COMIC REVIEW
IN HIS UNIVERSE
Joanne wanted to confess her feelings to Noel, but he was a no-show at their meeting place. Assuming that Noel had rejected her, she entertained the idea of what if, in another universe, Noel showed up and heard what she had to say. Then, she suddenly finds herself transported back to the moment where she was about to confess her feelings to Noel.
I first caught a preview of the comic “In His Universe” on the now-defunct Penlab.ink. When Chocnut-san announced she would be selling copies at Komiket Iloilo 2022, I knew I had to get my hands on one. As soon as everyone finished setting up their booths, I made a beeline for hers.
I was so excited to finally get a copy! Chocnut-san was super nice and even signed it for me. I took some pictures to capture the moment. It was such a great experience, and I was thrilled to support her work. Yey!
Unfortunately, I started feeling sick from COVID on the last day of Komiket Iloilo. Just to clear things up, I didn’t catch COVID at the event. Somehow, I got it from my nephew, who was already sick at the time. Because of that, I couldn’t socialize much or take a lot of pictures, which was a bummer.
So there I was, in isolation, feeling pretty out of it and drifting in and out of consciousness. It was during this time that I started reading this comic. It was a pretty trippy experience, to be honest. I kept reading it over and over again because I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming or actually awake while reading it. The whole thing felt surreal, like the comic was blending into my fever dreams.
Alright, let’s dive into the comic! The sample pages above were grabbed from Chocnut-san’s Facebook page, so definitely check out her page for more previews. In the first few pages of the comic, we see the protagonist, Joanne, waiting for Noel to show up so she can confess her feelings to him. But when he doesn’t show up at their meeting place, she assumes he’s decided to reject her.
I think a lot of us have been there at some point, feeling super anxious about confessing our feelings and then ending up feeling rejected. It’s a pretty relatable situation. The way the comic transitions between the pages when Joanne gets transported to another universe is done beautifully. I love the panels that show Joanne’s thoughts as she faces a dilemma. She realizes that in this alternate universe, the Noel in front of her isn’t the Noel she knows.
Joanne finds herself constantly battling whether she should give in to her desires or face reality, even if it might not turn out the way she hopes. It’s a dilemma many of us face at some point, and it’s so easy to want to go after what we think will make us happy.
In the end, things get resolved, but I don’t want to spoil anything for you. If you get a chance to grab a copy of “In His Universe,” definitely do it! Up next, I’ll be reviewing some of Chocnut-san’s other works. Stay tuned!