OneMetal.com book REVIEW:
Revolver

“I lie down there; I wake up here.”

From Super Spy author and illustrator Matt Kindt’s imagination emerges Revolver, a new original graphic novel published by Vertigo. The mind-bend asks a difficult question: Is a life full of meaning worth sacrificing for one of shallow comfort? The answer comes easier than readers might think.

Meet Sam. Until a few minutes ago, Sam has never been in a fight, let alone killed another human being. Of course, only a few minutes ago, his luxuriously dull world existed free of terrorist-driven explosions, his superficial girlfriend waited just around the corner, and his biggest complaint was having to edit someone else’s party photos. At 11:11 every night, Sam finds himself walking through a different reality. The boss he once hated now spearheads an underground revolution in which he takes part: a newspaper called “Revolver,” bent on reporting the country’s turmoil that has made looting, savaging, and murder casual occurrences. Each time Sam wakes up, his dead-end job and materialistic obsessions seem pettier than ever before, and only Sam remembers the night’s change—or so he thought. Confused and troubled by the events unfolding around him, Sam seeks the one link between his two worlds: a man named P.K. Verve.

The engrossing concept and simplistically toned, dreamlike visuals make putting down Revolver before the final pages an unlikely affair. Its quick and dirty ending might leave some readers dissatisfied, while others will find the marquee of news updates that streams across each page distracting, however relevant.

Still, Revolver stands as a delightfully uncommon read in its frank originality and absorbing style. The graphic novel comments on not only the destructiveness of political situations, but also the complacency of others. A little taste of two worlds makes an unforgettable impression, and as Sam learns, sometimes taking control is the only way to finally let go.

Bottom Line

Advocates of comics as a worthwhile, smart medium should look no further than Kindt's latest work.