Trillium #4 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (story & art), José Villarrubia (colors)

The Story: Who says you can’t be in two places at once?

The Review: Anytime you undertake the writing of a self-proclaimed love story, you set yourself up for certain expectations, not the least of which being genuine chemistry between the ostensible lovers.  Without it, the supposed romance fizzles and there’s no longer a story to tell.  Love stories are thus most vulnerable to forces beyond the writer’s control.  You can put in all the meet-cutes and sappy moments you want, but that doesn’t guarantee love, convincing or true.

That’s a big hurdle Trillium has to get over, and it’s one that it has to continue passing for long-term success.  While Nika and William’s first meeting had a lot of sweetness in their sincere attempts to communicate without a common language, Lemire either didn’t have time or was unwilling to let the gentle bloom of this romance grow.  Instead, he took a shortcut in #2 to allow Nika and William instant insight into each other’s lives, cutting out a whole area of conventional romantic development.