Sabrina, by Nick Drnaso, is quite possibly my favourite comic book of the year.
It looks great, the panel structure is flawless, the dialogue is sublime but on point and the story is pure indie Americana.
A reflection of US society it touches on lifelong friendships, fleeting acquaintances, how a deep love can impact on your feelings and how in the darkest of days people feel they know, own and can judge or misinterpret your actions just by the touch of a button without truly knowing you at all. Some might say this is a horror book for the modern generation.
Without giving too much away Sabrina, in just a few short panels, resonates throughout this book. As a casual reader even I found myself feeling I knew her life story enough that I could judge her, pulling me into the narrative. That is a great achievement in a comic book but Drnaso has been given the opportunity to tell his story right to the bitter end. That ending simply seems to be ‘life goes on’, and the book is all the better for it.
One of my favourite comic books not just this year, but all time.
