Comic Review: Heartbeat #1

Heartbeat #1

Boom! Studios

Written and Illustrated by Maria Llovet

Heartbeat is a macabre horror comic by Maria Llovet. Boom! Studios plans to produce all five issues of this short run. The comic plays on themes of vampirism, high school dramas, and existential questions of the less affluent class of society. But does it all come together for a thoroughly enjoyable and compelling first issue? Read on. . .

I think it’s worth noting what a quality first issue of any comic might look like. . . I mean, to me. Similar to any work of fiction, the first issue of a comic is the ground situation. It’s a starting point, establishing who the characters are and what state of being they are in within their lives. The second aspect of a #1 would be an inciting incident. When I teach classes in creative writing, I explain like, “________ happened, and nothing would ever be the same. . .” the ellipses indicating the continuation of the story. By these standards, Heartbeat #1 fulfills a helpful structure to any reader in the sense that it lets them in on the foundation of the characters and their circumstances. However, where it falls short, is the order of presentation. In order for readers to feel as though they are part of the story, rather than just looking in, the story must present events in a matter that makes sense to the reader. That’s where this #1 falls short. It reads much like a diary rather than a plotted piece of fiction. This isn’t just because the narrator is writing a blog readers are ultimately getting snippets of. It’s because panels are organized in a semblance of chronological order, but without timestamps or indication of changing scenes. While this may be a device meant to let readers experience the confusion the narrator and main character has, it doesn’t feel like effective storytelling. Instead, it’s confusing. Multiple times I had to reread pages to make sure I knew what was going on. This removed me from the story and made me start over. In this sense, I believe the story is lacking in cohesion.

Phew! That was a lot. Luckily, when it comes to character, it’s a bit more simple. The main character finds herself in a community she can’t relate to. She is an outsider. She is alienated due to her economic status, and due to this, she alienates others. There are very few direct “scenes” so to speak, in which Eva has meaningful conversations with people. There is a boy she wants to talk to, but he is more interested in finding his sister, and there is a girl who is mean to hear, but she shrugs off the bully within a couple of panels. Simply put, no scene lasts long enough for readers to feel completely attached or part of the players within it.

Which is a bummer, because the art in this piece is amazing. That’s why I picked it up. I saw the cover, looked through it, and yeah, this art blows me away. The paneling is clever and fresh. There are some pages in which the panels are used in ways I’ve never seen before. The character concepts border on anime-like, but at times goes into much more fine detail. The atmosphere and locations in this piece give readers the sense of a Japanese Hogwarts. Of course, this piece is a lot darker than Hogwarts, but the school settings are still reminiscent, even if the city scenes arent.

Click For More Comic Book Reviews