This is definitely not a light read. Somewhat like Jimmy Corrigan, in Santiago’s novel, we have a troubled man who’s looking or hoping for something else in life, while struggling with issues like love, work, social life, etc. “In My Darkest Hour” is definitely a true-to-life story, as many people can probably relate to one or many of the issues Omar deals with in the novel. How many of us has been depressed over a job that seems to be nothing but stress and hassle, while reaping us no rewards? How about feeling like we’re stuck in a place where we don’t want the responsibilities of adulthood, yet we know we have to be responsible for ourselves? These and other topics covered in the novel really can hit home for some readers. That being said, I can certainly understand why some people would find the novel too depressing, or not feel any sympathy for Omar. But as an outsider looking into the world of this character, it’s a lot easier to judge him and his decisions. When we’re going through these issues ourselves, we can always make reasons as to why we do things or choose certain directions. Those of us that have been there can probably relate a lot more to Omar. Those of us that haven’t had any of these experiences would probably find little sympathy for his character.

Along with the content, the artwork of “In My Darkest Hour” really struck me. I enjoyed looking at it artistically, whether or not Omar’s misery was in mind. I really liked how the characters were drawn rather simply, but the backgrounds were more intricate, blurry at times. The backgrounds are drawn realistically, and even feature photographic backdrops. I wonder if in making the backgrounds so defined and realistic, Santiago was showing the reader how concrete life can seem for Omar. Remembering McCloud’s text, the more defined the artwork, the less relatable to the reader. On the other end, the characters are drawn less realistically, and that could be an attempt to get the reader to relate to Omar, since the drawings are more abstract. While this may be a speculation on my part, either way, the artwork was really captivating and helped me swallow the misery of Omar’s character.

Respondents: Do you think that Santiago’s mixture of art styles (realistic backdrops, simply drawn characters) was intentional? Do you think he drew his comic this way in order for his readers to gain different interpretations from the background vs. the characters?