Flashbacks to Clara’s childhood and teen years show that some things never change.
What They Say:
Felicia Day is back with a one-shot spotlighting the Guild’s heart and soul–or at least its dirty mind–Clara!
A mother of three, or maybe five, Clara is the Knights of Good’s most irresponsible and hedonistic member. When Clara’s husband overhears her scheduling seventy-eight hours of game time, he hides the computer until she agrees to help him around the house, leading her to uncover a box of mementos from her past. What follows is a bizarre trip down memory lane for Clara. (From Dark Horse)
The Review:
If you know The Guild, then you know Clara. She’s a child at heart, eternally putting off responsibility so that she can live in the fun of the moment. She’s a wife and a mother, but it seems to be mostly accidental. Her insane parental antics make me feel better about the small slips and mistakes I make along the way. If you don’t already watch the Guild, there are some small glimpses of the game and her Guild family that should lure you into watching.
This endearing comic gives us a glimpse into Clara’s home and family life, as well as some funny flashbacks to her as a child and teen. When her husband takes away her “blinky thing” for her computer, along with her credit cards and keys, she’s forced to make an attempt to straighten up her house to earn her game time back. With her typical exaggeratedly bad parenting, she ignores her children bouncing on the bed with a compass and an open pair of scissors. Then she removes her son from a dry cleaner’s bag so that he doesn’t ruin her cashmere!
Clara’s attempt at cleaning leads her to gleefully retell old – mostly inappropriate- memories to her small children. We follow her on a trip to Paris with her grandparents when she was barely walking, and gain some valuable insight into her parenting style along the way. My favorite flashback involves watching her meet the juvenile delinquent date who takes her to the prom – the man who turns out to be her future husband. Seeing how much he changed over the years reinforces Clara’s endless childhood.
The art is light and fun, a perfect match for this comic. My very favorite panel shows Clara surrounded by her childhood toys. I spent several minutes searching through the piles and laughing as I recognized an assortment of Smurfs, a Care Bear, Rainbow Brite, and My Little Pony. Take some time to truly savor the detail in this page, as little gems abound.
In Summary:
This is a highly entertaining, funny romp with one of my favorite Guild characters. Many of the comics I’ve been reading lately are dark with doses of humor. This one, though, gave me an excuse to just laugh along with some crazy behavior. While we, as adults, can’t abandon responsibility with her zest and glee, we can certainly laugh along while she does!
Grade: A
