The New York Four by Brian Wood

At first glance you would think, who wants to read about four college freshmen and their lives in NYC?

But then again, this is Brian Wood, him of the DMZ, Northlanders and Local. So naturally I was curious when I spotted his name on this short comic book,,, wedged between several mangas.

The book, a comic, is called The New York Four. Beside Wood on the story, the artist is Ryan Kelly. It is a black and white comic of about 150 pages.

I would like this moment to declare myself avidly in favor of the earthier expression 'comic book' rather than the more posh sounding 'graphic novel'. I do not like the fact that the snooty literati are finding it more and more acceptable to talk about new story mediums such as graphic novels. I have always been a fan of the comic book and I do not want to lose it to the dark corridors of the English

Department, where stories go to die and be dissected in the process.

So, comic book it is.

The story follows four freshman undergraduates of NYU with one of them being the protagonist. Riley Wilder is a buttoned down Miss Goody Two Shoes who grew up in a Brooklyn Brownstone under the watchful gaze of a pair of very strict parents. She finds herself stifled and lonely and yet, having had no occasion to socialize with others in high school, finds it difficult to make friends. Shy and reserved, she is often mistaken for being rude and aloof. Riley has a sister, Angie who has gone AWOL their parents when Riley was ten. She lives in Manhattan and Riley reconnects with her. Angie tells her to enjoy her college experience and not bury herself entirely in the books.

Taking Angie's advice, Riley tries to befriend a trio of new friends, Merissa, Lona and Ren. They are all in the same classes and they cheerfully accept Riley into their group. As all of them were looking for jobs, Riley makes a suggestion that they go work for a test-prep company who pays rather well to have undergrads do focus groups on high school standardized tests. But there's a catch: GPA requirement is 3.8+ (a hurdle for Merissa) and they have to have bi-weekly psych evaluations.

Angie's boyfriend Frank suggests that the four friends could have an apartment of their own. Riley finds the idea appealing as do all her friends. She finds that spending time with Angie and Frank and her friends is making her open up to the world.

Soon Riley finds herself having an on-line relationship with with a man whose screen-name was sneakerfreak. This relationship quickly consumes Riley and soon her friendships with the other three and her relationship with Angie takes a bit of a nosedive. Who is this secret admirer and how is Riley to reconciler him with the rest of her life?

A easily flowing story, much more gripping than, say, Sex and the City. Brian Wood's treatment of undergraduate life in Manhattan has the authentic touch. I should mention here that the character sketches are rather well done and three dimensional. The bustle of the real New York, as lived by real New Yorkers is portrayed beautifully on every page.

A cool thing about the book is Wood's commentary. Often he would insert three or four lines about the places portrayed in the story and write his own commentary about the them, based on his own experience. These are called NY 101 and are no-nonsense guides to the under appreciated nooks and crannies of the city.

Overall, I think any fans of comic book novels should give this a try. The art is wonderful, the story has pathos and all together they portray the picture of undergrad life in NYC rather well. Not for those who like super-hero stuff. This is a character based story where emotion and drama are the main players. Admittedly there is a plot twist but you would expect it in a Brian Wood story: nothing is simple and thats how he likes it. That's how I like it too.