Royal City Vol. 1: Next Of Kin
Created, written & illustrated by Jeff Lemire
Image Comics, 2017
A new series that centers around a family--like Lemire's previous books Essex County and Roughneck. Royal City is a factory town which is dealing with a decline in manufacturing. The Pike family has a complicated history with the place. Fading literary star Patrick Pike comes back because of his father Peter's stroke; his sister Tara is trying to redevelop the factory into something with a future; her husband Steve is working in the factory, and trying to unionize to oppose the development; her brother Richard is struggling with debt, while trying to keep his job at the factory; and her mother Patti is trying to care for her father, while coping with her long-term affair.
They are all haunted by the death of Tommy, the youngest son who died by drowning decades ago. Tommy was seen as the Golden Boy at the time--the most promising of the children--and his premature death has left a hole in the lives of everyone in the family. He manifests as a version of his future self, which is more confusing than the ghostly depiction Lemire shows in his sketches at the end of the collection; it took me quite a while to realize what was happening. But is is truer to the impact the event had on everyone else in the family: it's as if Tommy had never died, and everyone imagines how life might have been if he survived.
There is almost constant family conflict: very melodramatic. The characters were interesting enough to hold my interest, but I can see how it might not appeal to everyone. Things certainly do change. Tara leaves her husband, Patrick begins to reconcile with his famous actress wife Greta, and Patti goes back to her lover. For the climax Peter comes out of his coma (having learned many interesting things during it--he travels around in the company of Tommy like a ghost, a supernatural element that stands out in the midst of an otherwise realistic story) and Patrick discovers that he is an uncle.
A "Behind the Scenes" section shows Chris Ross' development of the series logo, as well as promotional art and early conceptual pieces. One of these has Tommy in a more traditional spectral form, like a ghost haunting the family. As always Lemire's artwork includes both the realistic and the surreal. There is an especially vivid setting of giant radios that Peter and Tommy walk through (collecting and restoring old radios is Peter's hobby), and Tommy's death by drowning inspires a number of watery images.
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Replies
How did you like this first trade? I read the first arc (which I believe is the first trade's worth), and a couple of the next arc. Personally, I just couldn't get into it, and I usually like Lemire's work.
I did like it, although I would admit less than usual. I'm a Lemire fan, too. I'm certainly going to read the second trade before I give up on it.