My Dead Girlfriend, v.1

by Eric Wight
Published by Tokyopop



Slugline: Finney Black, doomed to die bizarrely, finds out his girlfriend is a ghost.

Eric Wight comes with a creative pedigree longer than his arm and this book is covered with endorsements from people whose work I've enjoyed, so I expected good times from Girlfriend.

Um. Yeah. This is awkward.

We're introduced to Finney, a 10-to-12-year-old (or is he younger?) scion of a family noted for bizarre deaths. He's persecuted by most everybody at his monster-themed school. He has one lovely day with a girl at a carnival. Turns out she died soon after and still wants to be friends. Good thing she has ghostly superpowers because he's in trouble with the local bullies.

Did I just spoil it? Trust me, this book is so chained to the Misfit Template that only a newbie would be surprised by any of these plot points. It's all presented with standard-issue snarking and pranks. The only distinctive point is Mr. Wight's artwork, which is completely his own and deserves better than this.

And the pseudo-sexual-ghostzap she gave him toward the end pushes more of the wrong buttons the more I think about it. I have no idea what plot plans there are beyond beating up on bullies, in v.2, but I can't say I'm eager to find out.



My Dead Girlfriend is available from Right Stuf, Intl., an online retailer specializing in anime and manga.

- Miranda