Review – Heart In A Box TP (Dark Horse Comics)

Posted on September 14, 2015 in Dark Horse Reviews

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Publisher: Dark Horse
Written by: Kelly Thompson
Art by: Meredith McClaren
Release Date: 16th September, 2015

There is literally no better way to spend a lazy Saturday than in the company of a phenomenal comic book and Heart in a Box is one. I kept interrupting my reading of this book, not because it failed to hold my attention rather that I didn’t want to reach the end. It is both heartbreaking and heartwarming.

Emma lives with her friend Xan. When her heart is broken she wishes that her heart could be taken away. Bob, who is in Aquisitions, appears and offers to make this desperate plea come true. As quickly as the colour fades from Emma, she realises she wants her heart back. Fortunately this is no soul-selling deal with the devil and Bob tells her she can get her heart back by tracking down the six pieces remaining of her heart, she gets one part back from Bob, and take them back. Obviously this means by murder or otherwise. The pieces can then be popped in a special box until the heart becomes whole again.

So her journey begins. Each heart piece begins with a chapter page as we jigsaw-like put the pieces back together. The first piece takes her to a sex club where she discovers the new owner is a wide collector of hearts. Emma dismays at all these stolen hearts and Bob appears to give her some options. So Emma becomes a box of hearts herself.

As she puts her heart back together, she inevitably puts her life back together too.

This book is more than just a foul mouthed adventure and it’s not nearly as hokey as it sounds. Quite the opposite, it is absolutely stunning. There is some deep and meaningfuls as we ponder why some pieces of our heart just belong to other people. Why it’s ok to have your heart broken. Why a tiny piece of heart is just enough to make life worthwhile.

The artwork is harmoniously just as stunning. Vivid colours symbolise love, life and emotions. The draining of colour matches the draining of life and the overwhelming sadness that just engulfs you. The colours swing in and out of Emma’s tale much in the way that love and sadness do in our real lives. Some pages are just downright emotional volcanoes.

This book is magical. It reminds me of so many stories and yet manages to be wholly original. Be good to your heart and grab this comic with both hands.

Rating: 5/5.

INTERIOR ARTWORK
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