"Shortcomings" by Adrian Tomine (Drawn & Quarterly, $20)
Ben Tanaka, the central character in this graphic novel for adults, is self-centered, judgmental and unpleasant. He suffers from self-esteem issues. He's an Asian-American with a thing for white girls. This obviously doesn't sit well with his live-in Asian-American girlfriend, Miko.
Long past trying to make it work, the two instead turn every conversation into an argument. Sometimes it's about his wandering eye. Sometimes it's about her nagging him about his wandering eye. They're in the proverbial bad place.
Page 19 sums it up nicely. Miko invites Ben to come to bed. He says he's not tired. She responds, "Well, we don't have to go to sleep right away." She's almost challenging. He tells her there are some DVDs he wants to check out. Ouch.
His only friend is Alice, a Korean-American lesbian. Their banter is worthy of a Judd Apatow film (Alice, at school for her doctorate, says her goal is to "at least make out with a hundred girls by the time I get my Ph.D."). But the profane Alice shows profound insight into Ben. She constantly calls him on his contradictions. She seems to be the only one who sees sweetness beneath the bitter exterior.
When Miko leaves San Francisco for an internship in New York City, Ben pursues other women. When that doesn't satisfy, he starts obsessing about Miko, who is not returning his calls. This leads him to a fateful trip to the East Coast. While "Shortcomings" has points to make about the modern male, racial hang-ups and romance, Tomine never sacrifices story for message. That's to his credit and the reader's pleasure.
Kevin Walker writes for the Tribune and TBO.com
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