Review: Web of Lives Collection 1
The world has both progressed and regressed in many ways over the last few decades. The fight for visibility and acceptance seems like an almost eternal struggle for so many. Members of the LGBTQ community know this fight all too well. The choice to either live out loud or in silence carries consequences for them both and can weigh heavily either way. They must risk the fear of their lives, of un-acceptance by loved ones, the dismissal by co-workers, and outright hate by some on society. The decision in how open to be can be impacted be all of that and more
As more of the maligned masses starts to grab streams of the spotlight that the world has denied until recently, their stories have started to enter the public conscience. These stories show the world that it is more than binary. It’s a kaleidoscope of love and choices. Though progress is a slowly bending arc, these struggles remain. In some ways they’re less harsh than in the past they remain. Some of these stories are told masterfully in Kristen P. Enos‘ Web Of Lives: The Collection Volume 1
In “Berserker,” a family moves into a new neighborhood, where a young girl, Casey who just so happens to be a tomboy, starts having feelings for a neighbor, Cynthia. As they grow older, both of them become closer, as Casey hides her feelings from Cindy, but a terrible ailment has rendered Casey unconscious, leaving her future uncertain. Casey comes out of a coma, still not realizing why she passed out . Meanwhile, her parents and friends try to convince her to join the LGBTQ club, somewhere she can meet like personalities. Also, at a medical facility in New York, it seems as though some strange characters are very interested in Casey, for her physical traits. As she gets more comfortable in her skin, a boy picks on her for being gay resulting in retaliation. In “The Good Child,” Yoshiko, the daughter of a powerful Yakuza lord Master Watanabe, is shaken to the core as the family’s matriarch passes away. The Yakuza lord remarries someone close to him, his mistress while at the same time Yoshiko, is betrothed to an older man, one whose demure demeanor gives Yoshiko pause. As her wedding day approaches she feels a change in the wind. With her wedding day, her father ‘s enemies are the gate, as chaos ensues with an assault on the family mansion. Yoshiko soon realizes that everything is not what it seems and the attack was deliberate and was planned from the inside. Soon she finds out that her husband’s business partners are shadier than she originally perceived. She soon finds every man in her life, her husband and brother, have either has underestimated or undermined her, as such disregard has no place.
Overall, two very different stories which both show the struggles women both gay and straight. The stories are action packed, relatable, and always intriguing. The art by creative team is gorgeous. Altogether, a a great book which shows how great a writer Kristen P. Enos is.
Story: Kristin P. Enos Art: Song Ye, Pablo Romero, and Howard Cruse
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy
In the world we live in, rapidly “being accepted,” is such a rare trait for humans to have. Suddenly, in our world, it has become so vogue to hate people. No longer are morals and good will, commonplace, but more of a trait that only exists in certain human beings and ones that people try to fake. As the recently passed Nelsan Ellis once said, “Being different makes me beautiful”.