Snapshots

I get the feeling that Portraits from Life is probably going to be my least favorite comic so far. I hold narration in high regard...and it's pretty lackluster. There are way too many exclamation marks that make it seem like you should care about the stories, but you really don't. The few panels without narration are a welcome sight...

It is difficult for me to relate as much to these stories partially because of the setting. Despite its being our neighbor (and despite the fact that I've lived there), Canada really isn't on my mind that much. Who cares about Canada, anyways? It's not like it's important in IR (international affairs). So the setting and the names are a bit unfamiliar--when Grey Owl refers to the federal government, I keep thinking it's our federal government. I didn't have this difficulty with V for Vendetta because Moore did a good job of making his world believable and I just have more consciousness of the British way of life, I suppose.

That being said, Collier does incorporate some neat stylistic elements. I like his nuanced drawing style and he uses unusual devices to get points across at times. For instance, in the Ethel Catherwood story, her coach looks like he's floating horizontally when he first sees her as an indication of the magnitude of his surprise. Another visual element that I liked were the wolves' howls in the Grey Owl story, which stretched across panels and steadily increased in size to illustrate a corresponding increase in volume. Collier's drawing style incorporates creative elements and more "action" indicators that are reminiscent of Blankets.