Another book I picked up was the first two issues of Hey
Derby Girl by Jeanne Beacom and Elle Skinner. Both issues are pretty
short totaling around 15 actual pages of story each. The book follows Sweet
Liberty, the newest member of the derby team the Gold City Wild Banditas. The
first issue is really used to explain the rules of Roller Derby and establish
Liberty as the newest member of the team. It’s her first night out and she’s
nervous as hell which really comes across in the storytelling and art.
The second issue establishes her actual role on the team as
the "beer wench" as she waits for her shot at the rink. She didn’t actually get to skate her first night, but she continues working
hard and even does an exercise routine with one of the veteran members of the
team. You can tell that Liberty really wants to get a spot on the team skating
and as nervous and scared as she is, she’s ready.
The books are short and sweet and the story is just so-so.
There isn’t a lot of character development or even back ground on Liberty. How
she came to find this sport, why it’s important to her and what she’s trying to
overcome in her life by doing this. She comes off like a very shy individual
who might be doing it to give herself a confidence boost, but that’s just my
take on it.
What I really enjoyed about the book was Skinner’s art work.
She has a very distinct style that is cutie and bubbly while having a very
realistic look to it. Perhaps it’s the set-up of the panels by using the
foreground and the background effectively. The art is all black and white with
strong grey tones that give it that extra bit of depth. It’s really the
strongest part of the comic and lingered with me once I was done reading the
book. I hope to see more of the book in general, but in particular Elle
Skinner’s art as she shows strong potential at becoming a great visual
storyteller. If you’re interested in learning more about the creators check out
their sites. Jeanne’s is here and Elle’s is here.
Overall Score – 8.0/10