Heartthrob Vol. 1: Never Going Back Again

Heartthrob #1

by Christopher Sebela, IV Robert Wilson (Illustrator), Nick Filardi (Illustrator)

Callie was born with a bad heart. After it ruined her life, she went looking for a miracle: a heart transplant. Now she s got a brand new heart, but she s still stuck with a crappy job, crappy boyfriend, and crappy prospects.
Enter Mercer, a mystery man who gets Callie s heart beating like crazy. As her behavior changes and their flirting deepens, Mercer reveals he s her heart donor. Only Callie can see, speak to, and touch him - and he s in love with her, a love she feels just as strongly.
A master thief when he died, Mercer offers to teach Callie his criminal ways and how to turn them against her old job and kick off a nationwide crime spree. Hunted by the FBI and popping heart meds to stay alive, Callie will find out that nothing s as scary as two people in love with nothing to lose."

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Fantasy, Crime, Historical Fiction

136 pages, Paperback

First published December 20, 2016

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fight Club meets Sex Criminals. The year is 1977. Callie has just gotten a heart transplant and her surgeon has given her 5 years to live. As her personality begins to change, she meets a guy she's really attracted to who happens to be her heart donor. Turns out he's a thief and shows her the ropes. Now she's running a crew and giving the money to charity.

Sebela ignores that her crew must think she's nuts. She talks to her imaginary boyfriend in front of them all the time. The dialogue isn't great. There wasn't enough there for everything to just click for me.

[Zedsdead · Rating 2 out of 5]

A heart transplant recipient falls in love with the manifestation/hallucination/ghost of her donor. Having spent her entire life on pause for health reasons, she decides to spend the five years her doctors give her robbing corporations and mobsters and donating the takes to charity.

So this just didn't work for me. First, it's an obvious Sex Criminals ripoff: a fresh young couple, high on each other and with a supernatural element about them, take up a life of crime, but it's okay because they're stealing from mean old banks and insurance giants and using the money for good causes, and then the honeymoon ends and the relationship starts to have problems. Yeah.

Then there's the bland, wooden dialogue: "I want you to take me out on a date." "Try and stop me."

And the fact that the author isn't paying attention to his own plot:

Bartender, right in front of Mercer: "Callie, I think you've had enough."
Mercer, moments later: "Callie, listen to me!"
Callie: "How did you know my name is Callie, you creep?? WAIT, ARE YOU MY DEAD HEART DONOR??"

I like the whole '70's aesthetic and I LOVE the cover, with its barely visible human heart (how do they DO that?) but the writing was just too amateurish for me to enjoy.

[Amanda [Novel Addiction] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes! This was so cool. I *need* more!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

crime sprees and effed-up relationships!? in the 70's? yes please!

picked this up when it caught my eye at the library and it was a fun one. I'm looking forward to the next in the series... the premise: girl takes a bet on a brand new procedure called a heart transplant to give herself 5 more years of actually living. Now she's living life to the fullest, or is that her new boyfriend - who happens to be a talented thief - who happens to be her heart donor - whom no one else can see - living life through her body?

[Lex Ophiuchus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diving into any Sebela work, I expect abundantly clever narrative and dialogue (and he never lets me down!). Even better: his protagonists. Every book I’ve read from him stars a genuinely badass woman. No, not the kind whose skimpy outfits are there to sell issues. Sebela writes authentic women who have complex stories to tell. And in every book, I have thoroughly enjoyed the lead. I’ll admit that this one didn’t interest me too much in the beginning, but that’s just because I’ve never been pulled in by romance or by the 1970s. With Sebela at the helm, I still enjoyed it. There aren’t too many ‘70s-themed crime dramas that have any relatable women involved, and this book actually stars one. I also love her brutal honesty about living a depressing half-life when you’re born with a critical health condition.

OKAY, SPOILER TIME BELOW

What really kicked this story into high gear was when the relationship took a turn for the toxic. I didn’t see that coming since the book is labeled “crime, romance.” I expected everything to turn out just peachy in the end. But no. We see a strong female lead have to wrestle with her feelings about whether her “true love” is there for her or just there to use her. It’s not often we get to see a woman struggle with romantic decay without the answer being “choose this other dude instead.” I started to love this book once I could hate the male lead with our protagonist and root for the relationship to end (especially since I never liked him). The fact that her feelings are validated by herself and other women rather than by another love interest makes this book uniquely intriguing. I hope to see more stories that explore a woman’s perspective of a toxic relationship and portray being single as a healthier alternative to settling for emotional abuse.

