Seconds: A Graphic Novel
It has been four years since the final volume of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim series was released. In that time, we’ve been treated to a re-release of O’Malley’s 2003 book Lost at Sea, but we’ve been woefully short on new, full-length material. That ended this week with the release of Seconds.
Seconds is a lot of things. It is a story of happiness and how to attain satisfaction. It is a story of the decisions, both good and bad, that influence our lives. At its heart, though, it is a modern day fable, complete with a lesson learned and otherworldly influences. You would be hard pressed to meet someone who hasn’t wondered “What if…” at some point in their life. It is a topic of enough discussion that Marvel Comics has put out hundreds of issues worth of material dedicated to pondering the outcomes had choices been made differently. I’ve spent years obsessing over the details and decisions, both minor and major, that I’ve made to bring myself where I am today. Because of this, I felt immediately connected to our protagonist, 29 year old Katie. I feel Seconds works so well mainly due to the way the reader can connect with the various characters.
Katie is not a perfect character. She’s stubborn, she takes people for granted and she’s probably a little selfish as well. The point is, she’s flawed. She has a good thing going, but she’s ready for a change. Everyone’s been there at some point in their life. An extremely grounded story veers sharply into the realm of fantasy when she encounters Lis, a strange little woman who speaks broken English. Things go sideways rather quickly for Katie, who spends the majority of the book hopping from present to present making alterations to her past in order to mold her life into the one she thinks she wants. O’Malley does an excellent job setting up the world here. There are rules to the mystical nature of the story, as well as consequences that make themselves known. Things become clearer to the reader as to why Katie was granted this opportunity, but warnings be damned, that somewhat selfish streak takes over and the story progresses deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole. Things get whacky and the fourth wall is broken a few times. This is a fun and engaging story with a lot of heart. Even when the stakes are dire, Katie still manages to bring a smile to my face.
The supporting cast and minor characters all benefit from the length of this story. Everyone is given a chance to be fleshed out and have their moment in the story, even the line cook. The thought and preparation O’Malley must have put into this story are evident, as things could easily become tangled and confusing with the nature of the plot device. The way the story builds upon itself as Katie finds herself simultaneously drawn towards her goal while being pulled from it is a testament to O’Malley’s skill. This is a Book of the Year contender. The last long-form comic/graphic novel I felt this strongly about was 2003’s Blankets from Craig Thompson. I strongly encourage you to pick up this book and spend some time with it. My first read-through was fairly hectic, as I dove head first into the world. I couldn’t put it down. As I told fellow CTG writer F. D. White, this is a story that needs to marinate. This is a story that warrants discussion, which is what I open the floor to now. Please, post your thoughts.
Seconds is a lot of things. It is a story of happiness and how to attain satisfaction. It is a story of the decisions, both good and bad, that influence our lives. At its heart, though, it is a modern day fable, complete with a lesson learned and otherworldly influences. You would be hard pressed to meet someone who hasn’t wondered “What if…” at some point in their life. It is a topic of enough discussion that Marvel Comics has put out hundreds of issues worth of material dedicated to pondering the outcomes had choices been made differently. I’ve spent years obsessing over the details and decisions, both minor and major, that I’ve made to bring myself where I am today. Because of this, I felt immediately connected to our protagonist, 29 year old Katie. I feel Seconds works so well mainly due to the way the reader can connect with the various characters.
Katie is not a perfect character. She’s stubborn, she takes people for granted and she’s probably a little selfish as well. The point is, she’s flawed. She has a good thing going, but she’s ready for a change. Everyone’s been there at some point in their life. An extremely grounded story veers sharply into the realm of fantasy when she encounters Lis, a strange little woman who speaks broken English. Things go sideways rather quickly for Katie, who spends the majority of the book hopping from present to present making alterations to her past in order to mold her life into the one she thinks she wants. O’Malley does an excellent job setting up the world here. There are rules to the mystical nature of the story, as well as consequences that make themselves known. Things become clearer to the reader as to why Katie was granted this opportunity, but warnings be damned, that somewhat selfish streak takes over and the story progresses deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole. Things get whacky and the fourth wall is broken a few times. This is a fun and engaging story with a lot of heart. Even when the stakes are dire, Katie still manages to bring a smile to my face.
The supporting cast and minor characters all benefit from the length of this story. Everyone is given a chance to be fleshed out and have their moment in the story, even the line cook. The thought and preparation O’Malley must have put into this story are evident, as things could easily become tangled and confusing with the nature of the plot device. The way the story builds upon itself as Katie finds herself simultaneously drawn towards her goal while being pulled from it is a testament to O’Malley’s skill. This is a Book of the Year contender. The last long-form comic/graphic novel I felt this strongly about was 2003’s Blankets from Craig Thompson. I strongly encourage you to pick up this book and spend some time with it. My first read-through was fairly hectic, as I dove head first into the world. I couldn’t put it down. As I told fellow CTG writer F. D. White, this is a story that needs to marinate. This is a story that warrants discussion, which is what I open the floor to now. Please, post your thoughts.
A Look Inside
