Casual Fling #1

Casual Fling #1

AWA Upshot Studios 2021

Written by Jason Starr

Illustrated by Dalibor Talajić

Jennifer Ryan has the perfect life. A loving family. A high paying job in corporate law. A luxurious apartment in upper Manhattan. Then one day she steps out of her marriage...and finds that her new lover isn't the one night stand she expected. Stalked and threatened with exposure, Jennifer attempts to unravel the true identity of her tormentor, discovering valuable clues in the trail of destruction left in this mysterious man's wake.

One of the things that I think is incredibly interesting about this story is that it’s not the husband who does the stepping out. We know women do this as well but we always or I should say generally see men in this role so it’s kind of refreshing. It is easy to find yourself thinking beyond what is on the page here and find ways to empathise with the various characters. Judgment aside you cannot really say what you would or wouldn’t do in the exact same circumstances, it’s impossible unless you are in them so this isn’t about judging or morality it’s about human nature and the need to escape.

I am an absolutely huge fan of the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is exceptionally well presented. I am so utterly impressed with how we follow Jen’s life as she leaves the house and goes to work as well as everything that comes afterward. It is that whole honest to goodness slice of life that you want to see happen and Jason does it beautifully. The character development that we see is marvellous. Whether it’s Jen or her husband of the folks at her work we really feel as if we know the types of people we see. The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story, this world and the twists and turns along the way is sensational.

The way that we see this being structured and how we see the layers within the story begin to emerge we are drawn into this in such a magnificent way. Then how we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow is beyond amazing. You don’t even notice that you are going the pages you are simply swept up in what you see and there’s nothing else.

I am loving the interior artwork here as well. The linework is gorgeous and how we see the varying weights are being utilised to create this level and quality of detail in the work is divine. From the inside of the office building to the innovation in the skyscrapers design to seeing the tasteful sex scene everything is put together thoughtfully and with purpose. The way that we see backgrounds being utilised throughout is phenomenal! They enhance the story, bring ius some great depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a masterful eye for storytelling. The colour work is amazing to see. The brickwork with the different shades giving us that realist style to them and how we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work blow me away.

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This story and how its not only put together but how it’s been told from concept to reality is as splendid as can be. This is so solid and with the synchronicity of the words and the visuals is on a level all its own right now. This is a perfect example of how strong AWA Studios is and how are definitely here to stay.