Evenfall

(Slave Labor, 2003-2005)
™ and © Slave Labor Graphics

In her dreams, Phoebe can fly. In her dreams, Phoebe’s mother is still alive. In her dreams, Phoebe doesn’t have to get up at two o’clock in the morning and shovel fecal matter to unclog a blocked drain. In short, Phoebe’s dream life is much more exotic and fulfilling than her mundane existence surrounded by deadbeats, unpaid bills, and other unpleasantries. In just 24 pages, creator Peter Stathis does a fine job of fleshing out the main character. She’s not an irresponsible dreamer, she simply dreams of a better life. She’s probably not always a grouchy grump, she’s simply overwhelmed by grief and frustration.

The second-stringers in this issue (aside from the deceased mom and an understanding friend) are a group of nerdish role-playing gamers portrayed in stereotypical fashion. Still, they are funny, there’s a ring of truth to much of their dialogue, and their imaginative undertakings provide a fitting counterpart to Phoebe’s real-life adventures. The art, which alternates effortlessly from the mundane to the mystical, illustrates most everything nicely, from Phoebe’s pretty (though not beautiful) mom, to the rancid basement, to the various fantasy characters dreamed up by the role-players.

All in all a recommended story, especially for fans of creators adept at fusing the fantastic with the prosaic.

— Brett Weiss

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