Royal City Volume 1 Next of Kin TP NM Image Jeff Lemire 1st print AMAZING!

Description

Royal City Volume 1: Next of Kin Trade Paperback
by Jeff Lemire (Author, Artist)

In his most ambitious and most personal project to date, JEFF LEMIRE spins the captivating and engaging story of a family from the small factory town of ROYAL CITY and the ghosts that haunt them.

In a return to the literary and thematic territory of Lemire’s breakthrough graphic novel ESSEX COUNTY, ROYAL CITY follows Patrick Pike, a fading literary star who reluctantly returns to the once-thriving factory town where he grew up. Patrick is quickly drawn back into the dramas of his two adult siblings, his overbearing Mother and his brow beaten Father, all of whom are still haunted by different versions of his youngest brother, Tommy, who drowned decades ago.

As each member of the family struggles to keep themselves above water, it quickly becomes clear that Tommy’s death isn’t the only dark secret tearing the town, and this family, apart at the seams. Can each member of the Pike family come to terms with their own guilt over Tommy’s death, and make peace with the many versions of Tommy that still haunt them, or will they all be dragged down below the river along with his lingering ghost?

ROYAL CITY promises to be a sprawling, serialized graphic novel that will chart the lives, loves and losses of a troubled family and a vanishing town, across three decades.

Jeff Lemire is the creator of DESCENDER (with DUSTIN NGUYEN), AD: AFTER DEATH (with SCOTT SNYDER), ROUGHNECK, SECRET PATH (with Gord Downie), PLUTONA (with EMI LENNOX), ESSEX COUNTY, SWEET TOOTH, TRILLIUM, and THE UNDERWATER WELDER. He had also written celebrated stories featuring Green Arrow, Animal Man, Bloodshot, Wolverine, Hawkeye, Teen Titans, the Valiant, the X-Men and Inhumans for the major comic book publishers.

Collects Royal City 1-5.

Publisher Image Comics
Paperback 160 pages
ISBN-13 978-1534302624
Weight 11.5 ounces
Dimensions 6 x 0.3 x 10 inches

Jeff Lemire does it again. I love his portrayal of human stories in comic book form. I love following his vision and outlook on family and life.

This series follows the Pike family and examines life and death. Regret. Despair. Conflict. Family ties. Tragedy. Failure. Divorce. Marriage. Addiction. Loneliness. It is a beautiful display of human interactions and their struggle to survive in a world that has fallen apart for them. It is about coming together in times of need, when they’ve been separated for so long. It’s a reflection of Lemire’s own personal experiences, which adds a more personal and emotional touch to the whole series.

I read all 3 volumes in one sitting, and I loved the progression of the story, the reveal of different aspects of the puzzle with every issue that gives you the overall picture at the end.

The story revolves around the Dad who suffers a stroke and falls into a coma in the hospital. One brother, Patrick, the novelist, drives down from LA and is dealing with a failed novel and a cheating wife. Then there’s the sister, Tara, who is trying to tear down the family business and move on with her life. And Richie, who is an addict and owes people a lot of money. And Patti, the mom, who is having an affair and is stuck in an unhappy marriage.

Then, there’s Tommy. Little brother Tommy, who at 14, drowned in 1993. Every member of the family is haunted by a different version of Tommy. I loved that perspective, and I loved seeing how every member visualizes Tommy and how that visualization steers them in different directions and impacts the decisions they make.

One of my favorite things about Jeff Lemire is his graphic work. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful. His artwork is very emotive and expressive. He can fill the pages with just artwork and no words, and you will feel like you’ve read an entire novel with your eyes. One of my favorite graphic novels, just like Essex before it. I’m a huge fan.

978-1534302624

Collects Royal City 1-5. Near mint, 1st print. See pics in description.