Review: 'My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies'

Point blank, Ed Brubaker’s original graphic novel delivers. Ed has a talent bringing out the beauty in characters no matter how damaged or dark their background is (see Kill or Be Killed for another example). When I finished the book it made me think more of how layered Ed wrote the main character Ellie, and how the common view with most people these days when they hear about addicts or people who pass from addiction have comments like "they’re just a junkie.” Or when an addict passes we hear from some people say, “He/she wanted to die," "Why should we care?” or "That’s what he/she gets.” I think, personally, in today’s world there isn’t much sympathy, empathy or compassion when it comes to hearing about a story of addiction—whether it’s a homeless person on the street or a multi-millionaire musician who overdosed. In Brubakers, My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies he puts all three of those words perfectly in this story. It’s a story about venerability in a perspective most of us don’t know about. The book hit me on a personal level with family members and coincidentally with my taste in music also which Ellie talks about in the book beautifully. (Don’t want to type about that and give too much of the story out)

My only problem I had with the book was that it was too short. Sounds stupid right? Let me explain. This is why I’m a fan of Ed Brubaker’s writing so much. He never milks none of his books with a part 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7—not that there’s anything wrong with the writers who have long on going stories. Once this particular story was finished I felt as if I got done watching a film with an ending so revealing you wanted to know more, but at the end of the day you know you’re not getting a sequel because stories like this weren’t made for you to wait for the next installment. They’re meant for you to sit and think on what you watched or read. Analyze the lesson that it was trying to teach. Or simply just make you gawk with your mouth open and think OH MY GOSH?! That really just happened?! I say this now, but if Ed gives us a sequel to this story I will not be mad. For my movie buffs, the best way of explaining my feeling after completing this story was when I got done watching Christian Bale in The Machinist.

Another reason for me liking this book was the artist. Sean Philips had an awesome way of complementing Ed’s words while reading the story. Going back to Christian Bale in The Machinist for a little bit. Ed’s storytelling and Sean’s art worked well together the way the machinist was filmed. Camera lighting wise with the script and actors. There’s a part where Ellie is on the run with a friend and they’re in a haze of being high on drugs and adrenaline, you can feel the environment and the characters sense of impending danger. Also at that point in the book I’m already well invested in the story. It’s like what I said though the artist and writer work well together. On a previous story Kill or Be Killed (check it out). They both worked together and comparing the two, Sean does well in setting a different ambiance from that story. I almost forgot this is the same team!

In conclusion if you’re into drama, high stake situations and twists, or something different than your typical super hero book. I highly recommend that you guys check this out!

If you want more from Brubaker and Philips check out Kill or Be Killed. A movie will be coming out based on this book. Read up and get caught up before the flick!