Written by: Sylvain Runberg
Illustrations: Philippe Berthet
Coloring: Dominique David
Publisher: Dargaud
Motorcity – Comic Book Review
Comic books often grab the chance to portray incredible stories about bravery, superpowers, new strange worlds and what not, that we often overlook the fact these books are also able to present us with stories that are actually quite close to home. Graphic novels have the power to grasp relevant problematic situations to show us the world isn’t always ‘sunshine and lollipops’, and that, sadly, we are often judged on the choices we made during our teenage years, or that those deemed nice by society, aren’t always what they seem. Motorcity shows us a bit about the Raggare subculture in Sweden, and how one of this so-called ‘white trash’ culture joined the police force in a backwater town.
Lisa Forsberg, one of the latest graduates from the Swedish police academy joins the police force in her hometown. While she is clearly motivated to start her job, some of the older policemen aren’t too happy to have her around, as she used to be a punk from the ‘Raggare’ subculture that is still going quite strong in Sweden. Nonetheless, she has grown up into a fine young woman, and she clearly knows right from wrong, even though she did silly things in her past. That being said, her first case immediately involves people from her past, as one true fan of said Rockabilly culture has gone missing. While she is the perfect person for the case, it also means she’ll constantly be confronted with her past.
The flow in Motorcity is rather steadfast, with a fairly even dispersal of information, suspense and action, creating a rather well balanced story. Nonetheless, the realistic undertone makes the story a bit heavy at times, thus those looking for a lighthearted detective story are in the wrong place if they hope to find it in Motorcity. That being said, Sylvain Runberg whipped up a great story, one that strikes rather close to home.
Just like Zwijgen als Vermoord, Philippe Bertet is responsible for the illustrations in this issue. He once again does a rather good job in portraying a very realistic looking story. Every character looks very different from another, while the overall style and outlining feels a bit retro, adding to the overall character of this issue. The fairly bland coloring also adds to the old school feeling of both the story and the Raggare subculture. Bertet and Dominique David, the colorist, clearly went for ‘character’, rather than a flashy experience.
Conclusion
Motorcity is a great, realistic detective story that isn’t too predictable. You’ll be treated to a rather suspenseful tale, with a bit of extra insight in a subculture you may, or may not have heard of, or be it under a different name. If you’re into serious, ‘real life’ stories, this album will certainly be worth the read.
Motorcity - Comic Book Review,
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