I've always thought that self-expression is something intergral to a person's quality of life. Being able to say how you feel to those who you care about, without fear of judgement, is something I'd say the majority of Humanity desires. Ilias Kyriazis found a somewhat novel way to do this via his graphic novel "Falling for Lionheart." Through the guise of superheroes and indie comics, he found a way to explore some human truths that may just touch the majority of his readers.
The book revolves around Leo "Lionheart" Hartfield, member of the genetically modified, superhero-filled organization known as Squad, who enjoys making small indie comics on the side. His teammates are cliche'd meatheads and the only woman in Squad (who he is madly in love with) seems to not care about him in any capacity. He certainly seems all alone, until he meets Cassandra. She is a fan, and somewhat of an artist of, thoughtful indie comics and adores some of his sketches. From here begins what amounts to a painfuly adorable, yet cutting story of love and openess.
The part that struck me most is the fact that Leo's own comic makes up the physical pages of this book, adding to the overall sense of who Leo is and of his feelings. By doing this, Ilias really finds a way to endear Leo to the reader, juxtaposing the somewhat rough and punchy aesthetics of the main comic to the low-fi, two-tone aesthetics of Leo's own work. We see the inner thoughts to this misunderstood man, and this informs all other aspects of the story. Even more, if you visit http://letspretenditsnotmyheart.blogspot.com, you can actually SEE Leo's comic. That touch elevated this work to the top, for me.
Simply due to how well it articulates and explores the human desire to connect and be understood, as well as due to its artwork and inventiveness, I feel obligated to champion Kyriazis's "Falling for Lionheart." It's thoughtful, exciting, bursting with charm, and works like the best romantic comedies.
