THE HOMELESS CHANNEL
Written and Drawn by Matt Silady

TV producer Darcy Shaw has what she thinks is the idea of the century: a 24-hour network focusing on the homeless and issues confronting homelessness and poverty in our society. But getting the channel on the air is only half the battle; she’s going to have to contend with sponsors, network suits, her desire for some sense of intimacy and a life, as well as the fate of her own sister, who is mentally ill and part of the population on the streets. Darcy’s going to make a difference… but will it make any difference?

THE HOMELESS CHANNEL is a strong debut from Matt Silady, and gives him a pretty high standard to live up to for his next project. Darcy is a terrific character, complex, intelligent, and strong; we don’t see many like her in American comics these days. And her network suit/lover Grady is written as a fully realized character as well. Were this a Hollywood film, he’d likely be a underdeveloped cipher with an evil streak, but he actually is balanced in his caring for Darcy and in his actions to protect the network.

Silady’s art is heavily photo-referenced, which can get annoying, but for the most part it looks pretty solid. For a book called THE HOMELESS CHANNEL, a certain sense of reality and depth of image is required in order to give an accurate gravity to the goings on, and the photo-referenced art does so here. The book is also printed in the 6x9 format that’s become more popular among publishers lately, and that’s also a bonus- I prefer it to graphic novels printed at 7x10. The story does hit a couple of rough patches; Darcy has an encounter with a homeless man in the middle of the book that feels forced and “off” in a way that takes you out of the tale. But you can get back I neasy enough once you move past it.

In short: good book. Recommended.

Marc Mason