Review by Frank Plowright

Every now and again someone comes along and does the basic things so well it’s a reminder that bells and whistles are just that, and it’s what Fabian Lelay achieves with We Are the Danger. He introduces an appealing cast with varied personalities, sets them an objective, throws in the obstacle and we’re off.

He starts with Julie, new in town and at a gig where a charismatic friend she’s just made has said she’ll meet her. Lelay plays out a well choreographed series of surprises, using some imaginative page layouts, including a cassette tape. What develops is Julie forming a band with drummer Tabitha, who already knows enough people to fill the other slots. She also knows Logan, the vengeful singer with her former band who doesn’t take well to people leaving. From there Lelay heads to the talent contest.

Lelay’s a tidy artist with manga his biggest influence, but he’ll draw the cast from distance in fully prepared locations. They really come alive when on stage, although Lelay might have made a little more effort with the audience on a couple of occasions when they’re few in number and almost allocated spaces.

There’s a predictable path to the generally good natured We Are the Danger, which is the band name as well as title, but the combination of aspirations and romance makes for a fun read with strong characters. Right at the end Lelay surprises by taking a detour into the past to bolster Logan’s personality, and the final chapter exemplifies Lelay’s making lemonade attitude to storytelling.

Because Black Mask aren’t generally known for young adult stories, this could slip between the cracks which would be a shame, as anyone who likes Jem and the Holograms ought to love We Are the Danger.