February 14, 2010
The Comics Journal
by Rick Kreiner
These two comics by Katherine Roy (CCS ′10) share a number of exemplary traits. The most obvious is that although likely to be regarded as “kids” comics, they have just as much to offer adults and maybe still more to parents. Child readers usually get stuck with “safe” comics that smack of canned wisdom from old grown ups; these tales court the drama of natural tensions resolved with finesse. Roy’s work boasts a real economy, both in visual style and in smooth storytelling. It feels natural and unlabored. That economy suggests prescriptive forethought and a fairly precise mapping of the stories even while presentation on the page appears spontaneous and full of vitality.