Gillen describes Phonogram—in his pointless, self-indulgent essay at the end—as “modern fantasy.” Meaning, presumably, there really are ghosts of people who aren’t supposed to be dead and the protagonist is really haunted by an ex-girlfriend who’s become “the goddess.” She possesses people and sends him on missions. It’s kind of like a lamer Sixth Sense, mixed with that awful movie Human Traffic.
Phonogram is quickly becoming one of those comics I’m not sure why I’m reading. I don’t have anything nice to say about it. It’s trite and insincere. Gillen’s apparent attempt at sincerity—this ex-girlfriend who haunts the protagonist—is lame.
Maybe because it’s “modern fantasy.” I don’t think I’d ever heard the phrase before and it makes less sense than “hard sci-fi.” And “hard sci-fi” is at least funny.
Even McKelvie’s artwork is getting a little boring with these empty panels.
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