Anyone who has been in a relationship, will tell you it can get complicated. As the mere allusion of being attracted to someone is simply the park, but what comes after can be a careful balancing act. Keeping each other happy is the hard thing. The key is when to pick your battles in a relationship, the choices can become crucial. Sometimes it can feel like the worst place on earth but sometimes it can feel like all the stars aligned.

I once heard from a very wise old person, that the key to staying together, is “not falling out of love at the same time.” There must be someone still fighting for the relationship. Relationships are tough and finding the right person for you is even harder. We follow one couple through all the seasons of their life Marc Ellerby’s Ellerbisms.

In the first story, we find out exactly how Marc met Anna, and much like he says, “it sounds cliché”, they met at a bookstore, where they both worked at, and while they both hated each other, they slowly but surely fell for each other. We also get introduced to Marc’s friend, Sophie, who is the other woman in his life, who he has messed with, but doesn’t want anything to mess with their relationship. A he struggles with his choices, he finds a temporary reprieve in his first trip to SDCC, where he hopes someone will discover him. As he soon finds out, his mind cannot stay away too long from his dilemma. As he returns to England, he reignites the fire between him and Anna, one that still is in the infatuation phase, and one which Marc, like most buys, would like to propel forward. Of course, as most people do, kissing is one of the most intimate things two people can share and Marc and Anna finally go there. In the meantime, Marc finds out he has a problem with his arm, which sidelines him for months, until another doctor realizes the problem lie with his shoulders, and eventually they start sleeping in each other’s beds, which becomes quite a learning experience for each other, as they truly find out each other, which include Marc’s snorting when he sleeps. We follow Marc and Anna, as their relationship grows and how they feel about certain popular culture is on full blast, with some of the more interesting ones being the show, Heroes, and the movies, The Darjeeling Limited and The Dark Knight. We soon find out that his Dad got sick, as he contemplates life without his father, it brought them close together as well as his relationship with Anna and he starts to get more attention for his comics. Marc and Anna eventually move in with each other, where many of their idiosyncrasies start to creep up, and they do get on each other’s nerves. We follow the couple through their many ups and downs, through the times when they are in sync and when one of them wants to end their relationship and as they face their personal challenges.

Overall, it’s an engrossing graphic novel which pulls you into it with heart and leaves you feeling for Marc and Anna. The story by Ellerby is told with love at times, disdain at times, but honesty always. The art by Ellerby is vivid and beautiful. Altogether, a book that transcends the archetype of the graphic novel and diary and gives the world a real gift.

Story: Marc Ellerby Art: Marc Ellerby
Story: 9.7 Art: 9.7 Overall: 9.8 Recommendation: Buy