Dark Horse Comics brings us Kelly Sue DeConnick and David Lopez’s new, satire-laden FML, a cautionary tale about growing up while the world around you is falling apart. Even though it’s not set in a wasteland, this apocalyptic tale takes place in a future that’s closer to becoming a reality than you may think.

Friends since third grade, Riley and Savvy navigate high school life through pandemics, fires, and weekly active shooter drills. Riley jots these feelings in a journal which drive the story. The narration is shown with a steady use of notebook paper caption boxes and cuts away to Riley’s pencil drawings to give some context. What could’ve been gimmicky enhances the story and gives Riley that extra touch of personality that also elevates the satire. Clayton Cowles’ lettering enhances this agreed-upon madness and does some heavy lifting by jumping back and forth between styles as frequently as from panel to panel.

David Lopez’s art captures the chaos of the world that he and DeConnick have presented. Cris Peter’s colors complement this functioning wasteland. There’s no blue hue to the sky of this decrepit world, and I don’t know what’s more chilling: the decaying background or the casual acceptance to a coat of rust on this world.

There are two themes that run rampant in FML: what it’s like being a kid today, and what it’s like being a punk rock, anti-authoritarian parent who fought against the government in their youth and now needs to respond when the dire state of affairs calls for more government interaction. Riley’s mom is a former riot girl who is just as new to the crumbling society she sang about as Riley. DeConnick does not present these things with subtlety, because the time to do that has passed. Wearing masks and active shooter drills have already been marked off the bingo card in our society. Who’s to say the rest of these things aren’t far off?

While hyperbolic stories have a tendency to get more eye rolls than a high school assembly, FML finds the right tone for both teens and parents to find common ground.

Creative Team: Kelly Sue DeConnick (writer), David Lopez (artist), Cris Peter (colorist), Clayton Cowles (letterer), Lauren McCubbin (designer)
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
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