November, Book II - REVIEW
November Book II is out June 3, 2020.
By Keigen Rea — November is about three women being brutalized by cops and the broken systems in society. It’s a story about a city under siege and the effect it has on a few ordinary citizens, which is to say; it feels like this last week in the US. Right now, pretty much any media I consume reminds me of the protests and brutality by racists taking place across the United States, because, well, it seems to be the only reasonable thing to think about right now.
Before we proceed with the review, I should note that I am absolutely not the person to talk about Black Lives Matter. It isn’t my place, but you can inform yourself, (https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/#), and after that, you can also support Black voices and the protests, in whatever ways that are possible for you.
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Now then, November’s treatment of police is genuinely my favorite plot bit in the book. It’s nothing new to the crime or noir genres, but this book clearly isn’t rooting for them at all. At best they’re incompetent, at worst they’re thugs, but the closest thing to a good cop in November is a good person who’s an ex-cop, and I’ll take that trade. Because of this, the book feels well-timed, not just in terms of current events, but also because so much popular American media puts a positive lens on cops, which makes any media that shows them in a bad light more noteworthy by comparison.
On the other hand, with 60 pages of story (plus design pages+credits equaling 80 pages) divided up into five 12-page stories means that not a whole lot happens in terms of the plot, and instead November Book II is much more focused on character work and formalism. The non-chronological structure is great for rereads, with each new chapter breathing new context into everything else, reaching back into the first volume.
As far as format goes, typically I don’t mind if I read something in digital or in print, but with November, I’m excited to get my print copy as soon as possible, if only because the quality of the first volume is incredible. The hardcover feels nice with the low page count, the paper quality is incredible, and it feels like a rare instance where even I can tell that my screen makes a difference in the color art. I don’t normally prefer print comics over digital, but the design of this book deserves to be presented, touched, and smelled (at least, if the quality of November Book I is any indication).
The formalism mentioned above is the main reason to check this book out, though. Every member of the creative team comes together in a way that makes it impossible to talk about any of it without mentioning all of them. Artist Elsa Charretier’s expressive, thick lines are perfectly balanced by Matt Hollingsworth’s flat color choices. Those colors help to differentiate the different sections, just like Kurt Ankeny’s lettering is designed to give each character a\ unique voice that helps sell them as an individual. Add to that the non-chronological, chapter-based storytelling, which only works if everyone is communicating and committed to each other, and what we have is a book where the team is visibly working as a unit.
All the positive above may be tempered by a few things, however, notably the price point. $17 is pretty steep for plenty of reasons, especially considering the story itself isn’t complete as it’s only part two of four. This is by function, to be fair, but at that price you could reasonably get a different OGN or TPB that would deliver a more complete story than what is given here. Along that, this volume only really works within the context of the last volume, and at the same time it will likely be improved by reading further volumes. To me, this book doesn’t feel like something that I could just sit down and enjoy as a singular story. For better or worse, this is a series of chapters more than a second episode. Personally, I greatly enjoy it, and believe it is worth the price, but others may disagree.
Overall: I love this series, and I’m onboard even if they keep adding more volumes as they go, but it it isn’t something that I would give a blanket recommendation to. Give it a go if you enjoy formalism, non-traditional story structure, or beautiful design, provided you’ve also read book I. 8/10
November Book II: The Gun in the Puddle
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: Elsa Charretier
Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth
Letterer: Kurt Ankeny
Publisher: Image
Price: $16.99
One phone call for help and all hell breaks loose for three strangers connected by bad luck, a twist of fate, and a gun in a puddle of rain. In the middle of a dense criminal underworld, these strangers' lives collide on one fateful and bloody night in this epic novelistic thriller by MATT FRACTION and ELSA CHARRETIER, with colors by MATT HOLLINGSWORTH and stunning hand-crafted lettering by cartoonist KURT ANKENY.One night. One city. Three women. NOVEMBER.
Release Date: June 3, 2020
Buy It Online: Click here!
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Keigen Rea is a behavioral assistant for students in grades K-8, and an online student who fears that the school he is at is a giant scam. He tweets about Star Wars, and comics as @prince_organa on twitter.