Comic Review: The Avant-Guards #1

The Avant-Guards #1

BOOM! Studios

Writer: Carly Usdin

Artists: Noah Hayes & Rebecca Nalty

Slice of life has always been one of my favorite genres in just about every medium. BOOM! Studios has been consistently delivering some of the best slice of life series in comic books, with Fence and Giant Days being some of the more recent highlights. The Avant-Guards is the latest series by BOOM! Studios, and is another sports-centric series. Fence and Dodge City have been great sports series, and Avant-Guards is poised to join them.

Writer Carly Usdin (Known for Heavy Vinyl) joins artist Noah Hayes (Wet Hot American Summer) for The Avant-Guards. Georgia O ‘Keeffe College of Arts and Subtle Dramatics is known for the arts rather than athletics. The main character Charlie, once a star basketball player, runs into Liv, who is forming the school’s first basketball team and just needs one more player.

The first issue takes its time in introducing the two characters. Those who are wanting a lot of basketball in this issue will be disappointing, as the only time spent on the court is a passing moment with conversation. While this issue is light in sports, it spends the majority of its panels giving the reader a chance to connect to the characters. Liv doesn’t fit in a box, and loves basketball and acting. Charlie doesn’t play basketball anymore, and just wants to fit in her new school. The dynamic characters make them relatable, especially for young people who have experienced the pressures of starting college.

The dialogue is witty, and every character has a unique voice. Liv is especially fun to read, as she injects life into every conversation. None of Usdin’s dialogue feels stiff. Everything sounds authentic and natural. Even if you don’t care for sports, there is a lot to love in
The Avant-Guards, which will likely continue to emphasize character development even when all of the sports drama starts.

Fans of Fence, Giant Days, or Lumberjanes will feel right home when they look at The Avant-Guards‘ panels. Noah Hayes’ style focuses on character expressions. The faces vary from natural looks to larger-than-life. The characters are big, the environments are simple, and everything is full of lovely colors thanks to colorist Rebecca Nalty. Overall, this creative team fits into the house style that BOOM! seems to be building, which clearly targets young adult readers.

The Avant-Guards is another wonderful addition to BOOM! Studios’ slice of life catalog. More books should try to explore the lives of young adults because it works so well in this format. Regardless of if you are a fan of basketball or not, this series is worth a try.