Broken Frontier

In a canny move to help diversify the comics industry, DC Comics has launched its new imprint, Minx, a line of graphic novels targeted at teen girls. DC has recognized the untapped potential of this group, young readers smitten with manga and discovering the wonders of sequential art storytelling. If Minx is successful, it could lure in these female readers and further cement in the public’s mind that American comics are not just men in tights. Judging from the first book of the line, Minx is off to a fine start.

The Plain Janes is written by young adult novelist Cecil Castellucci and illustrated by Jim Rugg, artist of Slave Labor Graphics’ Street Angel. It tells the story of Jane, a girl traumatized by a bombing at a local café and her family’s subsequent move from the big city to the illusory safety of suburbia. Jane’s anchor through all this is a mysterious "John Doe," a boy left in a coma by the bombing, whose sketchbook becomes a source of hope for the girl. Jane embraces the saving and transformative power of art, reinventing herself from pretty, blonde popular girl to a more individualistic, arty identity. In the process, she finds kindred spirits—a science geek, an actress, and an athlete—all, incidentally, with variations of the name Jane. Together, they form a secret club called P.L.A.I.N. (People Loving Art In Neighborhoods) that conducts guerrilla "art attacks" throughout the town. By creating artwork in the most unlikely places, they hope to reach people paralyzed by fear, boredom, or uncertainty who have forgotten the beauty all around them.

Castellucci’s story raises a number of fascinating questions. Jane’s experiences address not only issues of identity and finding one’s niche but the very nature of art. Can art save? What is art and what isn’t? Does it belong in a museum, boxed in and classified and defined, or can it be anywhere? Castellucci makes compelling arguments for the vibrancy of art and the power it can have on us all. Additionally, the story speaks to the sense of fear and unease that seems to pervade the world post-9/11. Have we become so on edge in this climate of Orange Alerts, mistrust, and paranoia that we’ve forgotten to enjoy life? Jane and her parents are forced to confront the challenge of overcoming their fears, of remaining cautious but not letting it consume them. Our heroine’s transformation is initially motivated by who she feels she needs to be to face what the world throws at her. But she soon comes to realize that the new her is who she truly is.

The Plain Janes is not perfect however. Some of its characters never rise above simple stereotypes: "Brain Jayne" speaks in little more than science jargon and trivia, "Theatre Jane" is constantly melodramatic, and James, the token gay kid at Buzz Aldrin High, is flamboyant to the point of being almost cringe-inducing. The story also ends somewhat abruptly with the fate of the character Damon left up in the air. Despite these flaws, the story remains likeable, intuitive, and engaging. And some characters, such as bitchy cheerleader Cindy, take wholly unexpected directions.

Special praise should be given to artist Rugg. His work is deceptively simple, elegantly cartoony without drifting too far from reality, and above all, fun. He creates a unique visual for each of the Janes and has a great knack for conveying emotion, particularly in many of the characters’ expressive eyes and body language. With its rich gray-shading, the art in this book is very appealing.

In recent months, Scholastic has launched its own teen-oriented line, Graphix, similar to what DC is attempting with Minx. A revolution of sorts appears to be happening in the comics world and publishers are reaching out to new audiences. As with many of those titles, The Plain Janes is certain to appeal to its demographic but indeed, its themes are universal and its story can be appreciated by nearly anyone.