Cartoonist: Zorika Gaeta
Publisher: Self Published (Kickstarter)
WHAT IS IT?
The third installment of the “Where No One Goes” series, where a young woman explores her own memories which are presented to us through allegorical stories taking place in fantastical settings.
Imagine if Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind met the charm and adventure of Spirited Away.
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
(Minor Spoilers)
Hiking through a fantastical landscape, our protagonist comes across a fiery monkey crying. After a short conversation, they endeavor to grow bananas together so the monkey may fulfill its dream of being a banana guard. At first, they seem to enrich each other’s lives. But it isn’t before long the relationship starts to strain.
Passion may ignite a friendship, but once the kindling burns away, is there enough there to sustain the fire?
WHAT WORKS?
Zorika Gaeta takes on every aspect of the creation process, which has allowed a sharp and focused narrative.
Due to the story being told through metaphors and allegory, the reveal at the end of the issue makes you want to go back and read it again with a newfound understanding.
It’s rare to be able to apply literary analysis to a comic without it feeling exaggerated.
As one of the few comics that welcomes interpretation and analysis, the dialogue is stripped back to ensure nothing is given away until necessary.
The art is in a beautiful bold, cell-shaded style that really helps draw you to the emotion of the story.
Facial expressions are particularly well done, heightening the passion of scenes.
Colour-wise, the variety throughout the story helps carry the tone of the scenes when dialogue is scarce.
The last page featuring the characters has a brilliant reveal that hits hard.
WHAT DOESN’T WORK?
While some will enjoy extrapolating the deeper themes here, others may find the abstract nature of the story uninteresting.
Because this is part of a larger story, there is no real resolution to the issue.
The lettering does need tightening up in some places, with awkwardly sized speech bubbles and occasionally crossed tails.
WHY SHOULD I READ IT?
For those who want their art to be vulnerable, passionate, emotionally unflinching, and requires a deeper look rather than focusing purely on surface entertainment, this is for you. The art is wonderful and the overall story of which it is a part is so easy to invest yourself in.
Zorika is a powerhouse of talent who has already received awards for previous issues, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
HOW DO I BUY IT?
Click one of these:
Available on Kickstarter until the 2nd April. Back it here.
The image(s) used in this article are from a comic strip, webcomic or the cover or interior of a comic book. The copyright for this image(s) is likely owned by either the publisher of the comic, the writer(s) and/or artist(s) who produced the comic. It is believed that the use of this image(s) qualifies as fair use under the United States copyright law. The image is used in a limited fashion in an educational manner in order to illustrate the points of the author and not for the purpose of entertainment or substituting the original work. It is believed the use of this image has had no impact on the market value of the original work.
All Zorika Gaeta characters and the distinctive likeness(es) thereof are trademarks of and copyright Zorika Gaeta or their respective owners. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED