The back cover of HEAVY LIQUID describes it as "a high-speed chase through the back alleys of the world's seediest cities... and darkest recesses of the mind." Um, no. Sin City is seedy. Dark Blue is a tour through a dark mind. HEAVY LIQUID is... well-lit, actually.
The black ink isn't even black! It's deep purple. And there's a give to the line quality that's almost feminine. Sure, our main character is a junkie. He gets his high from black milk he cooks off "heavy liquid," but S isn't hard. This isn't about gunplay or vengeance; it's about S's heartache when he's hired to track down an old lover. It's about why she left him and what it is about heavy liquid that keeps him from feeling alone. It's about vitality and stagnation.
I hate to burst anyone's bubble but HEAVY LIQUID is pretty, reflective, and, well... tender.
Kelly Sue DeConnick relocated from Brooklyn, New York to Kansas City, MO, where she lives with her husband and artbomb.net colleague, Matt Fraction. Kelly Sue writes the English adaptations of several manga titles published by Tokyopop and Viz. She can be found on the web at kellysue.com.
