‘Grommets’ TPB (review)

Written by Rick Remender
and Brian Posehn 
Art by Brett Parson
Published by Image Comics

This was an unexpectedly great read. I wasn’t a fan at all of the various advertisements for this book. I thought it sort of looked like a new updated take on Remender’s biggest hit, Deadly Class.

I was definitely wrong as it is the furthest thing it can be from that. This is very much its own thing and it is the better for it. It enjoyed every second of this book and I really enjoyed that it is a complete and finite series. Every part of this was really strong. I will come out and say that I thought the ending was a little tacked on and easy but overall the storytelling here is pretty much top notch.

The story takes place in Sacramento, California in the year 1984.

Rick and his family move to town and we get to see Rick try to navigate his new surroundings. He hates his new school and finds the whole area to be not to his liking. He is also a bit of an outsider and doesn’t fit in with a lot of the kids at school. Rick does like to skateboard so it makes his whole outcast persona become a little more accentuated. But Rick’s life starts to change on one fateful afternoon.

Rick meets Brian, who is a fellow skateboard aficionado. Together, they strike up a new friendship quickly. They have so much in common, that it is like they found a long lost brother. (Part of me was wondering if this is how co-writers Remender and Posehn actually met). It clear that these two kids speak the same language and they get into all sorts of trouble as this series goes on.

The creative team doesn’t hold back either, and it goes to some extreme places.

It isn’t dark, however, like a lot of Remender’s work tends to be. There is something sweet and nostalgic about this book and the areas that it explores.

The story takes place in the 1980’s sure, and it is certainly steeped in a lot of the fads and trends of its time. But the writers make it about the friendship between the two boys itself, rather than have them go up against some otherworldly threat. Everything is grounded and set in reality for the most part. That makes the book feel like something special and unique in both the marketplace and in the writer’s specific library of titles. It is very refreshing to be quite honest. It is also the perfect snapshot of growing up as a kid in the 1980s and what life was like then.

We get to see the every day problems of our youth on display instead.

Things like worrying about grades and getting together with girls are some of the events of this series. Brian and Rick also have some jocks to contend with, who are probably some of the more villainous jocks we have seen in comics. We also get to see that Rick’s dad is moving the family away, and that Rick might have to say goodbye to his new friend sooner than he might have ever have thought.

All of these storylines are delivered with honesty and integrity. It is also full of humor and there is a lot of spark to it all.
The story does go into some unexpected directions for sure.

Near the end of the book, it does look like Rick’s family is going to leave Sacramento as it is not a place that they want to live anymore. This puts Rick and Brian’s friendship to the test as they might not see each other ever again. Worse still, there is a girl that Brian likes and he may not make his move before he leaves.

The ending notes of this series almost sinks the whole thing. There is a story choice that is super easy and unearned. And the last page may be the weirdest beat of all time to end a story on.

But even with those flaws, this is a wonderful comic, and the good most certainly outweighs the rest. The writing is sharp and the artwork by Brett Parson is really wonderful. Overall, this is a good book and I enjoyed most of it. If there are more stories in this world that come about I would certainly read them, but I do enjoy a “one and done” kind of book and this feels pretty complete overall.

RATING: B+