. A pain and loss so deep that running away would seem to be an appealing option. Bolero takes this familiar notion and throws a sci/fi spin in the mix.

In the first pages of the first issue of ‘Bolero’ we meet Devyn Dagny, a Korean-American, who aspires to be a successful tattoo artist tells us about the love of her life, Natasha. Whom she met while she was fifteen years old, what started as an intense relationship ends in heartbreak and Devyn is having a hard time coping.

In a strange turn of events, Devyn is given a mother-key into parallel universes and a chance at a new start, but there are rules:

The key can work on any door. The mother will only let you visit 53 universes. Do not ask to speak to the mother. Never hop more than 53 times.

_419275ae74

The five-issue mini series from Wyatt Kennedy and Luana Vecchio will launch in January 2022 from Image Comics. Talking about their work, Vecchio said: “Page by page, Wyatt and I put our whole love and passion for comics into this miniseries to convey, the strong sense of loneliness and despair that many feel after the end of a relationship. Running away might often seem like the simplest solution, but there is no simple solution when dealing with pain.”

Each panel in the first issue is expertly and beautifully illustrated, the use of colors to depict the feelings in each illustration whether it is a cheerful memory or the painful present makes it easier for the reader to understand what the narrator is going through. Not only do colors and color grading predict a certain emotion, it also effectively conveys a scene or a setting. Violet for a bar, red for an interdimensional portal. Sun-lit rooms for a precious memory. Bleak, colorless winters to depict a life falling apart.

Fair warning, the comic has a lot of nudity and some sexuality. Just to set your expectations.

unnamed-72

The series also has a diverse cast, there are even Korean characters in some panels. Maybe a translation at the bottom part would have helped the readers.

A good 3/4s of the first issue was well grounded and reflected the struggles of everyday individuals. Characters who can easily be us, or someone we may now, the sudden change of pace as you reach the end, with the switch to the sci/fi and fantasy. Which may catch you off by surprise, especially when you go into the book and have no previous knowledge about it, which was what happened to me. The sudden change in tone is a welcome one, especially with the first hints of humor injected in the story.

At one point in our lives, we have wanted a reset, a what-if, but when that opportunity comes, are we brave enough to take that chance.

Bolero comes out in January 2022

STL212531


Ica Hontiveros-Cheng

 
Geek mom to a little Jedi. Freelance writer. Writes and vlogs thoughts, and reviews on movies, series and pop culture.