For our readers in downtown Toronto, James Maybe will hit home in very specific ways. Detailing the hopes and struggles of our protagonist James as he wanders the streets of Hogtown, familiar sites (both banal and otherwise) are drawn in crisp clarity as he ponders topics such as gambling, the indolence of a twenty- something existence and other issues of note for “mature students.” Married with child, James is balancing family commitments with his ultra-specific Statistics program at the University of Toronto. His views and thoughts hit home in a fiercely accurate and benign manner, not exactly painting a picture of inner city blues but not really offering much in the way of hope or prospects for the future either.
There is a real sense of familiarity in James’ uncertainty and given that this comic is drawn in a clean, coherent fashion, James Maybe is a very solid character study that should resonate deeply with anyone who’s ever dared to wonder why about anything at all. And yes, I’m being intentionally vague. (Cam Gordon)
Comic, Matt Asher (creator), Rachelle Scarfo (illustrator), issue 1, 191 – 110 Cumberland Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5R 3V5, Sun Falls Press, [email protected]