Rusty Brown

Rusty Brown by Chris Ware, 356 pgs. 

Loneliness. Sadness. Snow.
Rusty Brown, our titular character, is a young boy attempting to escape his isolation and bullying through his love of superheroes--namely Supergirl. Other characters we see facing their own struggles with belonging include Woody Brown, Rusty's father; Joanna Cole, Rusty's teacher; Chalky White and his sister Alison, the new kids at Rusty's school; and Jordan "Jason" Lint, Rusty's bully. This graphic novel is defined by its particular art style and dark themes.

I have some mixed feelings about this book. First, it can be hard to read--both literally and emotionally. As someone who has not read many graphic novels, the changing organization and small segments often left me a bit confused as to which panel to read next. Then, the themes are very heavy throughout the narrative, with little positive reprieve for the reader. The majority of this book oozes toxic masculinity--purposefully--and at times it is hard to tell if the author is attempting to justify the characters' views or simply presenting why they are the way they are. It is certainly an empathetic story, but I found it frustrating being forced to consider the world through a misogynistic lens. Perhaps, though, that is the point.
The last story, however, is markedly different. In it, we learn more about Joanna Cole, Rusty's teacher, who deals with isolation and racism as a Black teacher in a mostly white school. After such deep, specific dives into the psyches of previous white, male characters, it felt like Joanna's section was missing a certain depth. It seemed like the author gave Joanna certain personality traits, but he still didn't have as strong of a sense of her full personality, and after the deeply intense dives into previous characters, it fell a bit flat.
On the positive end, though, there are some really beautiful pages and panels, and the stories evoke some very powerful emotions. I have definitely thought a lot about this book since finishing it, and it is very highly critically reviewed.