Broken Frontier

Spurned by her father, ignored by boys, and taunted by the girls at school, Shira Spector takes solace in a dangerous new hobby—shoplifting.

In Token, the latest graphic novel from the Minx line, we are introduced to Shira Spector, daughter of a widowed lawyer father, growing up in the faded decadence of Miami’s South Beach. An awkward girl somewhat uncomfortable in her own skin, Shira does not relate to her peers and has never had a boyfriend or much of a social life. Her best friend is an eighty year old former Hollywood actress who lives in the same hotel as the Spectors. When her father becomes engaged to his secretary, abandons his formerly kosher lifestyle, and eclipses Shira in his heart, the young lady seeks her own brand of rebellion. This comes in the form of an enticing young Spaniard who teaches Shira the art of stealing, kissing, and other things she has never experienced. But rebellion has its price.

Like many of the Minx books, Token explores issues that affect young women in the teen years, as well as life issues that are universal. Certainly, many readers will be able to relate to Shira’s sense of alienation, her growing distance from her father, and her first tentative steps towards love. Alisa Kwitney captures all of these very capably, delivering three-dimensional characters that you can’t help but like. Shira and her father are both flawed individuals but there is realism and dimensionality to their tension that lifts the story above the usual teen soap opera. Rather than pouting over no longer being daddy’s little girl, Shira has genuine concerns about the changes in her father and the state of their relationship. Her brushes with crime and rebellion are presented with a sense of uncertainty and confusion mixed with the irresistible addiction of the taboo.

Shira’s actress friend Minerva is the stand-out character of the book with her bigger-than-life personality and sordid past. In fact, the setting of South Beach itself becomes almost a character in its own right for much the same reasons. This is a strange, fading Twilight Zone of lost opulence, of Old Hollywood dreams juxtaposed with the harsh reality of time. South Beach’s transformation and Minerva’s battle with senility and age are very affecting and contribute to Shira’s difficulties in finding her own place in the world. She connects with the romance and glamour of that faded past more than her present (the chapter titles are cleverly borrowed from classic movies). All of these factors make Token a very engaging character study. Its only flaw is that many of these themes and subplots are tied up rather quickly or abandoned in the final pages of the book. Aside from an abrupt and somewhat unresolved ending, Token is a strong read.

The biggest highlight of the graphic novel however is the art by Joëlle Jones (best known for her work on 12 Reasons Why I Love Her). Jones has a very assured cartoonist’s style, a fine line that results in clean beautiful imagery with a sense of fun and personality. She is a talented storyteller in her own right, conveying much in the expressions and posture of the characters and the "camera" angles of the comic’s panels.

It was recently announced that the Minx imprint will be shutting down. It is unfortunate (if not altogether unexpected) that the books were unable to find a place in the current American comics market. Although, in all honesty, these are not stories I would have sought out myself as an adult male, I have been thoroughly entertained and impressed by the Minx graphic novels I have read. The end of the line is a regrettable loss but at least we have an appealing Token with which to remember it.