Review of Comics Will Break Your Heart by Faith Erin Hicks

Much like the medium featured in the novel. Faith Erin Hicks’ debut novel Comics Will Break Your Heart, is deceptively complex and nuanced. Despite what the title suggests it is in fact a love letter to the medium of comics. As well as a tribute to maritime Canada, where the story is set. This is Hicks first prose novel, but with seven graphic novels under her belt as both a comic writer and artist, she is in familiar territory here.

We are introduced to Miriam Kendrick, a dutiful employee at the local comic store who has a chance encounter with Weldon Warrick a rebellious young man. Weldon has been banished by his father to Sandford, Nova Scotia for the summer due to his bad behaviour. Though the two teens are initially attracted to each other, their relationship is dramatically changed once Miriam realizes Weldon is the grandson of Joseph Warrick.

In the story, Joseph Warrick co-created the successful fictional comic series “The Tomorrow Men” with Micah Kendrick, Miriam’s grandfather, in the 1960s. It is now a multi-million-dollar enterprise with a big Hollywood movie forthcoming. However, a dispute over the ownership of the characters resulted in a nasty legal battle between the two men. Ultimately, leaving the Warrick family inheritors of a vast fortune, and the Kendricks subsisting on a one-time paid settlement. Despite the economic disparity and family history, Miriam and Weldon find they are constantly drawn together, forcing them both to reconcile the past and build a future together.

Hicks draws from comics history as inspiration for the events in this story. The title of the book is a quote attributed to the artist Jack Kirby. Kirby famously battled Marvel Comics for his share of the superhero properties he helped to create and like Micah Kendrick, he passed away leaving the dispute to his heirs (Patten). His collaborator Stan Lee remained at Marvel for most of his life, acting as a figurehead of sorts. He was given creator credit but also had his own legal battles which were settled much more generously than Kirbys were (Park).

Hicks uses this sadly common story from comics history to express the dichotomy of art for love and art for profit in her own characters. The Warrick family are wealthy and privileged, but, are also unhappy. The parents are divorced, and Weldon has been acting out, which is why he is sent away. The marketing and promoting of “The Tomorrow Men” consumes Weldon’s father’s life. He doesn’t write or draw, it’s all business for him. Meanwhile, the Kendrick household is a close and loving family who live a modest existence. The settlement allowed them to buy a house, but now they try to subsist on a meager income. With little interest in increasing their personal fortune. This is expressed by Stella, Miriam’s mother, who creates paintings of “The Tomorrow Men” which she sells at the local comic shop for “the exact amount of money they spent making the painting“ (Hicks 8).

Hicks takes the conflict many artists feel internally and externalizes it in the form of these star-crossed lovers from feuding comic families. Beyond exploring the financial struggles of creative art and the emotional rewards of pursuing your passions. Hicks also touches on themes of entering young adult life, outgrowing old friendships, and falling in love. This is a great book for any fan of comics, and also for the uninitiated. “Comics Will Break Your Heart” will hopefully make you fall in love with its characters, and with the comics medium itself.

Works Cited

Hicks, Faith Erin. Comics Will Break Your Heart. Roaring Brook Press, 2019.

Patten, Dominic. “Marvel & Jack Kirby Heirs Settle Legal Battle Ahead of Supreme Court Showdown.” Breaking News, Deadline, September 26, 2014, https://deadline.com/2014/09/jack-kirby-marvel-settlement-lawsuit-supreme-court-hearing-841711/.

Park, Andrea. “Stan Lee, legendary Marvel Comics creator, is dead at 95.” CBS News, November 12, 2018, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/stan-lee-dead-marvel-comics-writer-editor-obituary-died-age-95-2018-11-12/.

kagcomix:

tradewaiters:

Episode 19 continues the discussion from our previous episode on The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel. Jeff, Angela, and Kathleen are once again joined by special guest Sfé R. Monster
while Jonathon is busy doing work or something. Don’t let the lengthy
discussion on long-running Canadian TV franchises at the start of the
episode fool you, this episode gets in-depth with a seminal comics work,
with politics, representation, and life in general. A melancholy time
was had by all.

Also mentioned in this episode:
Fun Home: a Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
Degrassi: Extra Credit by J. Torres, Ed Northcott, and Steve Rolston
No Mercy by Alex de Campi and Carla Speed McNeil
Vattu by Evan Dahm
So You Want to Be a Wizard by Diane Duane
Michael Ondaatje
JJ McCullough
TechRax

Music by Sleuth.

Our next episode will cover at least the first two volumes of Bakuman
by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, with the episode after that covering
at least two more volumes. We’re doing a marathon Bakumathon.

You can also follow the TradeWaiters on Soundcloud, Twitter, iTunes, Google Play, and Stitcher.

Oh hey that other thing that I do

tradewaiters:

Episode 19 continues the discussion from our previous episode on The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel. Jeff, Angela, and Kathleen are once again joined by special guest Sfé R. Monster
while Jonathon is busy doing work or something. Don’t let the lengthy
discussion on long-running Canadian TV franchises at the start of the
episode fool you, this episode gets in-depth with a seminal comics work,
with politics, representation, and life in general. A melancholy time
was had by all.

Also mentioned in this episode:
Fun Home: a Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
Degrassi: Extra Credit by J. Torres, Ed Northcott, and Steve Rolston
No Mercy by Alex de Campi and Carla Speed McNeil
Vattu by Evan Dahm
So You Want to Be a Wizard by Diane Duane
Michael Ondaatje
JJ McCullough
TechRax

Music by Sleuth.

Our next episode will cover at least the first two volumes of Bakuman
by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, with the episode after that covering
at least two more volumes. We’re doing a marathon Bakumathon.

You can also follow the TradeWaiters on Soundcloud, Twitter, iTunes, Google Play, and Stitcher.

More of that podcast I’m in

tradewaiters:

To accompany our latest episode, the “CAF Episode,” here are some photos of the books we talked about. The credits, once again, are as follows:

When You Grow Up by Ma’at Crook
My Sister’s Voice by Alexis Sugden
Clear Quartz by Joamette Gil
(Tr)Eat Yoself by Wai Khan
Before the Snows Come by Kat Verhoeven
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson & Troy Little
Friends and Food Stories by Joslin Chan, Roberta Chang, and Sylvia Chan
Desolation by Jade McGilvray
Journey to Oz by Arianna Mao
Four Fables by Maëlle Doliveux
Sky Gods by Leda Zawacki
Don’t Talk to Me or I’ll Set Myself on Fire by Jane Mai & An Nguyen
Hotel Positano by Levi Hastings
Agents of the Realm by Mildred Louis
Sad Boy Comix by Mike Dawson
Version 002 by Jake Wyatt
Late Bloomer by Maré Odomo
Twins by Kiku Hughes
The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks
Escargoteric by Johnny Herber