On the whole of human experiences, being in love is probably the most tenuous. Love can be the best thing that has ever happened to you or it can be an unrelenting hell mouth that threatens to leave you broken with only the faintest slivers of sanity and self respect. Despite all that, you take it where you can get it and never stop looking for it if you lose it. Love is, after all, absolutely random. But here’s the thing…..what if it wasn’t?
What if the whole of love was controlled by a megalomaniacal cupid that’s less interested in you finding your one true love, but instead wants you buying cologne and paying service charges for online dating sites? That’s what Image Comics’ newest graphic novel Lovestruck seeks to answer.
Written by Dennis Hopeless with Art by Kevin Mellon, Lovestruck tells the story of Kalli Monroe, a young photographer from the city of angels that suddenly finds herself with the ability to make anyone she chooses fall head over heels in love. Whether that love be for a man, women, politician, or product completely depends on her new boss. The Cupid of Lovestruck is a far cry from the familiar baby faced cherub we’re so familiar with from old St. Valentine’s day cards. This iteration is a morbidly obese control freak whose longevity has made him cynical towards the gift he used to give away willingly. Now he uses Kalli and a team of other individuals with similar ability’s to warp public perception and make so much money that even Uncle Scrooge would be envious.
Dennis Hopeless writes a very compelling story that despite being fairly high concept is easily accessible thanks to strong characterization and snappy dialogue. He’s particularly good at writing women, making them by far the most interesting characters of the book. He also makes one of the better Ramones references I’ve read, so that’s always fun.
Kevin Mellon isn’t any slouch either and although his style isn’t the most dynamic I’ve ever seen, it complements itself nicely with books characterization of female characters by actually making them look like human beings instead of the usual buxom plastic doll’s that are in every other comic book. That might seem simple, but it really made all the difference while reading this. Now despite my previous statement about Mellon’s artwork being less than dynamic let me be clear, that is not meant as a disparagement. Fact is that his work is clean and precise with a natural flow for storytelling. It’s not reinventing the wheel but sometimes that’s a good thing, especially when you get this degree of craftsmanship.
Lovestruck ultimately tells the story of how something that should be pure and overflowing becomes a corrupted commodity, and even for those that didn’t believe it was ever pure to begin with the idea that it could be again is bigger than what one person wants. That and it’s an absolute blast to read.
Pros
- Great High Concept Story
- Strong Characters
- Clean coherent artwork
Cons
- Various sexual shenanigans if that sort of stuff skeeves you out
Final Verdict
