章節 181: Spotlight#191: The Avant-Guards
Have you ever wanted just to see some niggas ball? If so, you'll get a kick out of Boom Studios: The Avant-Guards by Carly Udsin and Noah Hayes. Let's end off Pride Month 2024 with a cluster of LGBT+ spotlights.
Summary
Charlie Bravo came to Georgia O'Keeffe College of Arts and Subtle Dramatics hoping to disappear. After years of being bogged down by her sister and her previous sports teams, Charlie wanted to focus on her film foremost. However, when a desperate ball from Olivia Bates enters her court, Charlie is left with an important choice.
Be a part of O'Keeffe's fledgling basketball team and circuit, or still be on the benches. At first, Charlie is content with the latter, but after careful pushes from her future teammates, Charlie decides to join Olivia's Avant-Guards! This decision will give her more than she ever bargained for.
Characters
Charlie: Our main character, Charlie, is very standoffish, introverted, and socially anxious. After years of dealing with bad teams, panic attacks, and her overachieving sister, Charlie distrusts teams. However, her disposition changes when she is introduced to the AVant-Guards.
Oliva: The Merriam-Webster definition of an overachiever Olivaia is a woman with endless enthusiasm, energy, and resources. Through that, Oliva made the Avant-Guards and the basketball league they play in now. She's someone who is always laser-focused on her goals. However, this high ambition and expectation can be a double-edged sword, leading her to be overdramatic, controlling, and coming to conclusions. Traits don't help when she's crushing hard on Charlie.
Jay: The strong, silent type; Jay is a masterful artist who often hides her talent and troubles from most people. She's arguably a bigger introvert than Charlie but is far more serene about her place in life with both her career and girlfriend.
Nicole: The most sardonic and sarcastic team member, Nicole has gone through a couple of transitions in life and her future career as she balances her passion for comedy with her waning interest in music.
Tiffany: The most eccentric of the team, Tiffany is calm but theatrically thrill-seeking about all things paranormal. Whether it be through crystals, predictions, aura readings, or other means, TIffany is always willing to help the team.
Ashley: A passionate singer, Ashley always loves to pe's, which also means she's never one to slow down when things get dramatic.
Overview
The Avant-Guards is a story I have a little history with. During the coronavirus, Haikyuu put on the sports comics train for life, and while I was visiting various colleges for a bit, I stumbled upon the Avant-Guards. Outside of Power Rangers, I had yet to see many comics promoted from the studio, so I gave them a fair shake. I read through all three volumes across 20 issues pretty fast and never really took the time to analyze it again.
That changes now. While unfamiliar with Carly Udsin's work, I find her highly decorated. From movies, TV, and comics, Udsin has filled her work with a comedic wit that is very present within the comic. She is also an alum of Universal's Directors Initiative, AFI's DWW+, Women in Film's Directing Fellowship, was a semi-finalist for the 2022 Commercial Directors Diversity Program, and even supported campaigns from RuPaul's Drag Race.
Reading Avant-Guards, I see where her experience shines through. While I wish we got to see more from the girls, notably Jay and Tiffany, who don't get much screen time, it's hard not to still fall in love with the characters. Since most of the story is spent off the court, the book dedicates much time to building up the girls' lives, interests, and relationships.
Through it, we meet a group with vastly different backgrounds, yet we never really need to question why they're together when they are this supportive of one another. As a college student, I find this book somewhat uncomfortable, given how my college experience has changed.
Still, this book is light-hearted and happy. Noah Hayes helps out by giving the book a comprehensive set of fun character designs and exaggerated expressions through easy shapes. My favorite gag in the series is that each enemy basketball team has exaggerated personalities depending on their school (the tech team being called the selfies, for example). All of these, I think, will help Avant-Guards stand the test of time pretty well. And if not, then that is the theme.
In a world where we are trying to pull ourselves apart even more now, realizing how teamwork makes the dream work feels even more critical. Through Charlie's personality, we see rather quickly how important having a team that loves you is. We can all only do so much, but together, we can make this wild world more bearable.
Epilogue
Overall, Thee Avant-Guards is an essential book that deserves more love. It's a fun slice-of-life sports book that still occupies a unique niche for those wanting to scratch an itch. A part of me wishes it ran longer, but I'm also satisfied with where it ended. Regardless, when I see them again, I'll keep Carly Udsin, Noah Hayes, and Boom Studios under the spotlight. Till then, let's see where the light takes us next.
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