Story: Brian K. Vaughan
Illustrator: Marcos Martín
Publisher: Panel Syndicate
WHAT IS IT?
A brief, made-for-the-Internet comic that reminds us we aren’t as different from each other as we think.
Think a scaled-down version of the movie, Crash, but with aliens.
WHAT'S IT ABOUT? (Minor Spoilers)
When aliens abduct two people (one, a white woman who only speaks English and works for Border Patrol, and the other, a Mexican man who only speaks Spanish and is trying to make it across the border into the US), they have to work together to escape.
The whole story is very short, but it explores the physical and metaphorical barriers between people, the senselessness of violence and the basic humanity we share despite those things.
WHAT WORKS?
Fast pace, few characters and shortened pages help keep the story’s momentum
Use of multiple languages with no translation forces you to think like the characters in their situations
Showing hardships for each character makes them feel more three-dimensional, humanizing them to help drive the moral home
Vaughan isn’t afraid of using fewer words or straight-up silence to build suspense or convey a tone
The art is very expressive, highlighting facial expressions and body language
It’s striking seeing the balance of “real world” colors with more alien ones
This creative team is crazy talented
WHAT DOESN'T WORK?
Buying it from Panel Syndicate’s website is a hassle – I downloaded the file, which my iPhone can’t load, so I had to download it to the cloud and read it from there on my desktop
If you don’t speak the languages in the comic, you may feel like you’re only getting part of the story
It can start to feel very preachy
If you’re the type of person who would read this story, you’re not the type of person who needs to read this story and get its message
WHY SHOULD I READ IT?
Even if you're already "woke," Barrier is a powerful metaphor for all the barriers that exist between us, physical and figurative, man-made and otherwise. It's an update to the classic Swords-to-Plowshares tale, told by a team of experts. A reminder that we're all in it together -- and we all may need to be reminded of that from time to time.
WHAT DO I READ NEXT?
If you like the writing:
Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1 by G. Wilson, Adrian Alphonsa & Sara Pichelli
Saga, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples
Strange Fruit by J. G. Jones & Mark Waid
If you like the art:
The Private Eye by Brian K. Vaughan & Marcos Martín (the same creative team as this book!)
Daredevil, Vol. 1 by Mark Waid, Paolo Manuel Rivera & Marcos Martín
Generation Gone, Vol. 1 by Ales Kot, André Lima Araujo & Chris O’Halloran
ABOUT THE CREATORS
Brian K. Vaughan – Writer
Name Recognition: One of the most talented and celebrated writers in the industry
Award Winner: Has won a truly incredible amount of awards for his other comics
Is often directly inspired by what is going on in his life at the time
Marcos Martín – Design, Pencils, Inks & Translations
Muntsa Vicente’s partner
Most of his experience has been in cover art for comics
Dream Team: Also worked with Vaughan and Vicente on the award-winning comic, The Private Eye.
Muntsa Vicente – Colors
Marcos Martín’s partner
Multitalented: Outside of the comics industry, she currently works for fashion & beauty magazines and in the advertising industry.
Dream Team: Also worked with Vaughan and Vicente on the award-winning comic, The Private Eye.
HOW DO I BUY IT?
Click one of these:
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