The Change

RATING:
The Change
The Change graphic novel review
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  • North American Publisher / ISBN: Dark Horse - 978-1-50673-238-1
  • Release date: 2024
  • UPC: 9781506732381
  • Contains adult content?: yes
  • Does this pass the Bechdel test?: yes
  • Positive minority portrayal?: yes

Whoopi Goldberg’s starting point for The Change was an observation that all superheroes are the peak of physical perfection. Why aren’t there any in middle age, say a menapausal woman no longer able to maintain that kind of body?

Drawn to resemble Goldberg herself, Isabel is middle aged with the spark absent from her marriage, and she takes out her aggression playing online games with other women. Then, all of a sudden, strange phenomena starts occurring around her when she becomes irritated.

Looking from the outside Goldberg has spotted an inherent lack of representation about the superhero genre and the interesting idea of an ordinary person suddenly confronted with something beyond their understanding is well played out. Goldberg collaborates with screenwriter Jaime Paglia, and they supply believable people with believable reactions to circumstances. However, being novices when it comes to comics shows through on occasions. One example is artist Sunkanmi Akiboye struggling to incorporate lengthy conversations that would play out well on screen, but occupy too much space on the page. Balancing that is Isabel’s discovery of super powers coinciding with her politically ambitious husband allying himself with a developer planning to transform the neighbourhood, which sets alarm bells ringing.

There are contradictions about the art. Akinboye takes an illustrative approach, so panels are individually composed, with continuity often a secondary consideration, and that method results in static people. He also undermines the entire concept by largely drawing Isabel with the body of a toned woman in her twenties, and only giving her a slightly older face in extreme close-up.

Giving Isabel access to a range of super powers provides a succession of interesting moments, and her lack of experience supplies responses removed from standard superhero tropes. Working in social ills provides a solid background while perpetuating family disagreements, and everyone’s motivations are clear. There’s enough going on to ensure this opening instalment is very readable, and presumably any continuation will be dependent on how it sells.

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