Duck

The cover of Duck

Friendship is a defining attribute of the gay community. When so many of us are rejected by our families—even now, at a time of great acceptance—it is important to find people upon whom we can rely in ways that cannot be found elsewhere in society. Even for gay people for whom family can be a refuge, friendships are what can matter most; we know that few people will understand us like other gay people. Such philosophical musings are the most immediate result of reading Duck by JT (Tana) Ford, an original graphic novel that hides a surprising amount of poignancy in its slim number of pages.

Beginning in Boston and ending in New Mexico, the plot involves a road trip to bail out the titular character’s brother from jail. However it is constructed, though, the story is little more than an excuse to hang out with Duck and Cat, the lesbian friends on the ostensible road trip. Their relationship is real, authentic, and full of genuine emotion. The reader begins as a willing voyeur, becomes a third wheel privy to disagreements and confessions, and ends as a fellow confidante wanting to spend more time with these characters. This book is a pleasure and a delight to read.

The artwork is a perfect complement, and that this was Ms. Ford’s first graphic novel is all the more impressive. Her expressive faces and lanky character designs help make the central couple of friends relatable, enhancing the lived-in dialogue. The qualities of of Ms. Ford’s work that make Marvel’s Silk such a joy to look at are brought to bear on the real world in Duck and don’t seem out of place, while making it evident that she is a perfect fit for the Spider-verse.

According to an interview with the Advocate last year, Ms. Ford created Duck because she “wanted to see an accurate reflection of [her] experience someplace,” and that sense of personal affection comes across almost palpably. The dynamic between old friends, though unique to Ms. Ford’s vision and her characters, is part of what grants the story such universal appeal. Duck was the winner of Prism Comics’ Queer Press Grant of 2010. The third volume was successfully funded via Kickstarter last year. Duck is available for purchase at Northwest Press and comiXology.