Review by Ian Keogh

Jack is personable and talented, yet while he’ll easily chat to women he can’t work up the courage to ask them on a date. In public he puts his lack of dating action down to women being obsessed with the perfection of the superheroes who exist in his world. In fact Jack draws the comic based on the Flamer’s exploits, a thankless task as the Flamer may be a superhero, but he’s also a bit of a dick. However, as Love Fights opens, Jack’s life is about to take a turn for the better.

Love Fights is a definite stepping stone in Andi Watson’s career. It’s where he takes the leap into the sketchier art that’s served him so well ever since. It’s simple, neat and effective, although sometimes the splodges of grey wash are too smudgy. After Watson’s succession of very appealing slice of life stories there’s a broadening of horizons here by the inclusion of a world where superheroes exist and have a consequent celebrity status. They’re not intrusive, as Watson’s primary joy is telling stories about normal people, but they are essential, one of them in particular taking a personal interest in Jack and Nora.

Yes, early on Jack’s losing streak comes to an end. Nora is very likeable, and has just moved from Wisconsin for an internship on a superhero gossip magazine, but has a very demanding boss. Watson’s tipping point is both Jack and Nora having a big change to their life, and the clever aspect is how success for one is partially the cause of the other’s problems. The other complication is that there’s a superhero who’s deliberately placing barriers between Jack and Nora, but refreshingly, although there are a few bumps, it seems both have a realistic perception about the responsibilities incumbent on a stable relationship, Jack’s relative inexperience notwithstanding. Will that be sustained all the way through Nora’s meetings with superheroes?

Watson has some wry comments about both the conventions of superheroes and producing superhero comics, feeding in rumours about an actual inker’s sidelines, and Love Fights remains a funny romcom with with a cliffhanger ending to be settled in Vol. 2.

A digital version is now available from Watson’s website, updated with pink colouring.