rock bottom

by Joe Casey & Charlie Adlard

original graphic novel

the premise: Thomas Dare is turning to stone - literally - due to a rare medical condition that is causing his internal organs to calcify. Tom struggles to find a way to save his life - and/ or set his affairs in order, before the condition kills him.

the lowdown: Sounds upbeat, right? Well, it's not, as you might imagine. Death is a topic that is all too often treated cavalierly in comics. Either it's a plot device, or it's treated (in superhero books) as a warrior's reward. But rarely is it a slow process that profoundly affects the afflicted as well as those around them. Those who have encountered the death of a loved one or close friend from disease know that death is far more than most comics make it out to be - and it's refreshing to see a comic treat the subject with the dignity it deserves.

Reviews here are mostly spoiler-free by design, but I'll spoil this much - there is no cure for Dare's condition. As the book goes on he progressively loses mobility, gains weight, and finds himself literally deteriorating into a man of stone. Dare is a flawed man who seeks to die with dignity. Casey inverts the stone metaphor nicely by showing Dare's heart as the last organ to go.

Adlard's art is a bit of a departure for him. The backgrounds are pretty sparse, the linework is a little finer than we'd see on The Walking Dead. But it suits the story well and seems to be an intentional departure. It's hard to actually draw someone turning to stone without the benefit of color, but Adlard pulls it off nicely.

the verdict: This is a poignant story about a flawed man with a terminal illness seeking to go out on his own terms. I won't say it's heartwarming because it's not - but Casey manages to find a happy ending in death, and that's no small feat. This is a keeper.