Oni Press 2017
By Sarah Graley
Lettered by Crank!
Guiding souls to the afterlife doesn't always go smoothly, especially when SOMEONE (Becka!) interrupts the job. Now, Kim and Becka must contend with a very irate and very uncooperative customer. The pair need to hatch a plan to complete Kim's allotment of souls without interruption, or Kim may lose her job--and potentially her life!
Well what’s cuter than an all-ages approach to a girl trying to impress? Two girls trying to impress each other that’s what! Well at least the way Sarah is telling it. I love that while Becka totally interrupts Kim on the job and kind of messes things up so that the overly muscled dude comes home and prevents her from reaping his cat we see just how normal it all is. I mean it doesn’t really matter who you are when you are trying to, or even wanting to, impress someone and it all seems to go wrong. Like you’re trying too hard or not hard enough and it all comes across the wrong way. Sarah brings that to life beautifully.
It’s almost like a comedy of errors as the girls go about trying to subtly impress the other one. From Kim wanting to do her job to Becka taking the lead and kind of putting her foot down it’s cute, interesting and plays out like a romantic buddy comedy. We get to see Becka’s favourite place and that says a lot about her and then when it’s Kim’s turn well that’s rather telling as well. I love that the characterisation comes from not only the words they use with each other but their choice of favourite places as well as their facial expressions.
I’m usually not a fan of the modern day Cartoon Network style of animating, these faces and bodies with the big stars in their eyes, it’s just too much or too little depending. I like classic styles and great attention to detail and less “lazy” work. Sarah though nails what we want to see in this story through her artwork. Yes it has that modern CN look to it with the shape of faces, and those eyes that go manga but again it all works. It’s cute and silly and at times expresses exactly what we want, or she wants us, to see.
This is a fantastic story. From start to finish we are learning about these two and to what lengths they’ll go to impress the other. There’s a bit of blow up but what new friendship/relationship doesn’t have some rocky moments when first beginning? It’s fun, interesting and takes dating to a whole new level metaphorically speaking. However it does showcase how two people who outwardly seem so completely different can be totally the same. So never judge a book by it’s cover is more than apropos.
You are never too young or too old to see stories like this to be reminded that dating is a game that is much like a contact sport. It can be thrilling and rewarding as well as painful and anxiety ridden but it’s all about the strength of your character in how you deal with it!