Alphonse

Alphonse is the story of eight lives that intersect because of an attempted abortion. Why “attempted?” Because while there are no angels or demons on either side, there is definitely a monster in the middle: Alphonse.

Rendered “grotesquely abnormal” by his unwitting mother’s use of controlled substances, he is both sentient and freakishly coordinated. He is also deeply wounded, twisted by fear and rage after the attempt on his life – and bent on revenge.

But violence begets violence. Alphonse is pursued even as he is pursuing, and haunted by the insistence of his only friend that there is another way…

Thus is the premise for Alphonse: Untimely Ripp’d, the first issue in a five-issue comic miniseries from writer Matthew Lickona and artist Chris Gugliotti. Matthew Lickona is known for his book “Swimming with Scapulars” and I must say I am impressed with the first issue of this graphic novel. Probably isn’t for everybody since it is kind of a firm noir graphic novel, but I found the story so far quite interesting and not what you would expect. Available at alphonsecomic.com