Eternal Romance Comics | |||||
Janet L. Hetherington | |||||
Best Destiny Publishing | |||||
A review by Lisa DuMond
Of course, most of us are grown now and we are too old for that kind of
thing; it's all right if we're seen with "graphic novels," but comics are strictly out. Wrong.
How about a mushy, trashy comic for the "Buffy, The Vampire Slayer"
audience? Maybe with a science fiction, fantasy, or horror slant to each
story, if not a bit of all three. And what if it were a comic with tongue planted firmly in cheek?
(That would be Hetherington's tongue in her own cheek. Don't be so juvenile.)
Eternal Romance is a blend of the best of true confession comics and
the romantic notions that persist about vampires, werewolves, etc.
And here's the best part: it doesn't take itself seriously. From
narrator and vampire Destine's perpetual search for a decent man, to
Ankh, her wise-ass cat, this is a far cry from the sloppy sentimentality of
other romance comics.
The four issues I reviewed were stuffed with sexy witches, hunky aliens,
and even a very active mummy. That's not even counting the vampires and
shapeshifters you've come to expect. There are the usual typhoons of tears
and it's always love at first sight. But, there are some big
differences, too. Let's just say that till-death-do-us-part
isn't a big concern for these couples. Eternal Romance
romance doesn't cover the part where forever starts to really seem
like forever; if there are messy divorces (and in this circle, messy
would be the only kind) they aren't covered in this
series. "Eternal Alimony" is a possibility.
Eternal Romance isn't perfect in many ways. The art is not of the
highest quality -- perspective problems and the like. Each issue is
only about a 15-minute read. One can only be surprised so many times to find
their date has no reflection. And it's still going to
be more enjoyable for the adolescent reader. But, it is a comic,
after all, one without pretensions. You can overlook a lot in
fiction with that kind of self-deprecating attitude.
If you are thinking about making some snide comment, be aware that
Hetherington has already beaten you to it.
You know you're curious about Eternal Romance now, so give it
a try. Besides, you've just about worn out those Beauty and the Beast
tapes and you're going to be looking around for some other outlet for your
passionate soul. Even if you don't have a soul.
Lisa DuMond writes science fiction and humour. She co-authored the 45th anniversary issue cover of MAD Magazine. Previews of her latest, as yet unpublished, novel are available at Hades Online. |
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