By Steve Baxi — My first instinct after a break up is to run away. Run as far away as I possibly can and divorce myself from anything in the world that feels like it’ll pull me back to the person I’m no longer with. Of course that’s not an entirely plausable or reasonable response, and oftentimes you just have to grow accustomed to the various ways your lives will mix, regardless of the circumstances. However, sometimes I do wish a mysterious cat would give me the key to multiple alternate universes where I can live out a different life to gain perspective and avoid my problems. That seems like a neat way to cope.

Bolero #1 - by Wyatt Kennedy, Luana Vecchio, and Brandon Graham - is a fun, heartbreaking ride through the emotional turmoil of having loved and lost. Kennedy’s dialogue and sense of scope allows the central relationship to both feel too good to be real and wholly familiar as Devyn navigates the norms of falling head over heels for someone and the anguish of losing them. And while the dialogue is natural, the lettering by Brandon Graham gives it a sense of surreality, finding unique ways to convey information and giving life to every interaction. Vecchio’s art equally allows the book to transition from the fairy tale of two loves into the quiet nightmares of reality.

Immediately what caught my attention about this series is how much it makes the romance feel like the center of the universe. The beauty of fiction is that we can make feelings literal, in every sense of the word. We can manifest them into the world itself and give the universe the same gravity as the feeling. If a romance feels like the center of the universe, we can depict it as the actual center of the universe. If a break up feels like the end of the world, we can make it the actual end of the world. For its part, Bolero’s art has a clear focus on what is central to Devyn’s life. The series opens with their hands together in the center of the frame and slowly fades them away painting a clear picture of Devyn’s arc: If Nat is gone, Devyn’s gone.

As the first issue progresses, we get a sense of how much Nat visually centers Devyn, where even a brief glance of her presence allows Devyn to be portrayed in center frame, on solid ground, with sharp lines and a firm sense of self. Once Nat leaves, the art shifts with Devyn always ever so slightly off center, drawn with more curves and less clear linework. The book takes on a slightly uncertain and unclear quality as we get our bearings alongside Devyn.

Adding to this reality warping effect is Graham’s lettering which often points to intimate objects, as if they are calling out their label or their perceived function based on Devyn’s perspective. Every character feels like they’re speaking with authority, every object feels like it's clearly defined by its purpose, everyone and everything except Devyn who wavers. She feels pushed into corners by the objects and people around her, responding in ways determined by the dialogue of others while painting a very different picture in her mind. 

At her heart, Devyn wants stability, certainty, and comfort. She feels like she has this early on, but loses it and spends the rest of the issue being pushed around by her circumstances, unable to make a choice. Her only choice is to run away, to experience the Capra-esque possibility of a world unlike hers to perhaps see she is exactly where she belongs or attempt to stay away for good. A majority of this first issue feels like a romantic drama, but by the end as the premise kicks into gear, there’s a sci-fi horror quality that manifests the doubt and uncertainty Devy feels. And because we spend so much time wrestling with Devyn’s messy life, the thought of running away to another universe doesn’t feel simple or like obvious moralizing. Instead there’s an allure that speaks to the uncertainty in all of us, something that says “you need to know what else is out there. How could it possibly be worse than this?”

Bolero #1 is a fantastic first issue with a compelling protagonist and takes full advantage of the comics medium. Not only is the dialogue natural and the premise exciting, but the world created through the art and letters gives life to feelings and relatable problems in a way only a comic can. Every panel feels loaded with intent and I find myself pondering the emotional journey Devyn is on several hours after reading the issue. Bolero is a comic that not only tells an engaging story, but makes a case for why comics are uniquely suited to capturing the nuances of life.

Overall: The first issue of Bolero is engaging, with a unique style and emotional complexity. Every choice feels deliberate and every page is crafted with an awareness of what comics can do best. 9/10.

REVIEW: Bolero #1

Bolero #1
Writer: Wyatt Kennedy
Artist: Luana Vecchio
Letterer: Brandon Graham
Publisher: Image Comics
A new series from two bright-eyed and bushy-tailed little scamps!
A woman running away from a broken heart discovers a mother-key into parallel universes. The rules are: 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.
Price: $5.99
Read This Comic: Get it via Amazon; or read it digitally via comiXology

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Steve Baxi has a Masters in Ethics and Applied Philosophy, with focuses in 20th Century Aesthetics and Politics. Steve creates video essays and operates a subscription based blog where he writes on pop culture through a philosophy lens. He tweets through @SteveSBaxi.