Usually I try to sit with the thing I’m reviewing before I dive into my thoughts about it. I let it simmer before I really poke or stir. FALL THROUGH by Nate Powell hit me where I live. It’s a book led by emotions and I’m following its lead. It made me think about standing in the freezing rain on a cold December evening in Rhode Island waiting for a band to emerge after their set. They were sick– it was cold and wet, and yet they stopped and shook hands graciously accepting our loud messages of love. It doesn’t matter who they were and it doesn’t matter who we were. Waiting in the rain doesn’t make sense especially how poorly dressed I was. Nothing mattered there in that space. I don’t remember anything I said or anything they said. I remember being cold and I remember being warmed by the magical connection. This is in essence what FALL THROUGH is: the magical connection of music.
FALL THROUGH, like some of my favorite bands, is not perfect. There are flaws but those things don’t matter because Powell’s passion more than makes up for it. The book is beautiful and brought me to tears several times over because IT SEES ME AND I SEE IT. Like that cold rainy December night where I shook hands with people I looked up to who were actually shorter than I am.
Powell’s cartooning is incredibly strong and I can sum it all up at once. When the band in the story wrote their song and played it for the first time, I got goosebumps. It’s a moment that transcends above the static images of a comic and somehow the drop shadows create the song in my mind.
Music in comics is not a new thing nor is music as magic but this feels so different. It’s so specific and detailed. I was taken away by it and especially in the beginning, the book felt like it opened itself up and I fell through. Part of that is the honest poetry of Powell’s writing, it’s not verbose and maybe it’s not even well written. I am not sure if I even believe in the concept of a thing being well written. We are talking about magic and music. Songs and lyrics don’t have to be well written to create an emotional bond. Powell sums it up perfectly on page 59 in two captions that may as well be tattooed on my mind: “Hooked by the second line, I was married to yet another band.” I read these words and cried. Tears streamed down my face. I know this feeling all too well and Powell sums it up perfectly and profoundly.
FALL THROUGH is filled with moments that lift themselves off of the page and fling themselves straight through your heart. There’s a depth to this book that feels rare and it speaks to the intimacy of Powell’s past life as a musician. I wish this kind of sincerity was more common.
At nearly 200 pages, I found it to be a little too long and I’m not sure I followed the plot well. I often felt lost and I’m not even convinced feeling lost throughout this book is a flaw. I don’t care if a band has a singer who can’t carry a tune. If you can convince me of your passion then I’m in and Powell does that in spades. This is a book made by a music lover for music lovers and I absolutely loved it!