Cheers to Sebela for never letting me down.

[Anna Richland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd probably give this a 3.5, and I always believe that the star system should round up in that case. I loved the illustrations and the pacing, and the general idea. However, I had several points where I doubted the story, and the final heist confused me. Parts of the plot seemed to jump ahead of where I thought the progression was taking me, and I had to recalculate story time in my head. But I LOVED the way the heroine just said F-it to her old life and hit the road. It reminds me of Springsteen's Nebraska album, actually.

[Ryan Werner · Rating 2 out of 5]

A woman named Callie gets a heart transplant and ends up in a relationship with the criminal ghost of the donor. I remember a similar plot device with a heart transplant from that show Misfits, and the thievery elements reminded me of Sex Criminals. After an issue, I kind of had it in my head that this was something I'd already seen, nestled in a 70's backdrop.

The story itself is kind of fun--heists and a crew and the timebomb of early heart transplants!--but everything with the donor, Mercer, was a bit nonsensical. He's a projection from her mind that has to share her body, though the narrative seems to flip flop on whether or not he needs to be given permission or if he can do as he pleases. When they fuck or fight or simply dance or hold hands, is Callie actually touching anything? Does Mercer take up physical space? Early on, she swings a bat at him and it goes brought him. Later on, she punches him and it connects. I feel like the book has multiple instances of this sort of sloppiness.

The art reminds me of Archer a bit, thick outlines and richly-colored characters. The cover and a cursory glance at the pages is what made me pick this one up in the first place, but it doesn't hold up well under a close read. The backgrounds are often a throwback to that era in the 80's and 90's where it's just a splash of color. The hearty foreground is usually solid, but occasionally comes off a bit lumpy. When the focus zooms out and makes our objects of focus smaller, we end up with smudged details and some really abysmal panels.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Callie Boudreau has never had an easy life. Born with congenital heart failure, she's always been sick. When heart transplants become a thing (as this story takes place in the 1970's), she spends all of her time working, trying to earn money for the surgery. After the surgery, the doctors give her 5 years minimum.
Then she meets Mercer. This smooth, flirty con man quickly works his way deep into her heart.... literally. Her heart used to belong to Mercer, and now Callie is hallucinating him. These hallucinations go as far as to have them start a romance AND (more importantly to the story) he teaches her his skills as a thief.
Heists, robberies, world travel... Callie makes a name for herself and is on the run from the FBI and local police departments. When she is able to exit from a job without the help of Mercer, she starts to believe she no longer needs him and can do all these things on her own. As she goes to a deep sleep for the first time in a long time, Mercer watches from across the room, unbeknownst to her.
Excellent writing and characters. This idea is so unique! High recommend!

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of the reason I couldn't give this a higher rating was the insanity of some of the sequences in the book. Some of the capers really shouldn't have worked, as shown.
I did enjoy the brief Fleetwood Mac cameo, and the main character's conversation with Stevie Nicks, but it was pretty odd, considering they were robbing the band's concert venue.
The main weirdness of the book, which is the idea of Callie being "haunted" by the guy who ended up being the donor for her replacement heart, is something you just have to accept. Weirdly, that was easier to buy than the idea that she dropped off the medical grid so easily, that early in the transplant tech era. My understanding was that organ transplants that early on still needed lots of medical support, including ongoing treatment to prevent rejection of the transplant. So, her running off with her new life seemed a little weird.
Otherwise, though, the story was interesting, and the "haunting" part was very interesting, even if we didn't see some of what was going on when the "ghost" was in control.

[Rose Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now, okay, the concept of this is really interesting. I've heard of stories taking on different personality traits after transplants, but the idea of creating an entire construct out of the consciousness derived from the transplanted organ? Extremely interesting and honestly metal.

However, a couple things draw this graphic novel back. First of all, the art isn't my style personally. The yellow-beige and dark tones against the thicker lines just made things feel blocky and clunky. I could see someone really liking this and seeing that it was going for some kind of 70s saturation feel, and while I get it, I can't say it was my favorite. I think my second thing was the pacing. I almost feel like this graphic novel volume could have been two volumes, and we could have gotten more time with Otto and Scout.

