Broken Frontier

I was hoping that the few hours spent with 100 Girls would be filled with excitement and fast-paced action but I didn’t expect the element of mystery to be the most intriguing part of the evening. While saying I was totally blown away by the experience might be overstating my pleasure, saying that I was more than pleasantly surprised from the ride wouldn’t be saying enough.

At first glance, 100 Girls doesn’t appear to be anything comic fans haven’t seen before: Sylvia is your typical misunderstood 13-year-old girl who feels like an outsider and when she starts to develop a wealth of powers, she feels even further segregation. Okay, nothing new there; but what begins to set this story apart from others is that there’s at least a hint of character development. After only a few pages, I found myself caring about the character. While I’ve certainly never been a teenage girl, I can completely relate to young Sylvia thanks to the portrayal of her experiences at school and at home. These key moments pulled me deeper into the story so that when the first mystery presents itself, I was already strapped in and ready for the ride.

And what a ride it is. In the first arc of the series, The First Girl, writer Adam Gallardo spins his tale at breakneck speed, presenting mystery after mystery and pushing his character into situations that demand action. But this isn’t the dark, gritty, detectives-in-trenchcoats type of mystery. Instead, you get hints at an undercover agency with an evil agenda, part of which is to hunt down Sylvia and imprison her with the other 99 girls they’ve engineered to have unspeakable powers. The mystery gets deeper with the introduction of Dr. Carver, the woman overseeing Sylvia’s abduction, who has striking physical similarities to our girl on the run.

While there are some Men-In-Black elements here, comparing 100 Girls to The X-Files wouldn’t do this book justice. Gallardo and artist Todd Demong strike the perfect balance between reality, science-fiction, and good ol’ fashioned conflict, all of which are packaged together with a healthy dose of fun, which is exactly what I want from a story like this. Sylvia’s friendly banter with school mates endears her to me, while the men in suits hunting her down evoke a feeling of anxiousness. Then the action kicks into overdrive to get the adrenaline pumping. In that regard, this series has it all, and I found myself eagerly turning the pages, soaking in each panel.

Yet while the fast pace is part of the book’s charm, it’s also one of its problem. At times during the first four issues, the story just goes too fast. It feels out of control. I wanted more down time. I wanted a better understanding of the key players and I needed a moment or two to reacquaint myself with Sylvia. Somewhere along the line, I lost touch with the girl I was able to relate to. With just a pause, I could’ve reflected on the character and regained that much needed connection.

100 Girls may feel out of control at times, but it certainly doesn’t look it. Demong’s art is clean and just damn nice to look at. It’s definitely a key factor for this book’s success. It’s obvious that Demong’s art is influenced by other artists who use the exaggerated heads, hands, and feet combined with his use of thick outlines, such as Humberto Ramos. But while there are similarities, I think Demong has created a style all his own; a style that works wonderfully with Gallardo’s story. It feels youthful, almost carefree and it helps tell the story. 

The book’s colors are also very impressive. The color makes the images jump off the page and creates a feeling that is dark and foreboding but also bright and energetic. The coloring of Lucas Marangon and Merina Quevedo in the first two chapters sets the tone that this story will be in the realm of the fantastic, while the colors by Cil and Josh Perez in issues three and four are slightly more subdued, more down to earth but without losing that vibrant edge of the first two chapters.

Yes, you certainly get the whole package with 100 Girls. It may seem a little too fast in places and spending more time on developing the characters might’ve helped the overall depth of the story, but as it is, it’s certainly entertaining. If you missed the first four issues of 100 Girls, don’t fret. Arcana have scheduled to release the trade paperback version of the series so far in April (just in time to get caught up with the story before issue #5 hits in June). And at a mere $10, the collected version is well worth admission.

- James W. Powell