Lucas Blogs About Apocalyptigirl

So, what's this book's deal?

Well, the deal with Apocalyptigirl: An Aria for the End Times is that it's the project Andrew MacLean worked on before he wrote and drew Head Lopper. As one might guess from the title, it's a post-apocalyptic sci-fi adventure comic.

That does sound like a thing you would enjoy, Lucas.

I did enjoy it, so let's talk about it. The protagonist, Aria—

Wait, the word "Aria" in the title is a pun?

Yep! Anyway, Aria is a young woman who's been sent to Earth27 to recover the Grand Photon, an energy source — and potential weapon — which was used to bring about the cataclysm which lead to the collapse of society. The thing is that Aria's mission was supposed to last a few months but it's already been several years. She's not completely alone, she's got her cat Jelly Beans, and the broken down mech she's been trying to repair, which she's named Gus, but neither of them is much of a conversationalist. Nor are the warring tribes that roam the deserted streets. Aria will need her wits and more than a little luck if she wants to get herself  — and Jelly Beans — out alive.

Oh, she's cleaning up after an apocalypse? Like Wall-E?

No . . . Well, kinda. She's not really there to clean up the ecological disaster, but to make sure that the technology can't cause any more destruction.

Okay, I think I've got a handle on it.

You do? Should we finish off the post?

What are you talking about? We've barely scratched the surface.

That's true, it's just that you seemed satisfied with just the synopsis.

When did you become such a pushover? So, is it any good?

Yeah, it's good. It's a fairly short comic, but MacLean makes efficient use of the limited space. In addition to depicting a society in ruins where the few survivors futilely battle over the limited resources and territory, Apocalyptigirl establishes the crushing loneliness of Aria's existence. She's always talking to herself, arguing with her inner monologue, and anthropomorphizing both Jelly Beans and Gus as she deals with the frustration of her fruitless years-long search for the Grand Photon. Although she keeps up a happy-go-lucky façade, singing arias like "Ah! je ris de me voir si belle", cheerfully updating Gus on her efforts to fix him, or cuddling with Jelly Beans in her makeshift apartment in an abandoned subway car; she still freaks out when her latest communique from her boss just says "Keep up the good work." Which I think anyone whose ever worked a dispiriting, isolating, or alienating job can relate to.

Well, I'm a rhetorical device, so I can't really relate.

Keep up the good work.

Hey!

That said, the slightness of the novel does leave the setting somewhat underdeveloped. The brief scene at the end where Aria returns to her normal life doesn't really give much indication of what a normal life would look like for her, so it is somewhat harder to see what exactly she's losing out on back on Earth27.

And what about the art?

Well, like Head Lopper, MacLean's work here is stylized and frenetic. Action is conveyed in a minimum number of panels. His use of color remains striking but he uses a more naturalistic palate than in Head Lopper, with color variations mostly serving to establish setting or the effects of sci-fi weaponry. There's also plenty of graphic violence, so if that's not your thing, you could probably skip it. That said, if you enjoy action-oriented science fiction stories, you might want to give Apocalyptigirl a spin.

Keep up the good work, Lucas.

Hey!

Apocalyptigirl: An Aria for the End Times written and illustrated by Andrew MacLean, Dark Horse Books hardcover edition, March 2020 (originally published 2015), 128 pages, pairs well with apples and stolen moments of relaxation

Links:

Here's the artist's website, if you're into that kinda thing.