A Second Chance at Sarah ( Ape Entertainment – Druckmann / Wong)

A newborn son, a dying wife, and an arcane talisman, that’s what Johnny stares at when he considers the demon’s deal – Johnny’s soul in exchange for a chance to save his wife (whose soul has just been collected.)  Johnny nods and instantly, he’s a teenager again, a child of the 90’s, and now he must relive a day from his youth. Johnny has the next twenty-four hours to befriend his future wife, uncover her secret past, and stop her from selling her soul to the demon.
As Johnny gets pulled into his wife’s hidden history, he starts questioning whether he can, or even should, put a stop to her supernatural deal.
From writer Neil Druckmann (co-writer of the award winning videogames: Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves) and acclaimed digital painter Joysuke Wong comes this gripping supernatural adventure about love, loss, and time-travel.
When is comes to comic publishers who specialize in creator owned indie comics and graphic novels, there is a short list of names that comes to mind.  The top of my list Ape Entertainment.  Sure, Dark Horse may tout themselves as the best of the independent publishers, but I just can’t put the Star Wars, Aliens, Predator, and Hellboy franchises in the same indie bag properties at Ape.  For one, I’ve never been so disappointed in an Ape comic that I toss it across the room swearing and asking why I dropped money on this steaming pile. I’m looking at you Star Wars comics.

A Second Chance at Sarah is a graphic novel that you place on your book shelf or coffee table.  It’s an emotional and compelling story that touches both teen and adult readers. This is one of those graphic novels you give to your friends who says they don’t read comic books.
As a husband and father, I think this book touched me on a very personal level.  Druckmann hits at the core of being a man when he really asks that question, “What would you do for your wife and child?”  Our main character, Johnny, is faced with this question and makes the choice that every good man would make.  Unfortunately, Johnny is dealing with a swindling demon (is there any other kind?) and is going to have a tough time to getting the job done. Druckmann is successful in drawing his reader in and making them feel for these characters almost instantly.  Johnny is fighting for his wife’s soul and his son’s future.  It didn’t matter what transgressions Johnny may have committed in the past, readers are automatically pulling for this guy to win. It’s rare that I feel so strongly for a character so early in a book.
An interesting twist on the story: Johnny is transported back to high school, his junior or senior year, where the bulk of this story takes place.  Not only does Johnny need to save his future wife, but he has to do it before he ever really knew her.  Re-writing his own courtship with Sarah, Johnny does what he can to keep his time-traveling a secret, but in the process almost blows the whole deal.  Some pretty big dramatic and intense moments are created here. One is due to the fact the Johnny and Sarah are very real people.  They very well could be the couple in the apartment across the hall, or the house across the street. The second is that there is a very real sense of urgency.  Johnny is working on borrowed time and throughout the story, the clock is ticking.
So it’s pretty obvious that I loved the story.  As for Joysuke Wong’s art….I loved that too! The painted style that Wong brings to the table is the perfect coupling to Druckmann’s story. Wong’s art has a slight manga style to it, but at the same time looks very real. One common complaint I’ve heard from people who don’t read comics is that the art is too cartoony and unrealistic.  Not the case here.  Sure there are moments who the anatomy is wrong, but I’ve seen worse out of Hollywood blockbuster CGI where they are going for realism.  Wong is able to stretch the realistic to make it work for her without her art breaking into your typical comic book fair.  Joysuke Wong has a firm grasp on the intricacies of visual story telling and I’m looking forward to much more work from her.
In a nutshell: You need to buy this book. It’s a top notch drama that hits at the core of love and what is means to be in love.
Grade: A+