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Spectacles Reviews
Small Press Feedback
#25
* * * * 1/2
Jon Lewis' Spectacles is aptly named. I say that because that's the feeling I had reading through this first issue from the Alternative Press imprint. You see the world through Jon's eyes and hear his thoughts on the whole goings-on.
This issue presents three different stories — "The Frost Changes (Part One)", "Land of the Early Bird", and "Eye of Potential Harm".
In "Frost Changes", we learn about a carpetbagger from the South called "The Finn" who goes around selling disguises. He has hundreds of different encounters (both good and questionable) and all are related to us by Mosse, a young boy whose father let "The Finn" stay at his house once. They're all very short, quick snippets of stories, but still interesting.
In "Land of the Early Bird", we join Mo, who has just received a big check from Federal Express, as he decides how the notion of having money to spend will change him and how he sees the world.
The last tale focuses in on how a stray possum ends up in his house (via the cat door) and scares him with the thought that it might attack his cat. Later, he discovers some new information on the creatures from two new sources (one more reliable than the other!).
All of the tales are illustrated by Jon, whose loose, basic cartooning gets the job done and, after awhile, becomes even more enjoyable as it grows on you.
The stories didn't strike me as especially captivating on my initial read-through. If anything, they seemed kinda "artsy". However, when you sit down to think about them, you do begin to see how they work together.
All three tales show you how people see things the way they want to. Whether it be the belief that possum's will kill your cat or how a poor, travelling man could hold the keys to how people see each other or how a little bit of money can change the way you see others and they see you.
It's all in how you look at it, how they look at you and what spectacles everyone is wearing to see with.
Bravo on a neat new series and for making us all use our comics to think a little bit more than we would have.
Images, characters and likenesses © and TM Jon Lewis
