In a review for Cinema Sentries, a critic examines the graphic novel Comet Club by Chinese-born creator Yi Yang, arguing that while the comic features striking artwork and a relatable story, it often skips ahead and leaves details unclear. The book follows two 14-year-old boys, Yang Kuaikuai and Li Yu, as they live in an isolated backwater community during China's 1990s economic boom.
Outcasts join a club for alien life
Kuaikuai and Yu spend their days as social outcasts with no friends besides each other. Their lives shift when they encounter the Comet Club, an after-school group run by upperclassmen who are fascinated by alien life. Roberts notes that the boys join the club not out of genuine astronomical interest, but because the members are fellow misfits and the boys have nothing better to do. The club is led by Qi Ming, a student who recently outperformed Kuaikuai in a math competition. Qi gives the boys a map of the surrounding mountains, pointing them toward a location where he claims to have previously spotted a UFO. When Kuaikuai and Yu investigate the site that evening, they do not find extraterrestrials. Instead, Roberts highlights that the boys witness strange men burying a body-sized bag. Although the boys report the incident to the police the following morning, the site is entirely empty when they return, leaving the contents of the bag as the central mystery of the narrative.
Striking art meets challenging narrative pacing
Roberts points out that despite the setup involving a potential crime, the comic focuses primarily on personal discovery and teenage friendship rather than traditional sci-fi mystery tropes. However, Roberts argues that the pacing presents challenges for the reader. Because comics blend still imagery with limited text, creators often rely on broad strokes and narrative shortcuts. Roberts writes that Comet Club tends to skip ahead too quickly, jumping forward in scenes before the context is fully established. While Roberts describes individual panels as striking and interesting, she notes that sudden shifts in perspective and tight zooms frequently leave the reader without enough context to understand what is happening on the page.
Cultural context affects reader connection
The story is set against the backdrop of China’s 1990s economic boom, a period when many residents were leaving rural towns for better prospects in major cities. Roberts suggests that a Midwestern American reader may miss important cultural and artistic context inherent to the setting, which contributes to the difficulty in fully grasping the narrative flow. Ultimately, Roberts concludes that while the story offers a relatable look at youth and features well-executed art, the missing contextual details and abrupt transitions prevent the book from fully connecting.
Who created Comet Club and its setting?
Who created Comet Club?
The graphic novel was written and illustrated by Chinese-born creator Yi Yang.
What historical period serves as the setting for the story?
The narrative is set in China during the economic boom of the 1990s, characterized by population migration from dying rural towns to major cities.
What triggers the main mystery in the book?
After receiving a map to a supposed UFO sighting location from an upperclassman, two 14-year-old boys visit the site and witness strange men burying a body-sized bag.
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