Young Liars: Vol. 1 Daydream Believer
Lapham made his indie-comics bones with the acclaimed Stray Bullets, and moves into the mainstream with this over-the-top effort. Like its predecessor, Young Liars revolves around a cast of entertainingly flawed characters headed by narrator Danny Noonan, a self-destructive rock-musician wannabe obsessively in love with poor-little-rich-girl Sadie Dawkins, whose dangerously erratic behavior is caused by a bullet lodged in her brain. Supporting players include a transvestite junkie, a bulimic former model, a groupie, and a slumming, scheming rich kid. The plot veers as wildly as Sadie’s moods, beginning in the Manhattan rock-club demimonde before the group, en route to a planned art heist in Spain, hops an ocean liner, pursued by a band of malevolent killers hired by Sadie’s father. Rock accompaniment to the action is implicit, and mix-tape suggestions preface each chapter. Lapham’s bold, clear, character-focused art helps to root the messy, sprawling story line. In real life, you wouldn’t want to get within five blocks of these people, but watching their wild ride from a safe distance is an undeniable kick. --Gordon Flagg