Who hasnt suffered the bitter-sweet pangs of unrequited love? The experience has produced some of the greatest art in history from the philosophical musings of the Ancient Greeks to the love songs of every era, it is a universal touchstone for everyone. Added to this list of great art is Jason Shigas graphic novel Empire State: A Love Story (or not) which tells the tale of 25 year old Jimmy who works at his local library in Oakland, California, whose feelings for his friend Sara dont reveal themselves to him until she leaves Oakland for New York City to pursue a career in publishing. After posting her a heartfelt letter, he sets out across America on a lengthy bus journey to confess his feelings to Sara face to face. But Jimmys going to find out a lot of things on his first journey outside of Oakland in this funny, real, and sweet story. Empire State is drawn in a similar style to manga but looks more stylized, rudimentary, and deceptively simplistic. Shigas art is perfectly suited to the book as hes able to convey all the emotion he needs through the characters expressions and slight movements. Jimmy is an excellent character, a somewhat unsophisticated and unworldly young man satisfied to remain in Oakland indefinitely, stacking shelves at the library and working on his outdated (its full of gifs!) website. Hes both innocent and naive while also seeming quietly frustrated as we find out about his life, living with his mum who manages his finances, taking his paycheck and giving him an allowance - even at 25! His characters development from the realisation of his feelings when Sara leaves, to his eye-opening bus journey across America, seeing just how big the country is for the first time, to reacting when he steps off the bus into New York, is remarkable. Shigas writing and art really sells the characters experiences and we believe and feel Jimmys excitement and terror as he does.
But its the little touches that really make this story stand out. When Jimmy asks if Sara received his letter and she pretends she didnt - thats a defining moment in the story, told so subtly in facial expressions. But Jimmy and Saras moment at the airport is really touching - their final goodbye. Its a goodbye on many levels - a literal goodbye as Jimmy goes back to Oakland and Sara stays in New York, its a goodbye to Jimmys old perceptions as his experiences in NY have changed his world-view, its a goodbye to their friendship, both as it used to be and maybe for good, as they move on with their lives. Really beautiful, understated moments like this are rare in all of literature and theyre here in this book.
The layout of the comic is very artful - rather than panels set out in a grid they are adrift on the page, roaming without direction like Jimmy. The story jumps between the past and the present, the past coloured in a single pink hue like rose-tinted memories and the present coloured in a light blue like that of a cold new day. Its also a great way of telling the reader when this part of the story took place. As sweet and kind of sad the story feels, its often light-hearted and funny. Jimmys relationship with his daffy mum is really great and I loved their conversation where Jimmy lies about his reason for heading out east. His bus journey is brilliant too as he meets some colourful and disturbing characters on the Greyhound (Ive travelled across America by Greyhound myself and the weird passengers on those buses are spot on). I laughed out loud several times while reading. Its a love story, its a coming of age story, and its, quite simply, a really good story. If youre a fan of Adrian Tomine or Bryan Lee OMalleys Lost at Sea (with Shigas book, collectively known as the comics sub-genre Sensitive Asian Boys), or maybe youre just a fan of great comics, then Jason Shigas Empire State should be next on your reading list.