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The biggest challenge comes after his discharge. Showboating on a beach getaway, Delaroux, in his early 20s, suffers a spinal injury that leaves him a quadripilegic, bound to a wheelchair, wearing a “leg bag” for urine, and needing assistance with “bowel care.” Grueling rehab, a devastating mental break, and increasing conflict with his mother, his inconstant caretaker, don’t diminish his enthusiasm for life or his quest for love and connection. Schuitema’s storytelling, rendered in raw yet evocative linework in classic panel grids, proves continually potent and engaging, as attentive to Delaroux’s everyday drift of mind as to his mistakes, conflicts, tragedies, and triumphs.
Convincing moments and telling detail accrete, over nearly 300 pages, into a fully developed portrait of a man, his life, and his family. Schuitema deftly handles heartbreaks, hi-jinks, and anecdotes both thrilling—like young Delaroux’s experiences climbing Miami Beach hotel balconies—and terrifying, especially concerning the horror of having special needs neglected by doctors. She finds human drama in every page without sensationalism, offering a work of vivid clarity and power.
Takeaway: This powerful graphic novel makes urgent, touching drama out of one man’s life.
Great for fans of: Harvey Pekar, Al Davison’s The Spiral Cage.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A