By Mollie Ray (Faber & Faber)
ISBN: 978-0-571-37419-9 (HB)
The true power of comics storytelling is its innate ability to cut through layers of language, fluff and obfuscation to impart pure meaning, feeling and response on a symbolically primal level. When a carefully constructed image hits below the strata of constructed reality the impact is devastating and lasting.
Such is absolutely the case in Giant as debutante author Mollie Ray cuts through the hindrance and drawbacks of deceptive, misunderstandable language, with all its inherent accidental barriers, to reach a universally communal level of understanding.
Using evocative design, staging and carefully crafted characters beautifully drawn, directed and positioned in the manner of classic silent movies, she relates a transformational, deeply personal crisis into a universal parable of fear, hope and in this case joyous resolution all without saying a word…
Meticulously rendered old school in ballpoint pen on cartridge paper and channelling a dire medical emergency, she shows how a loving family is stressed, stretched, almost crushed and so nearly destroyed when a youngster suddenly succumbs to a disease and resultant condition that changes everything and affects everyone.
The silent saga is every parent and sibling’s nightmare, with a resolution coming not through magic or miracles but through hard work, medical resolve, unceasing endurance, patience and understanding.
This tale is a moving and most remarkable achievement that will resonate far beyond the usual comics and graphic novel circles. Don’t wait for the inevitable animated adaptation to become a seasonal standby: buy Giant now and show all your friends… and enemies too, if you can get them to not listen…
Artwork & design by Mollie Ray. © Mollie Ray, 2024. All rights reserved.