Steady Beat, Volume 1: Volume 1

Ok, I'm not really goning to spend time telling you what this is about as several other people already have, what I will say is that this series is one of the few 'ameri-mangas' that I've actually liked on either an art level or a story level. As many people have said, the story starts a bit stiff and the characters are a bit typical but I'm hoping as Rivkah continues the work those things will improve. What I did like was that the story was actually a little different from the usual, of course time will tell if this holds up. What really drew me to the series initially, however, is the fact that Rivkah's art is actually fairly solid. Though there are a few weak points, over all her line work is solid, she has good layout, and her work maintains a consistancy. Her choice of poses tend to be good ones and she has a solid sense of perportion. While she still has some growing as an artist to do of all the RSoM artists I've paged through she's one of the few that I actually enjoy reading. I don't know a better way to describe it, to me it feels like the manga style is a fairly natural fit for her where as many American artists seem to have to force their styles into the manga form. This is likely why so many 'ameri-manga' artists fail. At least that's how I see it. I look forward to the next volume and hope to see that Rivkah's abilities have grown in the last year.

I wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I did. I'm more into the usual American comics, but I picked this one up because of a recommendation from a friend. The dialog and pacing starts out a little stiff, but once you get past the first chapter, reading's a breeze, and you can really see the writer/artist starting to come into her own. The art itself is gorgeous--it has the typical manga "big eyes" but it's still original in it's own right, and THE HAIR! (Rivkah draws really beautiful hair)--and I really enjoyed the artist's style of pacing and paneling. She takes multiple panels to linger on a moment, heightening emotion, and drawing the reader directly into the main character's head. It's a little difficult to judge a series off the first book alone. The first issue of "Steady Beat" does a great deal of setting up the characters and very little actual plot development, but it hints at what's ahead, setting up potential plot lines and twists. And taking so long to set up the characters, I really felt like I was in their heads, especially the main character, Leah. And I'm a guy! Especially for a first work, "Steady Beat" is a great book, and I'm really looking forward to where it goes from here. The gay sister interests me the most, and I hope Rivkah explores her head a bit in future volumes instead of always following from Leah's perspective. But even if she doesn't, it's still a great quick and emotional read at a girl growing up in a pretty conservative state (Texas) who has the internal battle of more modern perspectives.

I first stumbled across this book through my daughter; we're both manga fans, and she reads the artist's online journal. The premise is certainly fascinating. My brother is gay, and I was curious how "Steady Beat" would handle the coming out experience. Everybody reacts a little differently, and some simply don't react at all. How would Rivkah portray this experience not only through the gay character, but the straight ones as well? "Steady Beat" is stunning in its simplicity. There is a modern edge to the art I find extremely appealing, and I like that it isn't as cluttered as lot of other titles I've read. The characters are expressive but not overly so. The protagonist's internal monologue is punctuated with facial expressions that are original but still recognizable. And I LOVE all the hidden motifs like the "elephant in the room" reference for uncomfortable moments and the Texan (and American) cultural context of the story. However, what really jumped out to me about "Steady Beat" were the characters. They feel like real people--I found I could easily relate to the main character's thoughts and reactions to the situation--I remember a lot of the same confusion when my brother came out to me fifteen years ago, and found myself chuckling in recognition of her naivete. It's only a big deal when it's still a secret! So just ask her already! While Leah is in sharp contrast to her "perfect" older sister, Sarai, both obviously have similar doubts and ambitions. I especially enjoyed the love-hate relationship between the two sisters. It's obviously they love each other, but like all siblings, it's a love hidden by default. Of particular interest to me is the mother: she's a State Senator, and it's obvious this fact will be playing a pretty important role later in the series. But the creator for "Steady Beat" only lightly touches on this fact, hinting at a much deeper plot further down the line. Volume 1 feels more like an introductory story--establishing characters, setting, and theme--and setting up readers for a more fast-paced story. My only complaint with the book as that it is at times difficult to follow where someone is talking or thinking to themselves. In chapter four, dialog balloons are missing. However, this didn't detract from my overall enjoyment and of "Steady Beat". It's beautifully drawn, reads smooth and quick, and I felt drawn into a world I really want to see more of. It's a delicious tease that leaves me eagerly awaiting future volumes!

I can't claim to be an enthusiast of the form of Manga, but when a friend who plays in the field of lobbyist politics told me about this new graphic novel to come out, I wanted to take a look. It's not every day to find a treatment of sexual identity in what I initially thought of as "comics". I was pleasantly surprised. While the plot is simple in theory, and it does seem to be bald-faced in volume one, the author compensates by throwing the reader into the middle of dynamic situations from the first page, leaving you scrambling momentarily to figure out just where you are. You'll have to look carefully to catch all the subtle reactions flickering across the character's faces, the passing looks of annoyance or embarrassment. It's surprisingly easy to find yourself carried along with the text and miss some of the graphic element. I liked the body styles and exaggerations. It was almost like being in the characters head, while still standing as a viewer outside the frame. While some readers may prefer a constant outside viewpoint, reading through "Steady Beat" a third time still carries layers of communication between the character and the reader (and character to character) that reaches beyond the sometimes extreme contortions of shock the main character finds herself in. There's an obvious element to Rivkah's personality that transcends her art, evident in tiny asides throughout Steady Beat, visual metaphors and analogies, and unabashed vision. While this first effort from the writer/artist does show opportunities for growth, the fact is this is the beginning of a story that's sure to be riveting. There's soul here, real art. It's definitely earned a place on my shelf