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Reviewed by Dan Polley Ahmed Hoke’s “@Large” is the story of the streets. The story is set in Los Angeles and follows the lives a few friends, Rust, a graffiti artist; True Epic, a street MC; and Dope, who almost seems like a tag-along in this volume. The volume shows just how tough the mean streets of hip-hop can be, but it also shows the lighter side, the side that often isn’t addressed in media representations of hip-hop. Rust, True Epic and Dope simply go about their day-to-day lives and encounter characters who introduce drama in their lives. There’s Broke Rogers, a high-profile MC who thinks highly of himself. There’s also Skye, a blonde shorty who catches the eye of Rust. All the action centers around a gaming center named @Large. The plot seems to unfold a bit slowly in this volume. A couple of mysterious characters are introduced and speculation about them really doesn’t get going at all. Instead, those characters are left to future volumes. One of the more intriguing storylines is True Epic’s self-imposed feud with Broke Rogers. Also in the volume, Rust experiences the shadier side of hip-hop, the side that only comes out at night. But that’s OK, as Rust, True Epic and Dope are more than enough to entertain in the first volume. But the focus shifts off of Rust for too much of the volume even though he is the first character introduced. It would have been nice to see the plot revolve more centrally around one character. The art is simplistic, but full of heavy lines that give it a grittier feel. Yet at other times, softer, smaller lines are employed, which gives the volume a greater adaptability in its plot. “@Large” is a genuine tale of hip-hop that blends some aspects of manga well into a complete package. While some aspects are missing — a little bit more characterization and clearer focus would have been nice — the package comes across very clean and accessible. “@Large” is a great hip-hop tale. Comment on this review of @Large v1 on the Manga Life Forums. |
7 May 2008
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