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A review by jekutree
Hot Comb by Ebony Flowers
3.0
Hot Comb is the first published collection of short stories by Ebony Flowers. Though it’s a bit obvious at times that it’s her debut into the world of comics, I’d consider this a pretty strong debut. A few of the stories in here were really really good.
The short stories in Hot Comb are all centered around hair, particularly black hair. Flowers details her own insecurity with her hair growing up and in more than a few of the stories, people that don’t understand black people’s hair invading personal space. The story about her sister was actually my favorite of the bunch. It shows how her teammates on her softball team (all white) giving her a weirdly large amount of attention to her hair. Whether it be commenting about it or touching it without her consent. This leads her to develop some emotional problems and Flowers does a really good job conveying how she was feeling.
I think Ebony’s art has a really cool style to it and just by reading this it’s obvious she has a natural grasp on the medium of comics. Some of her page layouts are really impressive, she does a few things that some industry veterans don’t have the creative chops to do. Though her art might not be as detailed or traditional as her contemporaries, it’s does a fantastic job fitting the tone of the stories she’s telling.
Though I do think this was a good read, I did have a few criticisms. I felt that the lettering at times was a tad confusing. A few awkward bubble or narration placements on the page made me question where to read next. Also, a few of the stories like “Sisters and Daughters” and “Big Ma” were a tad underdeveloped and could’ve been explored more. But other than that, 100% a worthwhile read. I think Ebony Flowers does a good job conveying the black experience to someone like me, I’m pretty much the opposite demographic for this book (white guy). I’m very happy to support Ebony with her future releases, I’m very very confident that she has the potential to release some classic material. She’s a fresh new voice and I can’t wait to see what’s next.
7.5/10
The short stories in Hot Comb are all centered around hair, particularly black hair. Flowers details her own insecurity with her hair growing up and in more than a few of the stories, people that don’t understand black people’s hair invading personal space. The story about her sister was actually my favorite of the bunch. It shows how her teammates on her softball team (all white) giving her a weirdly large amount of attention to her hair. Whether it be commenting about it or touching it without her consent. This leads her to develop some emotional problems and Flowers does a really good job conveying how she was feeling.
I think Ebony’s art has a really cool style to it and just by reading this it’s obvious she has a natural grasp on the medium of comics. Some of her page layouts are really impressive, she does a few things that some industry veterans don’t have the creative chops to do. Though her art might not be as detailed or traditional as her contemporaries, it’s does a fantastic job fitting the tone of the stories she’s telling.
Though I do think this was a good read, I did have a few criticisms. I felt that the lettering at times was a tad confusing. A few awkward bubble or narration placements on the page made me question where to read next. Also, a few of the stories like “Sisters and Daughters” and “Big Ma” were a tad underdeveloped and could’ve been explored more. But other than that, 100% a worthwhile read. I think Ebony Flowers does a good job conveying the black experience to someone like me, I’m pretty much the opposite demographic for this book (white guy). I’m very happy to support Ebony with her future releases, I’m very very confident that she has the potential to release some classic material. She’s a fresh new voice and I can’t wait to see what’s next.
7.5/10