Royal City vol 2: Sonic Youth s/c back

"I start to feel really weird.
"I start to feel like the colour is being drained out of everything.
"I start to feel like I'm finally really all alone.
"That's when I hear someone out in the woods...
"That's when I find her. And for the first time I realise that maybe two people can be all alone together."

Royal City returns for a mesmerising second arc, transporting us back in time to 1993 to afford young Tommy the luxury of recounting the story of his last few months. The rest of the then teenage Pike brood are as individually and collectively dysfunctional as ever, I should add, though nowhere near as emotionally damaged and inept as their future shelves will become. Just typical, normal teenagers in other words.

As Tommy takes us through the events leading up to his untimely death, what struck me most was how utterly unsuspecting and therefore completely unprepared the family are for the tragic shattering event that is shortly to follow. Which is entirely understandable, particularly given that Tommy seems to be the one that all the others have the most affection for. His passing is going to leave a very big hole in all their lives.

Also absent is the mystery of the opening volume, in that Jeff chooses not to reveal a single iota more regarding precisely how it is that Tommy is acting as our narrator or how his grown up siblings can occasionally see him. Though... perhaps a sketch in Tommy's notebook following a doctor's appointment may reveal a clue of sorts in that respect. A CT scan shows something in Tommy's brain that the doctor finds puzzling and he's scheduled him for a follow-up with an out-of-town specialist.

I found Tommy's drawing, whilst being driven home by his mum - naively assuring him everything would be alright - tantalising for its content... Particularly whilst bearing in mind what his father begins to obsessively collect, something we see the very beginnings of here. Actually, now there's a scene which upon re-reading I do wonder whether there isn't a little more to it than first meets the eye. Hmm...

Much like everything he writes, Lemire here is all about the characters and their frequently excruciating interactions. ROYAL CITY is shaping up to be a fascinating character study of the individuals that nominally form this 'family', riven by the tragedy of the sudden erosion of their emotional centre.

For some of the Pikes, I have a degree of hope that they can finally overcome this loss and achieve happiness. For one in particular, though, I'm not sure that is ever going to be possible. But then I very much doubt Lemire would let everyone have a happy ending... I really don't think that's in his nature! As for the part Tommy will undoubtedly play in directing the course of his siblings' futures, or at least attempting to, for that, we will have to wait for volume three.