phonogram, vol 2: the singles club

Kieron Gillen (Author), Jamie McKelvie (Illustrator) Image Comics (Publisher)

> Review by michael hoffert jr.

Music is magic. A single song, chorus, lyric or note can bring a flood of emotions and memories, feelings both forgotten and yet to be experienced, that pound through your brain like the kinetic guitar work of a 1970s British punk band. Music touches the core of humanity, and that is exactly what misters Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie do in the symphonic treasure trove that is Phonogram: The Singles Club. Centered on a single night, December 23, 2006, in a London club, Singles Club weaves the interconnected tales of several young British Phonomancers: magicians who both use and influence their magic through music. The rules of the club this night are simple: no boy singers, you must dance, and no magic. Each story is packed with emotional and relatable parables, like the love-struck girl who just wants to get lost in the pulse-pounding music, the broken-hearted young man who can’t escape the specter of his ex, or the phonophile who is absolutely convinced that he has found the divine in a single piece of pop culture. The writing from Gillen is quick, witty, and jam-packed with music references (that are made palatable by a convenient glossary for those not familiar with all of them) that add authenticity to the scenes. Joining him is his frequent collaborator McKelvie, whose deceptively simple yet exquisite line work, wonderful character acting, and inventive story-telling techniques make this comic the best kind of challenging. Whether you’re an Anglophile, phonophile, or comicphile, this is one of the most compelling pieces of graphic fiction out there.