ReviewLonging for human connection in LISA's 'Alter Ego'

From left, Kiki, Roxi, Speedi, Sunni and Vixi, the five main characters of "Alter Ego" / Courtesy of LaLisa Comics

In the halogen glow of a sprawling metropolis, people find themselves increasingly isolated despite the technological advancements that are designed to help them connect. From quick one-person panels to faceless crowds, loneliness bleeds through the pages of LISA’s new comic book, “Alter Ego.”

"Alter Ego" by LISA / Courtesy of LaLisa Comics

“Alter Ego” is told as a loose comic anthology focusing on the stories of five friends — based on the five alter egos of LISA from the K-pop girl group BLAKCKPINK as presented in her album of the same name — living in the cyberpunk future of New Neon City. At the center of the five-woman team is Vixi, a spunky tech wiz on a mission to fix the city. Over the course of the plot, Vixi finds herself inextricably entangled in the lives of her four friends, providing them with the strength and courage needed to make peace with their lives.

The first half of the book centers around the quintet’s reunion and the harassment Vixi faces from a trio of generic cyberpunk goons. She disposes of the three goons quickly with the help of her friends, prompting the realization that she does not have to bear all of her problems alone. The plot then switches gears into an episodic coming-of-age story for each character, with Vixi as a recurring presence that guides them toward internal growth. Of the stories, Roxi’s chapter has the most realistic depiction of artistic burnout and accurately portrays the process of rediscovering one’s passion.

Roxi, left, and Vixi talk about their friendship in "Alter Ego." Courtesy of LaLisa Comics

For a story about the power of friendship, the dialogue pointedly glosses over large parts of the friends’ conversations. The quintet are nominally close, but with the exception of Vixi, they barely seem to acknowledge each other’s existence.

This reads less as a flaw than an honest reflection of modern life I have witnessed among my fellow members of Generation Z. The characters speak with the cadence of people who have forgotten emotional intimacy, and there a painful accuracy in how they declare the value of their friendship after conversations that amount to almost nothing.

That sense of shallowness extends to the narrrative itself. Relationships are asserted more often than they are truly developed, skimming through Sunni’s abusive household or Speedi’s passion for racing, or even Vixi’s experience with schoolyard bullying.

Then, there is the book’s genre. Cyberpunk is a subgenre under science fiction that often depicts a dystopian future featuring advanced technology juxtaposed with a low quality of life and rampant societal decay. High-rise buildings and hedonistic techno parties in crowded cities, pierced by a profound sense of isolation and a desire for genuine human connection — as a lifetime resident of Seoul, these elements are all too familiar.

“Alter Ego” is less a story than a prediction, one that seems to be inching toward becoming reality with every passing day. It captures the omnipresent dread I feel whenever I find myself drunk in a street lit with neon signs and lined with revelers, or the hollow feeling of blocking someone I used to love on social media and never contacting them again.

Real happiness, as the book points out, does not come when one of the characters wins a new toy at the arcade; it is the fun time she spent with her friends, and the warmth of the memories that remain. What matters in the end are those we choose to love, it seems to say.

Kiki from "Alter Ego"/ Courtesy of LaLisa Comics

“Alter Ego” is not without its flaws. Chapters collide into each other more than they flow, resulting in a disjointed reader experience. None of the five main characters are satisfyingly developed beyond a single trait and color palette, and are subject to rapid and unrewarding internal growth. The dialogue is stilted, expressions are stiff and the highly saturated palette comes off more tacky than vibrant.

That being said, as a writing and drawing enthusiast myself, I cannot bring myself to only be harsh towards another artist. Despite the unfriendly reader experience, I found myself ultimately left wanting more. I wondered if there was a backstory behind Speedi’s obsession for records, or what exactly was happening with Sunni’s family, or more of Vixi’s background that led to her fixation on remaining detached and independent.

There is a gem here, however rough it may be now. I hope LISA has the opportunity and time to refine her talents.

"Alter Ego" is available through dbbooks.co.kr.

Kim Young-moo is a Korea Times intern.