Other Lives, by Peter Bagge

I just read Other Lives, a graphic novel about four people finding solace from their "real world" issues online. I almost didn't get this book because one of the blurbs on the back compared it to "The Big Bang Theory" (a.k.a. the most annoying show I've ever watched in my entire life), but got it anyway thinking it might not be so bad since I won't hear a laugh track. And I'm glad, because I really enjoyed reading it.

The art reminds me of vintage Disney cartoons:

And the story feels n o t h i n g like The Big Bang Theory (phew.) It's more like a comic version of Safety Not Guaranteed. The characters are vulnerable, but in so many different ways and for so many different reasons. You don't need an extensive back story on each person to "get" them--there's enough room for you to fill in details, which makes you think about the characters more, which makes you care about them more. 

Here's what I mean--you've got Ivy, a woman who lives out creepy, socially unacceptable fantasies on Second World, the story's virtual world. I assumed it had to do with growing up in a conservative Chinese household, but it could just as easily have something to do with feeling powerless in her current relationship. Or she could just be a sadistic person, who knows? But she felt so much more substantial after I thought about the things that might make her want to go on online murder rampages.

The characters use Second World to fill different types of voids in their lives, but they also take it seriously at varying levels. Ivy places a clear distinction between her avatar and self, and doesn't expect anything she does online to affect her in real life:

And Woodrow, whose online gambling addiction has affected his real life very, very much:

There are layers. There are plot twists. The art is fantastic. Go read it, it'll only take an afternoon.