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| The cover of Potential |
The high school chronicles of Ariel Schrag previously
covered at this blog continued with Potential,
which focuses on her junior year at Berkeley High School. Originally published by Slave Labor Graphics, it was republished in 2008. Longer than the
comics focused on her freshman and sophomore years combined, this volume
benefits from an increased scope and more experimentation in the artwork. A
great deal of depth and exploration is added to the characters’ psychology as
they deal with ongoing traumas and a burgeoning understanding of their own selves.
Ariel as narrator addresses the reader and grasps panel borders. A more
realistic art style is employed for dream sequences. The popularity of Awkward and Definition is an early
conversation point and characters discuss what it’s like to be in a comic book.
