Jim Rugg

You are required to love a comic that features a rogue geologist as a villain. Yes.

Street Angel is the story of a homeless 13-year old world-class skateboarder and ninja fighter. She lives in a world of (the aforementioned) ninjas and scientists, but her world is also chock full of Aztec gods, Conquistadores, Irish astronauts, Satanists, and the headaches that come with being homeless. This volume collects the five issues of the series as well as short stories, covers, and a wealth of pinups show more and sketches. And it is a thing of beauty.

The stories in Street Angel happen free of context and, blessedly, continuity. Each story seems to happen in its own little universe of fun. I suspect that Rugg (artist and co-writer) and Maruca (co-writer) weren't so interested in telling a grand, linear story; they were mostly concerned with figuring out how comics work. They needed to figure out the rules, and then they needed to break them completely.

The collection I own is called "volume one" in the indicia. I pray that there will be a second some day. show less

I was so prepared to call this quirky and tryhard, but it’s actually charming. I love the conversations about being afraid of how the world is going (look, we’re in a worldwide pandemic right now) but fighting to see the beauty in it. Of course, I also enjoyed the conversations about the different methods of art, controlled and poised and explosive and combative, etc. Payne is really rough around the edges, but she added a fun layer to the plainness.

I’m glad Jane’s PTSD and anxiety show more after the incident are treated realistically, and I liked her mom’s development. The “evil adults” who wanna ruin all artistic expressions trope felt a bit cliché here, but it works, I guess. The Janes are all flat archetypes, but that also works I suppose. The book feels like a conversation-piece to me more so than a character or plot-driven story, but I liked it.

3.5 show less

I love the sense of humor behind this rather violent comic about a crime-fighting, skate-boarding orphan. The stories are short, unrelated and they take every opportunity to poke fun at familiar themes. My favorite line is said by a Spanish conquistador who has traveled forward into Street Angel's time. When she asks what their deal is, one of them says, "We come from your distant past." and the other says

Or possibly from your future...you know...if there was some kind of apocalypse and

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mankind lost all of its technological prowess, had to start over from scratch and civilization followed roughly the same path a second time around.

The character profiles in between each story, outlining their abilities (such as strength, intelligence and skateboarding skills) were fun, and there's a great cover gallery at the end of the book. show less

Recommended by PWF and Lauren B

Jane's parents decide to move the family from Metro City to suburbia after a bombing that Jane narrowly escaped. Jane misses the vibrant culture of the city and is determined to insinuate herself into the people she identifies as "her tribe" at her new high school. Though they (Jane, Jayne, and Polly Jane) are reluctant at first, the four of them start to carry out stealth public art projects, signing them P.L.A.I.N. (People Loving Art in Neighborhoods).

The show more P.L.A.I.N. projects are admired by some, but feared by others; the police call them "art attacks" and vandalism. Jane is happy to have found friends and a project, but she still writes letters to John Doe, a bombing victim she used to visit in the hospital, and she still wishes her mother weren't so fearful ("Mom doesn't see the beauty in anything anymore. She only sees danger"). When her letters to John Doe are returned to sender, she gets a ride with her crush, Damon, back to Metro City to find out what happened to him.

The Plain Janes was a quick, enjoyable read. It blends everyday teen issues (moving, making friends at a new school, overprotective parents) with larger, traumatic ones (the bombing) and the culture of fear that trauma creates. Jane deals with all of these issues, and art plays a large role in her life as she does so.

Quotes

"It's like I'm asking the world to keep me safe by making them pause for just one minute." (letter to John Doe)

And when you see a kindred spirit, you should invite them to your table.

"Maybe, just maybe, art does save. I think it's saving me." (letter to John Doe)

It's a fact of life. Hearts are always hurting. And yet they still keep pumping.

"Tell me, [John Doe]. If I do something beautiful and no one else sees it, is it still worth doing?" show less