Overall, this was a decent entry into the series. I'd probably wait until I got another issue of this, but t was a fine little read. Go check it out if you want.

[Wes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty tasty comic. It could have been so easy to just blow through the pages and mark it as done, but some comics make me take my time, slow down and enjoy them over a longer period of time. This was one of those.

In general, I love crime fiction and will give almost anything in that genre a try. I initially thought of this as crime fiction, but the more I think about it, the more I've come to realize that it's a love story dressed up like crime fiction.

This one struck me as a hidden gem. I've got a lot on my plate, but I'd like to get my hands on the next couple sets so that I can wrap up the story. I think this one can be enjoyed by far more than just crime fiction or love story fans. I think there are a lot of things here that can span various audiences.

In general, when approaching this, think True Romance. In a lot of ways, think True Romance. If that doesn't appeal to you, then skip it.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another heist comic, a genre that's become somewhat popular of late. This book offers one of the more realistic-feeling takes on the genre, as heart transplant patient Callie goes on a crime spree. Oh, there's fantasy too, in the form of the criminal donor living in her head. But, the historic setting (it's the late '70s) and the focus on multiple, carefully executed crimes keeps it down to earth.

Now the question is, is that successful? Heartthrob doesn't have the cleverness and humor of the The Fix, nor the humor and continuity of The Sinister Foes of Spider-Man. It doesn't have the wackiness of Sex Criminals nor the amazing big-picture storytelling of Criminal. Worse, it gets somewhat repetitive by the end.

The main character is interesting as is her supernatural experience, but as a whole, the book is fairly average.

[Marisa Carpico · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't end up like this as much as I'd expected—which is probably why it took me so long to finish. The art was decent, but something about it didn't quite work for me, perhaps the lack of variation in the characters' facial features. Everyone looks a little too alike. The narrative itself is interesting, but the actual construction is often confusing and the dramatic beats don't always land as they should.

[Carnegie-Stout Public Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

"This fast-paced story... has enough sex and violence that it is clearly an adult series. I enjoyed the 1970s setting, and Filardi's use of color worked well to capture the vintage mood."

Read the rest of Sarah's review on the library's blog: http://carnegiestout.blogspot.com/201...

[Abriana · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cool idea that didn't really go anywhere. It felt very formulaic once we laid out the situe and main characters. I did really like Callie as a protagonist, but this could have been so much more. Deeply philosophical, but without a clear cut plot to back that up. I don't think I'll continue with this.

[Orion · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic novel tells the story of a young woman born with a weak heart, leading a sheltered life and waiting for a heart transplant that will give her maybe five years of normal life at most before it too wears out. When she gets the transplant the donor's name and situation are kept secret but she begins to believe he was a master thief and his heart comes with more than just renewed health.

[Rob McMonigal · Rating 5 out of 5]

The start of an amazing trilogy of stories featuring Callie, a woman who gets an unusual upgrade when she gets heart surgery.

Wilson and Filardi are an amazing art team and combined with Sebela at his best, this remains one of my favorite of Chris's books.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sad girl gets a heart transplant and new lease on life leads to a life of crime with a very questionable boyfriend. Easy read that I finished in one sitting. Not sure that I liked this enough to want to check out any more from this storyline.

[Devon Munn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite an interesting book. The premise was quite enjoyable and original. Can't wait to see where this goes next

[Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really surprised how much I enjoyed this one ❤️

[RachelVogus]

Not for me.

[Maria ౨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.3⭐️

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the ridiculousness of this story. A young woman gets a heart transplant and then starts to see the man that the heart used to belong to. After years of playing things safe, she decides to let loose and go on a crime spree using the knowledge imparted to her by the organ donor.

So the concept is a bit out there, but the characters are really well done. Callie and Mercer are a good team, and made me think of Bonnie and Clyde a little bit. It's fun to see the toll their relationship takes on Callie over the course of the book, both physically and mentally. The supporting members of their crime family add some sanity to this crazy idea and even hint at the state of Callie's mind a few times.

I like the art. There isn't anything stand out about it, but it is solid work. There are a few instances where it really drives home some of the concepts used in the book. This is a fun, quirky book with a vibe similar to Ocean's Eleven or The Italian Job.

