Review – Minimum Wage #2 (Image)

Publisher: Image Comics
Writer/Artist: Bob Fingerman
Release Date: 5th February 2014

Rob is a funny one. The twenty something year old is divorced and back living with his dear old Mum. The arrival of May, his new girlfriend, means things are looking up. Well, things are looking weird, anyway.

The dialogue in this book is what it’s all about. Its playful, witty banter doesn’t always hit the spot but there is so much of it that you’re always amused. Some of Rob’s innermost thoughts are great and the positions he finds himself in are brilliantly familiar, making you cringe knowingly. You sympathise. Some of the dialogue is a bit too quirky for its own good at times like when he is hanging with his oddball mates. These jokes feel performed and lack the awkward feeling of when he is out of his comfort zone.

The art is quite refreshing in its simplicity; looking like it belongs in a newspaper you pick up and leave on the same bus journey. These simple colourless yet vibrant line drawings add a lot to the book’s sense of humour. The characters all have something unique about them and it’s packed with nice little details like band t-shirts making it a decent throwback to the nineties. Some of the ‘love’ scenes with his new girl-friend are remarkable. They pull no punches. Put these images with an awkward monologue and you can’t help but grin.

It’s an entertaining read that will have you shaking your head and cringing but there’s nothing wrong with that.