Beg the Question is a black
and white graphic novel about Rob, a skinny guy in his early twenties living in
Brooklyn. He works as a graphic artist,
mostly working on pornographic comics to make a living. He has no illusion that what he is doing is
art, and he wants to get more interesting work. He has a great relationship with his slightly older girlfriend,
Sylvia; the two of them lust after each other most of the time and spend a good
deal of time in bed. Rob also hangs out
with his male friends, who are an odd collection of alternative-types who have
known each other for a long time. Rob
and Sylvia also spend time with each other’s families, and enjoy the sometimes dubious
pleasures that New York City has to offer.
Over the 230 pages, we get to see the complexities of their lives and
various plotlines gradually develop.
Author and artist Bob Fingerman clearly draws on much of his own
experience for Beg the Question, and his characters are both believable
and funny. The artwork is energetic and
creative. The story really conveys a
sense of Brooklyn life in the 1990s, and helps to explain why so many people
have a love/hate relationship with the city.
While the plot is very much about everyday life, it is varied and
interesting. The dialog is especially
strong, with some excellent diatribes against all that is wrong with the
world. Rob is a likeable main
character, and one cannot help hoping that his marriage to Sylvia, which ends
the book, goes well. Recommended.

Link: Fantagraphic
Books

© 2003 Christian Perring. All rights reserved.

Christian Perring, Ph.D., is
Chair of the Philosophy Department at Dowling College, Long Island, and editor
of Metapsychology Online Review.
His main research is on philosophical issues in medicine, psychiatry and
psychology.

Categories: ArtAndPhotography, Fiction