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

10 Reasons You Should Read Heartthrob, Vol. 1

1. Heartthrob, Vol. 1 tells the story of Callie Boudreau, who receives a new lease on life after receiving a heart transplant. However, she also receives some other side effects, mainly the spirit of her heart donor, Mercer. They fall in love, and he encourages her to break free of her dull and unhappy life. Mercer was a thief before he died, and he teaches Callie how to be a criminal. The couple travels the country, pulling jobs and planning heists, but fractures start to occur in their relationship as Callie gets more skilled than Mercer. I won't spoil anymore, but that brief summary is only a fraction of what happens in this volume.

2. The writer, Christopher Sebela, is adept at balancing the serious with the comical. Callie's pain and loneliness is never belittled or treated as a joke, but Sebela still manages to imbue her voice with humor and sarcasm. Some of the book is extremely campy, but it always feels grounded somehow by our main character.

3. Callie is a character that is both easy to sympathize with and hard to understand her motivations. She rationally knows that Mercer is not necessarily real, but she loves him anyway. She's willing to do whatever he says, follow him anywhere, but she also starts to gain confidence. Callie has a great character arc throughout the volume, and it makes the ending even more satisfying.

4. Part of what I like about this book and what you will like is the muted, campiness of the art style. It's not quite caricature, but it does have a great cartoony feel to it. The muted coloring, however, gives the story a grittier, real-life feel to the series. I also like that the characters, particularly Callie, are never particularly glamorized.

5. Setting the book in the 1970s leads to great opportunities in storytelling and humor. It makes everything feel a little more plausible such as the heists and the oddities of the aftermath of Callie's heart transplant. After all, what did we know about high-tech security or heart transplants in the 1970s?

6. Sebela keeps the plot line fresh by starting in the past and flashing forward to the future each issue, leaving the reader to wonder what has happened to reach the current point between Callie and Mercer.

7. Heartthrob, Vol. 1 combines crime and romances expertly with a deeply satisfying psychological and/or supernatural twist. It is a book that has some element that everyone can enjoy.

8. Occasionally, there is a great comedic moment. My favorite is Callie running out of a heist and landing in the dressing room of Stevie Nicks, with whom she has a heart-to-heart. It's very funny, but it's also extremely heartfelt.

9. The love story between Callie and Mercer is a complete whirlwind. Their relationship is passionate and high-stakes and complicated. You want to root for them, but at the same times you're always slightly suspicion of Mercer. I always felt like he was holding back.

10. The cover of this volume is everything the series is: cool, vintage, and rooted in the crime genre. If you don't look at the cover and want to read Heartthrob, I would be surprised.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is certainly different from most books I'm reading....

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woman with a bad heart gets a transplant, is haunted by the specter of the heart's former owner, learns from said specter how to rob people, and embarks on a Robin Hood-esque crime spree, all set to a soundtrack of Fleetwood Mac's Rumours.

Yeah, literally nothing is better than this book.

[Demi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, Y'ALL.

Look--HEARTTHROB is 100% my kind of book. For starters, Christopher Sebela & Robert Wilson IV are a fantastic team, and I adore them both. Plus, I know intimately what it's like to have in-depth conversations with an imaginary friend even when you're long past the age that stops being acceptable. (I was a lonely, inventive teen.) Also, I love Blondie, David Bowie, and Fleetwood Mac. So when you hand me a book that is a seventies-era, music-inspired, speculative fiction heist book, I'm so many kinds of here for it.

Plus, it's done incredibly well. Every part of this book is just damn good, and I can't wait for all of you to read it. You're going to read it, right?

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an unexpected gem. Everything from the art to the story to the link with the music of the 70s...absolute perfection.

[Demi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another knockout from my favorite writer in comics! HEARTTHROB has it all: heists, romance, ghosts, Fleetwood Mac--and that's just in the first issue. These five issues are the perfect arc for any Sebela or Wilson fan; the pace is lightning-quick and the reveals are totally unexpected. A wonderful afternoon read.

[Sarah S · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is weird. Parts are clever, parts are unclear to the point of confusion. I want to like it, but I'm not sure if I'll continue reading.

I wrote a longer review for the library's blog: http://carnegiestout.blogspot.com/201...