Page 45 Review by Stephen
"Sigh. You know I like you…"
"Whoa! No good sentence ever started like that. Don't say but."
"…But."
"Aargh!"
It's New Year's Eve 2000, and young quitter Vincent is having a very bad day: four hours sleep, a freezing flat, a shower that refused to heat up and he's late for a shift selling tickets at the Odeon which he swapped with co-worker Andrew. Still, at least that means Andrew will cover for him later so Vince can meet up with his girlfriend. Wrong! Andrew has just pulled a sickie, effectively pulling the rug from under young Vincent who'll now have to work a double shift, miss his date and - Oh wait, unless he quits. You know, just like he quit his Philosophy course at university where he first met his girlfriend Jane. But as far as Jane is concerned this latest quit is one quit too many: it's time to call it quits. New Year's Eve 2000: what a total pisser!
Which reminds me - roaming the streets of Manchester after storming off in a huff (and typically forgetting his jacket) - Vince is in need of a piss. Oh, look, a dark alley! Did I mention this is a vampire comic yet? With its feet set firmly on the Mancunian ground it's like none other you've ever seen before, with a tremendously funny final-page spread.
What a brilliant surprise! I've loved Cadwell's THE EVERYDAY entries for ages (three issues, all in stock), and his NELSON pages did not disappoint, but this is a revelation. Right up there with Paul Grist, its lines are absolutely delicious, its spot-blacks are placed to perfection, the scene-cutting's note-perfect, while the choreography… There's a single stand-out freeze-frame panel towards the end of Vince in mid-air, going down for the count (not as rude as it sounds - sorry, Yaoi fans), which is magnificently weightless, every single line of his belt-loosened jeans a joy. Vince himself is a chipmunk: adorably cute, exasperatingly idiotic and very, very familiar.
This is a writer and artist relaxed, having fun, and it shows. Exposition-free, he's in total control: lots of great visual gags, superb gesticulation on the dance floor, top-notch timing, plenty of room for layout surprises and this, Adam Cadwell, is your key to the city. The cover's a killer as well.
