Long Distance by Thom Zahler Published by IDW on June 10, 2015
Carter Blue, an ad agency artist and scientist Lee Smith meet in a NYC airport, both stuck due to snow delays. Their meeting is charming; Carter gets knocked down by a boy dressed up in a Batman costume, his drawings flying out of his hands and all over the floor of the airport. Lee comes to his rescue and the chemistry is immediate.
They spend the next few hours of their delay talking, as if they'd known each other for much longer. The problem? Carter lives in Columbus and Lee in Chicago. Can this newly-found attraction survive the distance?
It’s quite apparent that this title isn’t my typical comic to turn to. Yet, a survivor of a long distance relationships myself (yep, he put a ring on it), I was quickly drawn to the storyline and upbeat artwork. Zahler uses monotone colors to depict the setting, making it quite easy to flow from one to the next without adding additional text to explain it.
Most of the text is dialogue; the reader doesn’t really get inside the heads of either character so we are bystanders to their relationship and what happens. The dialogue isn’t always verbal, however. Zahler employs email, texts, and Twitter as a means for these budding love birds to converse.
This series is light, not heavy. The perfect series to keep your attention, keep you invested in the storyline, and crossing your fingers that this long distance relationship will last. Since the series just started in June (and only three issues in), it will be quite easy to catch up on the story. A cute addition to any comic library. Highly recommended.
