[review] [ZUM!] Gone

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Gone
Review by Pete Dore=E9

'GONE' is a real treat. A beautifully produced 84=20
page book with excellent design and story. The=20
front & back covers are superb, giving the whole=20
thing a real look of class.
It's about a girl who catches her boyfriend in=20
bed with his ex, and through a time travelling=20
wristwatch, goes back through his life=20
(repeatedly) trying to change events in his past,=20
so that he'll turn out to be a better boyfriend=20
in the future. Temporal paradoxes abound, and=20
Nigel takes the opportunity to exploit every=20
possible outcome such meddling would result in=20
(and then some!) until the only possible ending=20
clears things up once and for all (possibly...)
It's funny, warm hearted, fast moving, and very=20
clever. The ultimate 'girl who wants to change=20
her man' story, and almost a small press answer=20
to 'Donnie Darko' , of which Nigel's obviously a=20
fan. It's also nice to see a male artist writing=20
about a strong female character.
The bigfoot style art is sometimes at odds with=20
the story, but, on reflection, a more realistic=20
style may not have worked as well. Visually, the=20
characters are appealing, with their almost=20
manga-like faces, and overall design and page=20
layout is excellent, but the overall finish is=20
not what it could be, and some pages feel rushed.
There is a back up strip: '9 pages about Time=20
Travel' (which in keeping with the theme is=20
actually ten pages), which is also very good, but=20
it isn't actually needed, as 'Gone' itself is=20
good enough to stand alone, and doesn't need a=20
back up.
I have to say the cover price is a bit excessive,=20
and may put people off, but as 'Gone' is so good,=20
I still recommend it wholeheartedly. Excellent.

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http://www.zumcomics.info/g/gone.html