I've mentioned before that growing up I loved Emily the Strange and all the merch at Hottopic. Nowadays it’s a little harder to find her signature eyes and cats patched on backpacks so I'm really happy that the franchise is continuing the comic series. If you were a fan of Emily the Strange novels then Emily and the Strangers: Breaking the Record is a great way to transition into comics. Breaking the Record starts us off with a new arc but it is a continuation from Battle of the Bands. Emily won a song contest which obligated her to work with other people. Emily is more of the "doesn’t play well with others" type, that creates a conflict but things turned out alright. It didn't feel like this was written for a specific audience that would have a whole lotta prior knowledge on Emily's character, so if you're just catching on Breaking the Record is a good place to start.
Anyway, now the band has to overcome even more obstacles that may tear them apart. For them to get this awesome record deal they have to sign a lengthy contract and Emily has a bad feeling about it. It seems that Emily's default emotion is irritable but without her suspicions the band may fall into the wrong hands. At times it may seem hard to like her, but it’s exactly what I find appealing about her. She has a "take no shit" mentality and this kind of "I don't owe anyone a pleasant disposition." This contract comes with some questionable perks and it seems the stray cats around town are trying to warn them. I dig that, I wish all the cats would follow me around trying to warn me about upcoming dangers.
I love this series, it has this punk whimsical vibe and the artwork is so cute. The scenes flow so well together with how Cat Farris layers the background patterns. Everything about this comic screams creepy cute and I want to hang all the pages on my wall or use it as inspiration for a new wardrobe.
Score: 4/5
Writers: Rob Reger and Mariah Huehner Artist: Cat Farris Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 6/25/14 Format: Mini-Series, Print/Digital