My first initial thought of Ghost World was the lack of colour. The lack of colour is supported by the dark themes or topics that surround this comic. For example, I was extremely shocked when reading about the dialogues between Enid, John and Tom the ex Catholic priest. It was more astonishing that the author chose to implement the inappropriate picture of the computer-generated child, which further contributes to the dark themes of the comic. Other sensitive topics or references include incest, Nazis, KKK and murder. Throughout the comic, the dialogues draw attention to the unfiltered conversation between teenagers. The teenagers are portrayed as “big mouths” and demonstrate no hesitation when bringing up sensitive topics. I find that there are a lot of background conversation in this comic such as through television shows, songs, comedy skits and dialogue between the characters on random topics. I was contemplating whether it was important to really stress about the connotations behind the dialogue when Melorra first appears. I also found it humorous that when Rebecca asked Enid to name one guy that lived up to her standards, Enid replies: David Clowes, who is the name of the author. Enid and Rebecca seem to be apathetic towards politics. The gloominess of this comic is also illustrated through certain events that take place. For example, Enid receives a comment stating that her hair was all green. However, the actual colour is not shown in the comic. In this instance, the disconnection is depicted between Enid and the real world. The monochromatic blue throughout the whole text not only serves as a basis for the feeling of deterioration or lack of direction, but it also represents the colour of adolescence. Early in the reading, I predicted that the gloominess is only temporary and is only part of a stage in Enid and Rebecca’s life. I felt that one defining moment in their lives can instantly turn the narrative. However, I also realized that the monochromatic blue could also overlap into their future and thus, the sad nature and lack of fulfillment could also unfortunately continue to exist in the teenagers’ lives.
Birth of the Superhero 