Lonely Receiver #2 Review
Writer: Zac Thompson
Artist: Jen Hickman
Letters: Simon Bowland
Following on from the first issue of Lonely Receiver, where we learned about Catrin and Rhion’s relationship and subsequent break up, this second issue follows Catrin in the days following her breakup, going through a series of emotions which are familiar to anyone who has ever been in a serious relationship which has ended on bad terms. It also follows her attempting to fix her phone and get Rhion back.
It’s looking at Catrin’s emotional state and exploring her feelings where this comic really shines. Zac Thompson manages to capture these emotions with all of their raw pain, how it can utterly destroy and devastate. The fact that Rhion is an A.I. and not even a real person doesn’t matter. The fact they were supposed to be together forever makes the heartbreak even more devastating. Catrin feels like a real person. She comes alive on the page, hurting and unsure of herself, not like a character in a comic but like we’re seeing a real person. It’s a real testament to Thompson’s writing that she feels as alive as she does. The good, the bad, everything she’s feeling feels honest and true and is definitely a highlight of the comic.
There aren’t too many criticisms to be made about this comic, but the biggest one is the format. It feels like it should be read as a complete story, as a graphic novel, than being released as a monthly comics. It reads like a movie to be viewed in one sitting, rather than a TV series to be viewed over an extended time. I suspect the graphic novel will be the best way to read the story.
Jen Hickman’s art is, once again, really good. She manages to capture all of the emotions that Catrin is going through, the hurt, the loss, and bring that pain to life on the page. All of the futuristic, high tech technology is so cleverly weaved into the story that even as the biotech elements are shown it feels natural and organic. A particular delight is when Catrin is attempting to fix her phone, and the array of tools designed to help with the job.
A very honest and raw look at breakups, examined through the lense of a futuristic A.I. leaving a woman. It’s an interesting examination of the loss during a breakup, as well as being an interesting look at the way technology, and our dependence on it, is growing, and one potential future if society carries on down the route it’s going.
Artist: Jen Hickman
Letters: Simon Bowland
Following on from the first issue of Lonely Receiver, where we learned about Catrin and Rhion’s relationship and subsequent break up, this second issue follows Catrin in the days following her breakup, going through a series of emotions which are familiar to anyone who has ever been in a serious relationship which has ended on bad terms. It also follows her attempting to fix her phone and get Rhion back.
It’s looking at Catrin’s emotional state and exploring her feelings where this comic really shines. Zac Thompson manages to capture these emotions with all of their raw pain, how it can utterly destroy and devastate. The fact that Rhion is an A.I. and not even a real person doesn’t matter. The fact they were supposed to be together forever makes the heartbreak even more devastating. Catrin feels like a real person. She comes alive on the page, hurting and unsure of herself, not like a character in a comic but like we’re seeing a real person. It’s a real testament to Thompson’s writing that she feels as alive as she does. The good, the bad, everything she’s feeling feels honest and true and is definitely a highlight of the comic.
There aren’t too many criticisms to be made about this comic, but the biggest one is the format. It feels like it should be read as a complete story, as a graphic novel, than being released as a monthly comics. It reads like a movie to be viewed in one sitting, rather than a TV series to be viewed over an extended time. I suspect the graphic novel will be the best way to read the story.
Jen Hickman’s art is, once again, really good. She manages to capture all of the emotions that Catrin is going through, the hurt, the loss, and bring that pain to life on the page. All of the futuristic, high tech technology is so cleverly weaved into the story that even as the biotech elements are shown it feels natural and organic. A particular delight is when Catrin is attempting to fix her phone, and the array of tools designed to help with the job.
A very honest and raw look at breakups, examined through the lense of a futuristic A.I. leaving a woman. It’s an interesting examination of the loss during a breakup, as well as being an interesting look at the way technology, and our dependence on it, is growing, and one potential future if society carries on down the route it’s going.
A Look Inside
