Matt Kindt's "Revolver" is a graphic novel that has Something to Say. But it's not going to make its message easy, and really, should works of fiction with end-of-the-world themes deliver it any other way?
The protagonist is Sam, who soullessly works a crap job editing party photos for a Seattle newspaper. His boss hates him and his girlfriend may join her, if he doesn't alter his mood. Part of that's not his fault, because at 11:11 a.m. every day, his reality shifts from a sterile cubicle life into one of paranoia and terror, where much of America is a post-apocalyptic wasteland ravaged by an avian superflu, leaving chaos and danger in its wake.
Is Sam living two distinct lives, or merely dreaming one of them? Is he schizophrenic? Which reality will win out? Kindt explores this mind-bending narrative in a manner that makes the reader feel uneasy, even depressed. Although he's not the best artist around, his understated style works for him. Visually, Sam's two worlds are kept separate through a color scheme that relies on dark blue and light brown; one dominates depending on the scenario.
If you like your "Road" paved with duotones, "Revolver" is one to stare down. "?Rod Lott
