Roadsong Vol. 1

Teen musicians Monty and Simon don't like each other, but because their siblings are getting married, Simon figures that they should learn to get along. They form an uneasy truce just long enough to play a new song at the wedding, but just when it seems like they'll be able to go their separate ways, a bomb explodes, killing the rest of the wedding party. Simon, whose only family has just been killed, and Monty, whose wealthy father may have something to do with the explosion, go on the lam. Soon they've been accused of planting the bomb themselves and there's no turning back. To pay the bills, they form a band and start performing at strip clubs and hooker bars, all the while trying to find out who really ended the wedding with a bang. This issue is all setup, leaving the mystery to be solved later. Monty and Simon are a likable pair, though the long blocks of their song lyrics are insipid. The plot twists and turns, taking the boys unexpected places; the art has manga characters, but with sharper lines that harken to a more Western style. This book skirts the deeper resonance of a story of redemption and settles for being light entertainment. (Feb.)