Review by Ian Keogh
Lou has been dumped by her girlfriend, but is a friend to Molly and is there when she’s dumped by e-mail by her girlfriend Olene, now studying for a term in France. So is Yona, Lou’s ex-girlfriend, who at least has a conscience. Switching between locations and events, Ren Strapp concentrates on the four main characters as they come to terms with their new status, some more willingly than others. Judging by their social media updates Olene and Yona are having a fine time of it Paris, while Lou and Molly are thrashing about listless despite the best efforts of Molly’s room-mate Jackie to gee her up.
How Could You, strangely lacking a question mark, is a very 21st century slice of life experience where people believe social media perception is as important as reality and only they matter. Strapp efficiently juggles very distinct personalities navigating a post break-up world. Some are more confident than others, not all of them are likeable and some are more selfish than others, so Strapp places them in situations underlining their respective traits. There’s an interesting extrapolation of blame, where individual responsibility and loyalty are matters to be temporarily placed on a shelf, only to be later weaponised in disagreements.
Strapp’s efficient cartooning brings the cast and their feelings to life, with clever visual signatures such as the colour growing out of Molly’s hair indicating the passage of time. Backgrounds are broadly unnecessary amid the stream of conversations, but when a scene requires setting, Strapp fills it with detail and people. While the colours are largely restricted to mute, bursts of brightness indicate extreme emotions.
There’s a soap opera efficiency to the way Strapp manoeuvres the changing relationships, where one sensational twist or betrayal follows another, yet the pages will keep turning as readers invest in the nicer people and root for them. Job well done, then.
