The October Girl #1
Written and Illustrated by Matthew Dow Smith
Reviewed by Luke Herr
I’d had some familiarity with Matt Dow Smith’s work because first I recalled it looking like Mignola’s work and then it was like – “Oh! He did art on Starman too!”, though I’d not yet encountered his writing work so The October Girl is an introduction to his work as a writer for me.
The October Girl is about Autumn, a high school girl with an uncertain future working a job that lacks satisfaction. While we do get a backstory of her childhood where she reflects on her old imaginary friend and her issues separating reality and fiction.
I suppose the comic works being as short as it is but a lot of the first 10 page issue is straight up exposition/monologuing and while it works (where nothing is out of place), I am not entirely sure on the voice of Autumn. It seems almost hollow, perhaps on purpose. I’ve worked soul sucking jobs where I just feel dull too.
Part of me feels like the issue needed more pages for me to make a full decision one way or another leaving it in a point of limbo. The ending is tropic and predictable so I’ll admit that I feel like I still need more of a hook but for the price, I’m willing to stick with it to see where the comic is going to go. That is a major benefit of $1 digital comics.
Artwise, the expressionist/abstract feeling of the art in a Mignola-esqe style doesn’t really move me in one way or another though everything has been based in reality so far where everything is plan. There are hints at how the style can really accent what the story is building to though and I am looking forward to what the series might become.
So summary
– It is hard to say how I feel about the first issue of The October Girl. In 10 pages there is a decent bit of set up but nothing big that grabs me so far but for a buck an issue – I don’t feel cheated and I want to see what might happen.
