BLUE MONDAY: PAINTED MOON #1 REVIEW

[Ryan Day]

<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/ind/bmpm1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/covers/ind/bmpm1t.jpg" align=left alt="Blue Monday: Painted Moon"></a>Reviewer: Ryan Day Dreamhunter00@hotmail.com
Quick Rating: Excellent

Heaven knows she’s miserable now

Written & Illustrated By: Chynna Clugston-Major
Lettered by: Bryan Lee O’Malley
Editor: Jamie S. Rich
Cover Colours by: Guy Major


Stop me if you think you’ve heard this one before: You meet a girl (or, if you’re a girl, a boy) who’s really keen. Pretty, intelligent, sweet; just your type. She’s even single. The only obstacle is that you turn into a complete gibbering, clumsy idiot whenever you try to talk to her.

Or say you know this guy (or if you’re a guy, a girl) who’s simply perfect in every way. Bright as tack, a dreamboat to look at, and shares all your interests. But what difference does it make? This charming man is much older than you, barely knows you exist, and probably wouldn’t care about you if he did.

Or, to paint a vulgar picture, you fancy a fellow (or... you get the idea at this point), but he fancies your best friend. You can’t very well blame your best friend, since she’s not even interested in him; after all, he’s the bloke from the first example.

Such is the world of Blue Monday, <a href="http://www.livejournal.com/users/girlmod" target="_blank">Chynna Clugston-Major</a>’s tale of high school love and hijinks. If you were even a remotely normal teenager, you probably share at least one dysfunction with somebody in this book. Unless, of course, you happen to have been one of those popular blighters with loads of friends and members of the opposite sex eating out of your hand, in which case it’s my duty to inform you that none of them really liked you, and they only hung around with you for your money, looks, or drugs.

Painted Moon is the third series to chronicle the epic and ridiculous escapades of Bleu Finnegan and her friends. Bleu is still suffering the fallout from Absolute Beginners, as a certain video of her taking a bath has gained her more than a little notoriety. She’s still mooning over Mr. Bishop, the dreamy supply teacher, and suffering the clumsy affections of insensitive male clods Alan and Victor. (If you’ve never read Blue Monday before, fear not: There’s a plot synopsis and a character guide included)

Both Victor and Alan genuinely care about Bleu, but they’re lousy at expressing it properly. On a good day they merely look like dull-witted louts, while on a bad day they almost seem committed to making Bleu’s life miserable. Victor’s attempt at chivalry blows up in his face, a kind and simple gesture blows up in Bleu’s face, and a traditional romantic expression of love brings the wrath of Mother Nature on both of them. It falls to Bleu’s best friend, Clover, to drag her from the depths of melancholy, but Clover may not be up to the job, given her inescapable infatuation with Victor. But they pull themselves together and head out to town to find themselves some real men.

You’d be forgiven for thinking this sounds like some sort of third-rate teen drama. But you’ll have a hard time forgiving yourself if you write it off on appearances alone. While it may be about teenagers in love, Blue Monday has more in common with Ghost World than Beverly Hills 90210. Characters express their all-too-common anxieties with far more wit than you ever could; don’t you just wish you were clever enough in your moments of self-loathing to describe yourself as "a manatee with blue fungus on its head"? At the same time, this book will make you thankful you’ve never been attacked by a flock of geese while trying to woo the girl of your dreams. And to top it off, it’s all given a killer soundtrack: Thompson Twins, The Jam, The Smiths... It’s not implied, either: Clugston-Major notes specific songs for specific scenes. Even the letter column gets a soundtrack.

Clugston-Major’s artwork is similarly endearing. There’s a definite manga influence, but it reminds us why that style is so popular: Shortcuts such as monstrously distorted faces and eyes the size of dinner plates can tell more about what a character is feeling than ten pages of Bendis-like dialogue. And she is, to be blunt, a master of comedic storytelling, of setup and punchline. Victor’s doomed attempts to woo Bleu are hilarious, particularly the Pepsi incident; rarely will you see such a brilliant setup to such a simple gag. For that matter, you’re unlikely to find someone falling out of a tree and getting kicked in the stomach quite so funny anywhere else.

Blue Monday works by filtering the very human trials and tribulations of being young and confused through the wonderfully eccentric mind of Clugston-Major. Her fantasy world is a wonderful one, where all the cool kids listen to 1980s and 90s Britpop and dress like 1960s Mods. If it seems odd that American teenagers emulating British pop culture are drawn in a Japanese-influenced style... well, it is. But it’s delightfully odd. Not for everybody, perhaps; if you’re a fan of ABBA or Nickleback, for example, you should probably stay away from this book – and that’s not a recommendation, it’s a demand. You’re simply not good enough to read this. Go and listen to a few Blur albums and come back later.

If you do think you’re cool enough, take a trip down memory lane with Blue Monday. And don’t worry if you didn’t enjoy adolescence the first time around; loneliness, alienation and hearache are always much funnier when they’re happening to somebody else.

(You can read some past Blue Monday stories at <a href="http://www.onipress.com/sundaycomics" target="_blank">Oni Press’ website</a>.)


ART:
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STORY:
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OVERALL:
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[Jordan T. Maxwell]

gah, i'm so torn...i've been waiting for new Blue for so long now, but i'm also really tempted to wait for the trade (since i've got the other three). Dilemma!

[Mitch Brown]

Based on both Ryan and Jordan's recommendations, I made this my first Blue Monday purchase last night.

Coming in as a new reader, Painted Moon #1 was very accessible. Despite references to the previous series, it was quite easy to piece together what has gone on before.

While I've only had a chance to give this a quick surface read (I tend to give new comics a lighter speed-read before sitting down to digest them properly) from what I can tell the characters are this title's strong point. Likeable and witty with really strong dialogue. I can see why this book has developed the devoted following that it has.

Having said that, I'm not entirely convinced its completely my bag yet, but its enjoyable enough that I'll stick around for the rest of this series. Besides, My Faith In Frankie didn't fully sell me on my first flick-through either but look how much praise I ended up heaping on that one.

[Jordan T. Maxwell]

yeah, i think Blue Monday would definitely be up the alley of anyone who enjoyed My Faith in Frankie for anything OTHER than the supernatural elements.

and hey...we've got floating Jesus heads and giant pookas, so the supernatural side is covered too. ;)

[Ryan Day]

I hadn't really thought about it, but yeah, Bleu could be Frankie without the God.

I do find that Blue Monday grows on me the more I read it. It's easy to look at briefly and say "oh, that's simple", but there's a lot going on that's not immediately obvious, both in the story and the artwork.

Hmm. Now I just want to see Mike Carey and Chynna Clugston-Major do a book together. A sequel to Frankie, perhaps? (actually, I'd kill for a Lucifer issue, now that I think about it)

[Xeon-Five]

Originally posted by Ryan Day

If you do think you’re cool enough, take a trip down memory lane with Blue Monday. And don’t worry if you didn’t enjoy adolescence the first time around; loneliness, alienation and hearache are always much funnier when they’re happening to somebody else.


Bah, I'm a sucker for angst-ridden comics... and I really liked Clugston-Major's art from that Ult. Marvel Team-Up issue way back when. Why must you people post these enticing reviews when people such as I, with limited budgets, tend to read them? :D

[Ryan Day]

Originally posted by Xeon-Five
Why must you people post these enticing reviews when people such as I, with limited budgets, tend to read them? :D

For the most part, we're just jerks. ;)

[windrider44]

This sounds good. I'll have to check it out. I liked her art in that Ultimate Marvel-Team-Up issue.

[Jordan T. Maxwell]

Originally posted by Xeon-Five


Bah, I'm a sucker for angst-ridden comics... and I really liked Clugston-Major's art from that Ult. Marvel Team-Up issue way back when. Why must you people post these enticing reviews when people such as I, with limited budgets, tend to read them? :D

because whatever you're spending your money on right now probably isn't as good as this. :cool:

[Zeb Aslam]

Ah finally it's out. Now if only I can find it... Hopefully my store will get it in it's regular/late shipment since it did not have it this week. Otherwise...guess I'll wait for the trade...sigh...I miss Pooka :(

[thepooka]

Originally posted by Zeb Aslam
I miss Pooka :( Don't worry.
I'm around!
heh

I LOVE Blue Monday, and any other CCM works.

Scooter girl was GOLD! The best series last year!

[Alex Groff]

Loved this book. I still haven't been able to chase down Lovecats, and that's very upsetting. Blue Monday is one of those fun books that is able to take angst and have fun with it, which is a nice change of pace.

[Jordan T. Maxwell]

Originally posted by Alex Groff
Loved this book. I still haven't been able to chase down Lovecats, and that's very upsetting. Blue Monday is one of those fun books that is able to take angst and have fun with it, which is a nice change of pace.

if you can't find it in single issue, it's also collected in the third Blue Monday trade, "Inbetween Days." (heh...Lovecats and Inbetween Days...you have to love a writer who names her stories after kickass Cure songs)