Shoplifter (Graphic Novel) (Drama)

By Michael Cho

Publisher: Pantheon (September 2nd, 2014)

Hardcover, 96 pages

Now we have a selection from a relative newcomer (to me at least), but by no means is he an amateur artists. Shoplifter was a low-key joy. A restrained tale of the explosive nature of life after college- the time when all of your dreams fall to shit and our protagonist is no exception.

The heroine is Corrina a creative personality at an agency. Her life isn’t hard, the best way to describe it is “comfortably numb”, but she isn’t happy. Her current situation is a job she fell into, because a literature degree doesn’t lead a person to many other options. I’m sure many people can relate to her situation; being stuck in a job she doesn’t believe in, laughing behind her hands at the “corporate philosophy”, with no satisfaction beyond the paycheck. She is in an emotional limbo- nothing to live for, nothing to excite her… except her occasional bout of shoplifting.

The color scheme is what captured me the most. Rose red is the primary color, a visually ironic setting to a life that is anything but rosy for the main character.  While she has a job that many would kill for, a rosy situation, it isn’t enough for her and her ennui grows with each panel. What struck me most was the amount of detail rendered in all of the cityscape images. The city feels alive, feels real, and ready to bustle past our protagonist. The visuals perfectly encapsulate the sensation that the heroine is just one step from the disappearing into the background.

For more readings, try books by Rex Hurst.