The sci-fi graphic novel Chronophage gets a little lost in its time manipulation story, but is worth a read thanks to its character focus.
While a popular trope in science-fiction, time manipulation can be a tricky concept to navigate. However, every so often a story either pulls it off cleanly or the story is compelling enough that readers can look past any confusion or plot holes. This is the case for Humanoid’s latest graphic novel, Chronophage, by writer Tim Seeley and artist Ilias Kyriazis. Their new graphic novel follows Chloe, a single mom struggling to balance work with her own dreams and the drama of her teenage daughter. After meeting a mysterious man, Heath, things start to look up, but it’s soon clear that it’s too good to be true. Chloe enters a world that blends horror and sci-fi together in a way that’s haunting and fascinating.
Chronophage could have followed any character, but Chloe is truly the best choice. Her complexities truly shine through, even in this one book. Readers see the struggles she has with her mother and daughter and understand the unconditional love between them all. The heart of this story is the humanity of these characters. We see Chloe’s dreams, regrets, and sacrifices on full display, making her a relatable character even when she is contemplating her worst fears.
The mother/daughter relationship in Chronophage is particularly captivating and far from one-dimensional. While it would be nice to see more of these two characters together, there is just enough to understand the drama and love shared between the two. Chronophage would not be the same story without Chloe and her daughter, Kai.
The story itself offers a unique take on time manipulation, one that blends in plenty of horror elements and blurs the lines between sci-fi and the supernatural. Early on, Chronophage is a bit rough and confusing, but those blurry parts make more sense once the whole picture is revealed. That and the love Chloe has for her daughter make Chronophage a great one-and-done story about the little moments of life — those we cherish, those we regret, and those we look forward to.
Chronophage would be nothing, however, without Kyriazis’ art. The expressions of his characters stand out, and he captures the wide range of emotions Chloe experiences, from rage and regret to lust and love. There is no question readers will know what these characters feel based on the art alone. Additionally, when the story leans more into the sci-fi elements, Kyriazis does not hold back. There is plenty of gore and body horror in Chronophage, which is in stark contrast to the more human scenes and encounters between Heath and Chloe. The horror elements become all the more shocking when coupled with the genuinely tender or hot moments between characters, though the art does not rely on the shock-value to land.
Kyriazis is at his best when he plays with the paneling itself. Since Chronophage deals with such a philosophical concept, things can get weird in the most compelling ways. Page layouts do not have to conform to a traditional setup, freeing Kyriazis to make unexpected and effective artistic decisions. These abstract moments prove that anything is possible in comics and that Chronophage was meant to be told as a graphic novel.
Chronophage has some confusing moments, and its conclusion has a bit too much telling instead of showing. It’s all worth it in the end, however, as even these seeming faults are oddly in tune with the graphic novel’s overarching message. Some of the pieces of Chronophage are beautiful and some are rough, but together they make a complicated and compelling story with plenty of heart in it — so much that a second reading is probably worth it to catch all the details.
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