Subway Series
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- $2.99
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- $2.99
Publisher Description
The debut graphic novel from the creator of Unterzakhn. Leela Corman's September 2002 graphic novel Subway Series follows the exploits of Tina, a frustrated sixteen-year-old city girl whose affections are divided between two guys. The problem is, one has an out of town girlfriend and the other is a complete jerk. Add to that a cruel adversary whom she once called a friend who's out to humiliate her, and now confused Tina doesn't know which way to turn.
Subway Series is a teen Sex and the City. Tina doesn't know what she wants, but she's pretty sure it involves "getting it over with." With whom will it be? When will it happen?
Most current comics about female sexual experiences focus on extremes of behavior such as abuse. Subway Series depicts the more average teen experience: coercive, confused and mundane. Leela Corman's, lavish calligraphic drawing style, described as "Music to my eyes" by Scott McCloud, vividly brings to life this singular graphic novel showing real teen sex and angst in all its awkward splendor.
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Corman's (Queens Day) new work follows a group of Manhattan teenagers in the process of growing up, pretending all the while that they already have. Tina is looking for love but has no idea where to find it. Technically a virgin, she supposedly dates James, who's off studying in Florida. Meanwhile, she takes guitar lessons from Evan, a cute alt. music boy whose girlfriend is in Germany. Tina and Evan's growing attraction is buried behind the cynical fronts that all these teen characters maintain to seem cool. Tina and her girlfriends, brutally catty behind each others' backs, sit in diners drinking coffee and trying to impress each other with sexual braggadocio that actually betrays their inexperience. As Tina gets closer to Evan, James returns on a school holiday and things begin to heat up, but James is ultimately revealed as a rather nasty sexual predator. Corman's drawings are very cartoony and lack detail, but skillfully convey the confused emotions her characters seek to hide. Although sloppy in places, her strong graphic sense and knack for storytelling carry the book. Corman's reliance on showing rather than telling sometimes leaves the narrative sketchy and in need of explanation. But older teens and those who were once older teens should have no trouble relating to this tale.
