Broken Frontier

Adam Chamberlain’s devotion to God may be wavering as he reels and plots revenge in the wake of a personal tragedy.

It would have been so easy to see this title take the easy way out, but it hasn’t. The fall of an attractive male teen completely dedicated to saving his virginity for marriage is somewhat appealing in a twisted sense. And about midway through the debut issue of American Virgin, it appeared as though that might be the direction the story was going to take. But then something dastardly, yet topical took place that threw a monkey wrench into that whole stream of thought. It is now clearer that the direction Seagle and Cloonan want to take readers is not simply that of Adam facing off with his raging hormones; they intend to continually test his beliefs with morally ambiguous situations.

Seagle does a great job of letting the reader know that, though badly shaken by a very emotional incident, Adam’s faith and the everyday message he publicly conveys have not been dampened. Adam is forced to take his wayward older sister, Cyndi, with him to Africa when they encounter some trouble at her apartment. Though Cyndi may be a "lost cause," she brings with her some levity and "street smarts" that right off the plane is clear that Adam needs around—the Christian message of morality isn’t accepted everywhere.

Becky Cloonan is very good at rendering chaos and emotion and this issue is packed with both. The opening few pages allow the artist to showcase her skill in the former department, while pretty much the entire issue deals with the emotional impact that Adam is forced to bear. Though her style is slightly cartoonish, it is also gritty enough to establish a heavy tone. Brian Miller’s muted colors fit well with Cloonan’s style, and the fast-paced story culminates in a final page that may very well be the most disturbing image to be seen in a comic book anywhere this month.

American Virgin is off to a good start. Instead of sticking strictly to the exploration of one’s sexuality as it first appeared that it would, the story has twisted into something more dramatic and interesting. I’m sure that Adam will eventually get around to checking his libido, but for the time being the morality of a Christian’s plan for revenge is just as appealing to watch unfold.