A review by jbeoin
Cry Wolf Girl by Ariel Slamet Ries

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Notes: animal attack, death of a parent, anxiety, ableism, seeing things that may or may not be there

I really like Ariel Ries's work, having read their two volumes of Witchy and followed their work on social for a while, and this was no exception! I honestly would love a huge collection of shorter pieces like these from them because as much as I liked Witchy, Ries shines extra bright in this short piece!

I love their use of color, and they used red in here in such a skilled way that gave you the sense of being overwhelmed by the anxiety the character feels without being overwhelmed visually yourself. And the character expressions and use of body language paired with an internal dialogue for most of the comic was just *chef's kiss*.

And oh man, I loved this particular exploration of anxiety!! So incredibly well done with both the story and the visuals. I love the message Ries conveys throughout and at the end, and I really loved the characters involved in sharing that message. I feel like that kind of messaging about anxiety isn't one I get to see often, and as an extremely anxious person myself, it was like cool water to a burning throat. This is a comic I will cherish and come back to time and again, for sure.