Potential

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.

The immediacy that distinguished those first two volumes remains, creating an intimate reading experience. As episodic as the narrative might be, we are not passive observers to events unfolding. We see the development of Ariel as a person, and of Ms. Schrag as an artist. She details her growing self-awareness with stunning clarity. There is more going on than quests for booze, drugs, or sex, though that does fuel a healthy dose of the characters’ motivations. The divorce of Ariel’s parents and her quest to lose her virginity before turning seventeen are major plot points and painful to read about at times, but Ms. Schrag’s unflinching and bracing honesty are part of what make her such a distinguished artist.

The word potential is often imposed on teenagers by adults who think they know better to direct them to reach for the stars and strive for lofty goals. It is inverted here to focus on the potential in Ariel’s personal life, especially between her and her first serious girlfriend, Sally. AP tests and graduations are referenced, and the entire penultimate chapter is devoted to the prom, but the focus is on personal development and relationship dynamics. The ending is bittersweet, but not forced; we are constantly aware that we are reading about real people and real events.

Potential was nominated for an Eisner award and should be found at any local comic shop. The Village Voice called it “mesmerizing.” It is available for purchase from the publisher, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.