One of the great things about comic books is that experimenting is built into the nature of the medium. There's no one right way to make a comic book. It's more of an idea or a concept than a firm medium. And so, creators can take any sort of liberties in crafting their own story and work of art. The Adventures of Track Suit Man is a great example of this.
The book doesn't really play out like a typical comic book story, or even any typical story in general. Instead, the book's narrative is formed through a series of real life social media posts the author made in regards to an individual he frequently flies with. This individual is a stranger, but apparently his antics at the airport warrant chronicling. Track Suit Man is rude, aggressive, and willing to do anything to serve his own narcissistic needs in regards to his flight.
There's no real story to be had. Instead, the comic plays out in a series of these snapshot social media posts that are formatted to be a quasi-comic. There are comments posted and even back matter that includes anonymous pictures of the real life Track Suit Man.
There are a lot of pros and cons to the book. It's great to see something different and to see someone experimenting with the medium. I truly appreciate when someone takes chances and does something weird and out of the box. However, it's hard to judge the work because of this. It's more of a novelty than a straightforward work of art that can be judged against other comics. It's kind of in a league of its own, which is definitely a good thing. But it's hard to recommend to comic book readers who are expecting a more traditional story. Instead, it's something connoisseurs of the medium might check out simply to see how it's made. Also, the book itself has an extremely indie feel to it that makes the production a bit rough around the edges. Then again, indie comic lovers appreciate that DIY feel quirky books like this sometimes have. And so, the best thing to do is to take The Adventures of Track Suit Man a stride at a time.
Comments