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Reviewed by Chuck Moore

Brian & Bobbi
215 Ink | $9.99 | February '11
Story - Adam Wilson
Art - Franco Viglino
Cover - Franco Viglino

It's fun when a comic can surprise you and a story feels fresh. Such was the case with Brian & Bobbi from 215 Ink. If you take the cover at pure face value, the book can deceptively fool you as teenage romance story designed for the angst set. Thankfully, when I opened it and started reading what I found met, defied and eventually exceeded my expectations.

The story begins with Brian, who we first meet as a small child then catch up with once again as a teenager. He has superpowers, but despite flying in front of his family and openly telling them about his abilities, he can't get anyone in life to notice he can do amazing things. It lends an almost playful yet Twilight Zone feel to the early pages of this story and grabs you from the very start.

On the other side of the fence, we have Bobbi who's father was a legendary hero who has abandoned her. Despite this fact, everyone is watching and expecting her to change the world. Instead, her values have withered a bit under the constant stare and expectation. Brain has, conversely, eased into a very normal life despite his very unusual potential.

In the end, this is a big story housed in a very small tale focused on two individuals, their friendship and how they influence each other's lives. It's a story of companionship and a question of destiny more than a romantic story. That said, the story itself is framed like a romance with all the beats that make you feel like these two are destined to be together. It's an interesting mix that has its emotional moments right alongside the action sequences. In the end it feels fresh.

This comic did exactly what it should. It engaged me from the first few pages and I found myself wanting to see how the story ended and, as a result, burning through its digest size graphic novel format in short fashion. In the end there were elements of what I thought it would be, but it defied where I though the story was heading and that surprised me. Success!

Adam Wilson (asplashpage.blogspot.com) has a lot to celebrate with this story. It takes an existing framework and twists it in a creative direction. He's a writer whose name I'll watch for in the future. Franco Viglino's artwork (altercomics.com.ar) is at times sexy, playful, fresh and cinematic. He feels like he's just starting to come into its own visually as there are panels that surprise and others that feel very personal. All in all a very fun little package.

A review copy of the book was provided by 215 Ink (215ink.com) and, out of a very deep stack of titles we picked up at Pittsburgh Comic Con, it emerged as the second post-con read which in itself speaks well for the book. Good things are clearly coming out of 215 Ink.

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