Week of 2/26/2024
Today, we get a flashback exploring Midae and Cil's relationship in The Shapes, some news, and a review covering relatable matter that may hit too close to home.
The Shapes
Struck v. Struck 15-16
News
More Shop Availability Announcements
If you’re in Tampa Bay, then you’re in luck! The Shapes #4 is available at Green Shift Comics & Music and Chewmies Comics & Collectibles, two shops that are right across from each other and host two of the nicest comic book shop owners, Don and Daniel. Plus, if you’re wondering where on earth I find some of the freaky underground comic books I review on the Sunday newsletter updates, then Green Shift has the answer.
Sammy the Critic
I Hate You, Please Die! #1 & #2 Review
Content Warning: Discussions of bullying and self-harm
Picture this, you’re a freshman high schooler sitting in the school cafeteria with your best friend getting lost in your imagination with some generic card game like Magic: The Gathering while exchanging a salvo of amiable teasing. All is well until a pack of jocks burst in exuding their high, inflated ego which they subsequently exert against you as they establish their dominance in the school hierarchy. Home doesn’t provide much solace either because your authoritarian parent decides to throw your prize possessions away on a whim due to a blunder as simple as leaving a few cards on the floor. One day as you’re ready to end it all, you’re given the choice to show your dominance and wage vengeance on your oppressors. However, it comes at the cost of possibly relinquishing your humanity. Is that price worth the transient catharsis of bloodlust?
This question and more are explored in the first two issues of Garrett Gunn (writer/creator] and Malia Ewart (artist) newest comic book series. After a failed suicide attempt, Gabe Kempis literally sells his soul to the devil in exchange for the ability to blow up his adversaries by simply uttering the phrase “I hate you, please die.”
If it wasn’t clear enough already, the author based this on his childhood experience of being bullied, so this story operates to some extent as a power fantasy. This is apparent when looking a the nerd-jock dynamic which feels ripped out of an 80s movie even though the setting is meant to be in the present day. Alas, even if today’s teens aren’t being bullied for geeky interests, there’ll always be something for them to be made fun of for, so the premise at its essence remains relatable. While revenge alone may feel gratifying, Gunn seeks to leave readers with more than just that because consequences exist. Externally, this is in the form of suspicion from Gabe’s classmates. While there’s no evidence that would immediately incriminate him, it certainly seems peculiar that he was the only witness to the jocks’ uncanny death circumstances. In turn, this affects Gabe internally as he’s overwhelmed by the breath of his actions and the fear of people finding out he was responsible. He might not be particularly remorseful yet, but it can be said that these powers will haunt him more and more as the comic progresses.
Ewart’s art elevates this already engaging book. The character designs are very distinguishable displaying varied proportions and fashion choices that make them easy to tell apart. Scenes use lighting and darkness well to convey tone and intensify a sequence. This is done so perfectly, especially during the attempted suicide scene in combination with emotive character expressions that it took me aback. To add, its prolonged build-up made it all the more difficult to read.
Meanwhile, Dave Lentz kills it with the lettering knowing how to play around with fonts and sound effects to bring about the desired emotions out of readers. This is best exemplified in the Devil’s introduction.
Overall, I Hate You, Please Die is a promising new series that I'll definitely be keeping up with. You can buy both issues at the publisher Four Color Fiends’s website.