Spent: A Comic Novel by Alison Bechdel
This graphic novel is not perfect, but it is darn close. There were just one or two small “bumps” for me. But overall fans will get a huge kick out of this. There is much happening and Bechdel uses their usual wit and observations to get the job done. Even if they cannot get the job of writing their new book or the TV script done.
It is life during the years of 2020 to “now” (or around the Trump second election, the time frame is not obvious, but we do get an idea of some time and places. Covid and masks do play a role in many places). There is talk about social and current events. It is mature. It is open. There is animal birth. There are gender and relationship conversations and situations. There are flatlanders from the city who came to the country during the pandemic. It is in the style of the author and nothing is held back, but there is also an element that some things are still left as private if they are truly deeply personal. But it is the day-to-day life of Bechdel with probably more than a little artistic license taken). She even spoofs her own work (the book they are working in the graphic novel on is called $um, not Spent; the TV series of the infamous memoir of their father is based on the musical show of her infamous novel about her own father), the characters have fun but also know what is serious and what they need to say to hopefully get their messages out there. She is a queer, woke, liberal woman who learns a lot about herself, her friends, her family and you should never turn your back on a horny young goat who has not been fixed yet.
Did I like all the characters? Not really. Even Alison has moments where she is unlikable. But that is okay as that is the point. Again, this is a “day in the life” of set-up that shows we are human and we like to be liked, be loved, be listened to, get jealous, roll our eyes at our parents generation (who roll them right back), want to be appreciated and get 1000 likes on our goat birthing video.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Alcohol
Minor: Suicide, Abortion, Pandemic/Epidemic