“Reckless youth with handguns and full of bad ideas.” That line will either perk your interest or make your stomach turn. Those same reactions are elicited just by looking at the cover of We Can Never Go Home, Volume One—a stark image of a teenage boy and girl holding hands while he grips a gun, blood splatters across the whole of the scene. The team behind We Can Never Go Home has worked hard at crafting a tale of disenchanted youth with as many things going for them as they have going against them. The book focuses on Duncan and Madison who, after a chance meeting, quickly find themselves entangled in one another’s lives … and a mountain of blood. Add a set of superpowers to this already volatile mixture—superpowers that are in the hands of teenagers that rely completely on impulse and not at all on responsibility—and you have a Bonnie and Clyde tale for millennials. One of the highlights of the comic is the creative team’s obvious love of pop culture. Throughout the book are countless nods, name drops and references to various punk and superhero icons and iconography. If you’ve ever picked up a cape or had a studded belt, this book wants you to know you aren’t alone. Duncan and Madison are portrayed as relatable and realistic. Duncan is brash and cocky outwardly while still being plagued by self-doubt. Madison is brave and confident but still looking for guidance and to find her place in the world. The two together are dynamic and give the book a feel reminiscent of the film True Romance. Duncan and Madison are in this together. They rely on each other and fall easily into a codependent relationship. Duncan quickly becomes the mind and Madison the muscle while both try to keep some sort of grip on the reality of the situation they have created. They’re not so much star-crossed lovers as they are doomed partners in crime. On top of that the book is a fast-paced beast. It starts with action and is delivered in a way that never allows you to get bored or too comfortable. The two writers, Matthew Rosenburg and Patrick Kindlon, craft an engaging story that still finds space to develop their characters. Artists Josh Hood and Brian Level create amazing scenes of both humor and action, perfectly rendering these two lost youth in a way that makes them not only magnetic, but real. Not to mention that each issue is coupled with a perfect playlist. The book ends leaving you wanting more, which makes the ad for volume two inside feel like a promise of great things to come. We may never go home again, but it’s nice to know we aren’t alone.
Comic Review: We Can Never Go Home
3 min read
