Gaming Into Maturity A Couple of Great Comics In 2001 Vertigo published USER by Greyson and Bolton. The story of a young woman who escapes into online gaming as a way of dealing with a sucky life. The story deals with vengeful lesbians, drunken, irresponsible authority figures, and the seduction of a young teen by a middle-aged man. Ultimately its about obsession, recognizing priorities, and finding the strength to handle responsibilities. By the end, our heroine may not have answers or solutions, but, inspired by her surprising commitment to online adventures, she realizes that fighting for her morals is necessary to keep her on the road to a good life. The art is lush, with each world presented differently - the game: clunky and bright and poetic, the real: grey and jagged and half spoken. The cognitive dissonance of bridging the two aspects under mounting threats is presented well. And our heroine becomes more of an out-of-touch, misunderstood geek (read: individual) as the climax builds. I was reminded of how great USER is because, now, 15 years later, Firstsecond has published IRL (In Real Life) by Doctorow and Wang. The story of a girl who discovers that her online gaming is not just a fun, safe, familiar place to play. The story deals with economic, generational, and cultural prejudices, bullying, cheating, hacking, and theft. Ultimately its about communication, discerning necessity, and being responsible for the consequences of our choices. By the end, our heroine may not have saved anyone, but, inspired by her commitment to understand why the game is played and what it takes to win, she realizes that she has to act from a sense of personal ethics, independent of peer pressure and expectations, in order to find happiness and respect. The art is light and expressive, with less difference between the worlds - the game is more heroic and symbolic where the real world is dumpy and relaxed. The dehumanizing nature of avatars and the overlapping relationships between the flesh and digital aspects are presented with a natural simplicity (good cartoonery.) And our heroine learns from her mistakes, attempting to express herself becoming a bridge-builder as the story resolves. Both books are well done and deserve a space in the library. IRL is geared toward a broader, perhaps younger audience with most of the drama happening off screen to somebody else. For all its inner turmoil, you still expect a happy ending. USER is much more tense, and set in a time when computer gaming was still novel, with hooks that the older, more experienced will identify with. Both stories are pleasantly feminist and I think they share the same theme: The online gaming community is a real extension of the social environment offering a valid learning experience that is a means to personal growth.
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 03:57:44 +0000
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