Blending irony-tinged cool and hipster ennui with, like, actual feelings, Adrian Tomine’s Shortcomings is a frank, funny and sometimes cringe-inducing look at a Japanese-American guy in his late 20s struggling with his arguably underdeveloped emotions. Ben Tanaka’s longtime girlfriend leaves him to move from California to New York, which he takes as an opportunity to explore some of his less admirable fantasies. The stark, unfussy artwork allows plenty of room for exploring the story’s complex themes of racial and sexual politics, gender roles, artistic ambition and distance vs. intimacy.
Valiant Women is a vital and engrossing attempt to correct the record and rightfully celebrate the achievements of female veterans of World War II.
