Broken Frontier

Now it can be told! The secret origins of Rachel the Great! In this volume, readers see some of writer and artist Rachel Nabors’ earliest works leading her to where she is now.

365 days (give or take) for the Earth to travel around the sun. One year. One revolution. For one young woman, 18 turns around the sun led to a revelation, a resolution, and a revolution. Rachel Nabors gave birth to Rachel the Great – the non-conformist, witty, satirical star of web and print comics. This digest sized volume collects some of the work Nabors did between about 15 and 18 years old. This includes illustrated poems; fashion tips for the aspiring Goth-girl, and of course, the fledgling adventures of Rachel the Great.

In very few other publications will you see such a dramatic evolution of writing and style. Nabors’ pieces not only show that her gift for sarcasm and satire started early, but that she also handled darker themes with a deft touch. The feelings of being an outcast, or being alone, that all teenagers go through are given life here not only through words, but with delicate and sometimes dark images as well. Perhaps the best of all the stories in this volume is the last one, in which Nabors discusses her decision to pursue a life in comics. It is a leap of faith, a declaration of power, and a bold step forward that is done with the courage born of a dream.

The writing style is not the only place where the reader can see evolution. Nabors’ art goes through dramatic changes. While her early pieces are not bad, they have a look that one tends to see in teenage art. This style often seems to owe more to doodling-in-class boredom than Tokyo Pop. Nabors’ determination and devotion to her comic works, however, obviously leads her to keep working on her style until she achieves her current, stylish, Ameri-Manga style.

18 Revolutions is a mixture of laughter and tears – just as life is. Its stories of ups and downs and girl power are a message that any young woman will identify with. For "slice-of-life" style comics, there are few better I’ve seen than Nabors. More to the point, she is proof that dreams really can come true. When you pick up a copy of 18 Revolutions you are holding Rachel’s dream in your hands. Maybe it can inspire someone else to pursue his or her own vision of the future. Until then...Viva la Revolution!