"The Plain Janes" by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg.
© DC Comics
Mania Grade: B
Story by: Cecil Castellucci
Art by: Jim Rugg
Publisher: DC Comics
Rating: Teen
Price: $9.99
Buy it now!
Story by: Cecil Castellucci
Art by: Jim Rugg
Publisher: DC Comics
Rating: Teen
Price: $9.99
Buy it now!
The Plain Janes
By: Nadia OxfordReview Date: Tuesday, May 22, 2007
The Plain Janes, published by DC Comics, opens with a bomb going off near a sidewalk café. The cataclysmic event doesn't bestow ironic superpowers on the protagonist, Jane, but she's inspired to save mankind, nonetheless … from the cultural wasteland of suburbia.
Young adult author Cecil Castellucci helps kick off DC's new girl-centric line of graphic novels (referred to as "Minx") with the story of four misfit girls named Jane who inject life and art into their neighbourhood. The narrative reflects strong characters with solid motives, but there's a lingering sense that someone is trying too hard to impress their audience--and it's not immediately clear if DC, Castellucci or the Janes themselves are the culprit.
When terrorist attacks and threats darken Metro City, Jane's overprotective parents move to the suburbs and she begins to suffocate amongst the identical houses and yards. Her new high school is equally colourless, and when she's invited to hang out with the most popular girl in school, Jane declines and befriends the school rejects. The girls form a covert group called "P.L.A.I.N" ("People Loving Art In Neighbourhoods") and bond over town-sized acts of "artistic vandalism", such as wrapping up the town's memorial statues and mailboxes. Unsurprisingly, authority figures are already addled by the increasing instances of terrorist attacks in Metro City and view P.L.A.I.N. as an immediate threat that must be stopped.
The Plain Janes is unarguably a very cute and warm story, but the themes might not grip everyone. Although the reader is supposed to root for the Janes, it's the adults of the story who prove most intriguing. They're superstitious and paranoid--but given we live in times where an LED advertisement can literally bring downtown Boston to a halt, it's not a very exaggerated portrayal.
The story's lead admirably avoids certain character clichés by declining offers of popularity and specifically seeking out the company of the rejected Janes. Unfortunately, one overused plot point is exchanged for several others. The whitebread kids of suburbia evidently never had an original thought in their heads until P.L.A.I.N. opened their hearts and eyes by pouring dishwashing detergent into the town fountain. The zany acts of softcore rebellion inspire giddiness through the hallways of Buzz Aldrin High … excluding Cindy, the school's Queen Blonde. Unimpressed, she declares in a dramatic full-panel close-up, "I don't love art in neighbourhoods. I love shopping."
The Plain Janes is still a strong start for the Minx line. If DC takes a page from Japan's josei manga and publishes stories outside the typical "girl" themes of school and fitting in, it will only get stronger. The Plain Janes retails for $9.99.
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