This graphic novel written by Lauren Myracle and illustrated by Isaac Goodheart is a new and interesting take on the origin story of Batman villain, Mr Freeze. A young Victor Fries’ life is flipped on its head when he meets the vivacious Nora Kumar. Victor has dedicated his entire life to science since the untimely death of his brother in a tragic house fire. He is studying cryogenics and one day aims to preserve the dying until a treatment and/or cure can be developed for their particular ailment.
Nora lives everyday to its fullest, but she has a secret. She is suffering from a progressive and incurable illness which will leave her a shell of herself before taking her life. She and both her father and younger brother have moved to their holiday home in Gotham City so she can enjoy her last summer to its fullest. It is two months shy of her 17th birthday and on that day she will take her own life.
Victor and Nora meet at the cemetery, while Nora is visiting her mother’s grave and Victor his brother’s. Their connection is almost instant and a magical romance develops quickly between the two teens. Nora brings Victor out of his shell and he begins to enjoy life once again, but when he learns of Nora’s illness he becomes almost manic in his pursuit to save her.
There has been a surge of graphic novels published over the last 10 years and it has developed beyond the traditional manga and comic fandoms it originated in. Graphic novels are a unique genre combining story text and graphics which makes them easy to read and allows the author to convey their meaning in a much quicker time frame. They have more depth than traditional comic books and the increase in e-reading has made them much more accessible to the wider population. Due to having less text they are easier to consume while still providing the entertaining, intellectual and stimulating stories of traditional novels.
The story Myracle has crafted perfectly captures the tragic love story between Nora and Victor and is an incredible start of Victor’s descent into villany. Before reading this story, I didn’t actually realise what it was going to be. I knew it would have something to do with the DC Comics Batman universe, but it was only upon completion that I realised that the main character was actually Mr Freeze. For those unaware, Mr Freeze was brought to life onscreen by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1997 movie Batman & Robin. But do not fear dear reader, your knowledge of the Batman universe is not essential to enjoy this graphic novel and is merely a bit of background. While Victor and Nora: A Gotham Love Story is Mr Freeze’s origin story, it is also at its heart just a love story.
Victor and Nora are opposing forces in the world. Victor is overwhelmed by guilt and grief over the death of his brother and instead of living his life he spends most of his time in his lab working. Nora is a breath of fresh air and lives life to the very fullest. Nora has the benefit of knowing when she will leave this earth and therefore knows to make each day count. I loved watching the characters develop together. There is an inherent instant love relationship between the characters which is not usually my idea of a fun read but the situational necessity of such a relationship is clear within the book and plays a key role in the conclusion of the novel.
The illustrations throughout are simply breathtaking. It is clear that Goodheart paid close attention and detail to not only the characters, but the accompanying scenery. His art perfectly portrays the emotions Myracle created with her words and these two creators are a match made in literary heaven! I enjoyed the characters perspective being drawn in different colours, blue for Victor and Pink for Nora, and when they come together in scenes the pink and blue interact and play with each other throughout.
While the book ends on a cliffhanger leaving you wanting more, Victor and Nora: A Gotham Love Story is likely to be a standalone which I think is perfect. This tragic tale of young love is truly inspiring to live your life to the fullest, but the conclusion of the novel stresses the power of love and how it can be all consuming, making it dangerous. There is the implication that letting go of the one you love can be for the best and refusal to do so can be your downfall.
Victor and Nora is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
Will you be picking up Victor and Nora? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
New York Times bestselling author Lauren Myracle (ttyl, ttfn) and artist Isaac Goodhart (Under the Moon: A Catwoman Tale) reunite in this gorgeous YA story about living life to the fullest, and how far one will go for love.
Seventeen-year-old Victor Fries has a cold heart. After his brother died in a tragic house fire for which Victor feels responsible, his parents have isolated themselves, and Victor has dedicated his whole life to one thing: science.
Nora Kumar is full of life. She is suffering from an incurable illness that will slowly consume her, so she’s decided to live her last days to the fullest at her summer home outside of Gotham City until her birthday. On that day, she plans to take her own life.
When Victor and Nora happen to meet at the cemetery outside of town, they are astonished to find the connection they have each been missing in their lives. Their summer quickly spirals into a beautiful romance, and Victor’s cold heart begins to thaw, allowing him to enjoy life just a little more. But when Victor learns of Nora’s illness, he’s driven to try to find a solution to keep from losing another person he loves…by any means necessary.
Victor & Nora: A Gotham Love Story is a tragic tale about living life to the fullest and what it truly means to love…and to let go.
