Broken Frontier

What you see isn’t always what you get.

On the surface, Frenemy of the State appears to pose the admittedly titillating question, “What if Paris Hilton was a spy for the CIA?” It seems like a pretty simple concept and it is, but there’s a little more to this Oni Press offering than a clever premise.

The writing team of Rashida Jones, Christina Weir, and Nunzio DeFillipis turns in a smart, hip, funny script that scampers along at a crisp pace. Benefiting from Jones’ particular insight into Hollywood, as a successful actress, model, and musician, Frenemy of the State is a blistering action-comedy satire poking fun at our fascination with the celebrity lifestyle. Peppered by topical pop culture references to Adam Lambert, TMZ, and CNN, the writers use familiar touchstones to deftly construct their protagonist’s personality and backstory.

The dialogue is snappy and smart and cuts to the bone with razor wire wit. The characters, while larger than life, sound like real people. The first-person narration, in particular, has the natural flow of a fully realized and unique voice that only comes with the creators’ intimate and thoughtful understanding of their protagonist.

It’s interesting to note that Jones has already optioned this property for film development yet it doesn’t feel like a comic that was rushed into production to capitalize on the graphic novel’s current popularity in Hollywood. In spite of its celebrity pedigree, Frenemy of the State feels and reads like a genuine, heartfelt effort to tell a comic book story.

Artist Jeff Wamester’s art is a great fit for the script, reinforcing the book’s playful tone with a fluid, cartoony, and ultimately accessible style. Ariana and her social circle really pop thanks to Wamester’s bouncy linework and well-developed design sense. His action sequences feel slick and well choreographed, rather than a collection of clumsy tableaus. Like the writing team, it’s obvious Wamester has put a lot of thought into his work, exhibiting clean page layouts and easy scene transitions.

Intelligent, trendy, and at times laugh-out loud funny, Frenemy of the State #1 is an engaging and satirical commentary on Hollywood and our addiction to all things celebrity. If you can’t bear to live without your daily dose of TMZ, then you’ll quickly succumb to the wit and charm of Frenemy of the State.