Track Rabbit #2-3
by Geoff Vasile
Turk St.

Perhaps it’s naivety to admit, but I didn’t know comics could be so perfectly vicious. Or that they could educate a person on being hip. Not Ghostworld-type outsider hip, but genuine cooler-than-you unflappable hip. The kind of hip that’s so far above hip because it’s already making fun of what you think is hip.

Geoff Vasile’s Track Rabbit comic books are insulting and shocking and incredibly fun to read. I’ll even dare to say that they are just what this self-publishing scene needs right now. He replaces self-reflection and sap with fast-paced, dynamic and original character-driven plots. It doesn’t sound like a new idea, but it’s hard to do, and Vasile has so finessed the process that Track Rabbit #2-3 seem to create a steady, exciting jolt of energy.

Track Rabbit #2 is about a boy named Wesley who lives at home, is mean to everyone, and is about to spend some time with friends at the only bar in town that doesn’t suck too much. One of his oldest friends is having a hard time with his health and some of his life choices, but that doesn’t stop Wesley from giving him a hard time anyway. Ah, friendship. In Track Rabbit #3 a pretentious boy named Will meets an inexperienced girl named Allison on the internet. One night of intimacy ensues between them before he gives her a reason to take some revenge.

Generally, these are very human stories about jerky self-righteous people with trite over-educated opinions who offer no apologies. His pet character Wesley drops names like it’s no hurt and he weaves sports, pop culture, modern style and swearing to create the kind of lifestyle image that takes the final word on what makes life worth living. That is, do whatever you can to get into trouble without hurting anybody. Also, get laid often.

The characters overall are incredibly unique from each other and play well together. It’s one of the comics’ greatest strengths that Vasile could draw a room full of people and seems to have the talent to bring any of them on as a full character with a ready-made personality. It lends credibility to everyone’s relative popularity and past, which makes the individuals feel more real.

The drawing is very consistent and Vasile even takes care to dress the characters appropriately and give most of them cool haircuts. The images are black and white only and it’s no chore for him to set the scene right, with just a hint of background if not a fully-rendered world in every panel.

The comics are about 30 pages each. Track Rabbit #3 has an ambitious 4-color silk-screened cover while Track Rabbit #2 uses 2 colors. They’re about $3-4 each and of the two I can’t state a preference. One’s just as good as another.

-Sarah Morean