Review by Frank Plowright

Girl is a mystery, but not of the traditional type. It’s centred on Simone Cundy, at fifteen very representative of a smart 1990s teenager trapped by circumstance in her working class area of Bollocktown, yet able to see further than the kids who spend all day monopolising the tower block lift. She’s disenchanted with a brutal father, alcoholic mother and dim pregnant sister, so takes refuge in fantasy, but Milligan blurs the lines so cleverly that we’re never sure whether any scene should be taken exactly as presented or whether it’s somehow Simone’s retreat.

Simone’s narrative engages from the start, dispensing her circumstances and worldview, while Milligan leaves no doubt as to her location being a London estate, achieved via phonetically spelled London accents scattered through the dialogue. Duncan Fegredo’s contribution is a more generic form of 1990s poverty that could be the poor area of any UK city.

His artwork has progressed slightly from Enigma, his previous collaboration with Milligan. It’s technically stunning, but even fussier in places, leading to pages that are just too busy, and while it could be said they’re a deliberate reflection of Simone’s cramped horizons, that would be prioritising visual metaphor over clarity. Look at any individual panel, though, and it’s thoughtfully composed with the people having an emotional strength, but Nathan Eyring’s colouring predates the digital era and adds a brightness at odds with the story.

While sharply observed and very funny in places – Simone’s ‘funeral’ is a highlight – the blurring of reality can’t disguise Girl being a single-note parody with a satirical ending that’s far too glib. That said, Milligan working on his own projects always supplies an appealing off-kilter flow of ideas and Fegredo is an amazing artist, so Girl certainly ranks above average.