Emily the Strange – Review of The 13th Hour #1
First Emily Comics Miniseries Heavy on Hipsterism, Light on Plot
Jul 26, 2009
Emily the Strange: The 13th Hour is the first full-length Emily the Strange adventure from Dark Horse Comics. Emily's development from clothing mascot to comics character has been progressing for almost twenty years, but based on The 13th Hour #1, it remains to be seen whether Emily has gone beyond a merchandising gimmick to become a memorable comics character in her own right.
The Origins of Emily the Strange
Before she was developed for comics, Emily the Strange began as a quasi-mascot for Cosmic Debris, a California-based clothing line founded by skateboarder Rob Reger and racecar driver Matt Reed. Emily appeared on promotional stickers, posters, and the like, beginning in 1991.
Since then, the popularity of the brand has grown from celebrity endorsements, and Emily has been developed further in short comics stories, graphic novellas, and even in young adult novels. A feature animated film is also in development, slated for release in 2010.
But the character has been controversial. Cosmic Debris has become caught up in a legal battle with the creators of Nate the Great and the Lost List, a 1978 children's book that features a girl, Rosamond, who is very similar to Emily. If the lawsuits (and counter-suits) go to trial, Emily may become the subject of one of a few famous comic book copyright cases.
Emily the Strange in The 13th Hour from Dark Horse Comics
Meanwhile, the first full-length Emily the Strange comic book story has appeared in Emily the Strange: The 13th Hour #1 (July 2009), from Dark Horse Comics. The series is written by Emily creator Rob Reger, and illustrated by Buzz Parker, and will run four issues.
In The 13th Hour, Emily awakens from an enjoyable nightmare – remember, she's strange – on the morning of her thirteenth birthday. After Emily's mother brings Emily her birthday gifts, she presents her with a locked box from Emily's Aunt Larue, whom Emily has never met. It turns out that Aunt Larue was in Emily's nightmare, and when Emily opens the box, she is led into a surreal world.
Buzz Parker's monochromatic art in The 13th Hour is appealing. Stylized modeling and clean, heavy line work evoke Emily and her home quite well, although things start looking muddled once Emily is drawn into the surreal fantasy world after Emily opens her Aunt's gift.
Rob Reger's script is less impressive. The pacing and transitions from scene to scene are clumsy, and Emily's dialogue is half exposition, half hipster posturing. She is not well developed as a character in The 13th Hour, feeling like a mash-up of Wednesday from The Addams Family and Alice from Alice in Wonderland, who nevertheless spouts tired surfer slang like "awesome" and "wicked-cool." Her "strangeness" is utterly conventional.
Is There Room for Emily the Strange to Grow Up?
While she may have come a long way from being a sticker on a skateboard, Emily the Strange still needs to develop further, if The 13th Hour is any indication.
The character is clearly marketed to pre-teen girls, and Cosmic Debris makes no secret of some of the predecessors of goth girls like Emily the Strange. Even so, more discerning readers will recognize too much of Emily's influences in her to find The 13th Hour or Emily herself particularly original.
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