Adrian Tomine’s Shortcomings

“[Adrian Tomine’s Shortcomings] ($10.17) takes just two leisurely hours to read, and at the end of it you will be glad you got to know Ben Tanaka and the other lost souls of his universe. Ben Tanaka is an anti-hero, weak and ineffectual, and the world of Shortcomings is anti-comic, absent of fantastic adventures and super powers. The three chapters trace the comings and goings (mostly goings) of Ben, his girlfriend Miko, and his friend Alice. Many of the events happen despite the resistance of Ben, and there is a quiet humor to his identifiable struggles as a 30-year old and an Asian-American. Like all literature, when it is done well, you don’t notice the seams. It captures choice moments, faces them with honesty, and weaves them into an effective narrative.” — Lily, 8Asians.com