My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Graphic Novel Mini Review)

Ellie is in her late teens and is in rehab. She goes to the group meetings, and on the surface it seems she is trying to follow the rules. But her thoughts and sticky fingers tell a different story.

Flashbacks show a childhood with a father in jail and a life with a drug-addict mother. Ellie’s reflections of her mother indicate both the depression of an abused kid and the glamorization of drugs. The music her parents loved connect her tangentially with the artists’ drug addictions.

She sneaks around the rehab center and makes a romantic connection with another one of the patients. And the reader searches for the real reason she has been committed. What motivates Ellie and what are her ultimate goals?

I loved the palette the artists used in this one. Purples, yellows, and light blues. It really juxtaposes the dark undercurrents of this story. Theft, drugs, lies, and manipulation. It’s one to mull over and allow to settle for awhile before your thoughts really start to flow. A very good modern drama that will surprise you.

Recommended.

Find it here from Image Comics.