On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden (An Oxford College Student Review!)

On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden 

In this column, I feature comic book reviews written by my students at Oxford College of Emory University. Oxford College is a small liberal arts school just outside of Atlanta, Georgia. I challenge students to read and interpret comics because I believe sequential art and visual literacy are essential parts of education at any level (see my Manifesto!). I post the best of my students’ reviews in this column. Today, I am proud to present a review by Grace Hetrick:

Grace is a second-year student at Oxford College of Emory University, majoring in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology or Biology with a minor in English. Her home is Ann Arbor, Michigan where she grew up as a big Michigan college football fan. Grace’s favorite writers include Scott McCloud, Jeff Lemire, and now Tillie Walden, and her favorite book is Roughneck by Jeff Lemire. Her other interests include running, playing piano, and finding delicious new restaurants to try with her friends.

On a Sunbeam is a science fiction and fantasy comic written and illustrated by Tillie Walden. Set in a futuristic space world, the graphic novel is a love story told through two parallel timelines. It is drawn with dreamlike illustrations and a storyline with a very visual, art-focused narrative style. The central focus of this novel follows the exploration of the characters’ identities and relationships as they navigate the adventures within this imaginative world. Walden does an impressive job of emphasizing the experiences of the characters over the mechanics of the lyrical setting. The world she has created serves as only a background for exploring the complexities of what home means for each character. It felt like a coming-of-age novel, capturing unique emotions while being both poetic and visually stunning.

We are taken on a journey alongside the protagonist, Mia, as she shares her life across two separate timelines. We are first introduced to her newly found family aboard a spaceship with Alma, Char, Ell, and Jules who are all members of a restoration crew. Their job is to travel around the galaxy, restoring old monuments into new, usable buildings for their clients. Shortly after, we are introduced to an earlier timeline of Mia’s life at boarding school. In this timeline, we meet Mia’s love interest, Grace. Throughout this timeline we watch the progression of their relationship during high school, before Grace is forced to return home to her complicated world, The Staircase, due to civil unrest. As the book unfolds, we watch these two stories in parallel, and we are slowly clued into the connections between the characters in both these timelines.

I honestly can’t quite compare On a Sunbeam to any one thing I’ve read before. The split timelines reminded me of those from the movie Pulp Fiction. The relationship dynamics and character interactions brought to mind Maggie and the Mechanic: The Love and Rockets Library. The trope of a strong female character fighting to find her identity reminded me of Maika Halfwolf in Monstress. And lastly, the predominantly visual narrative made me think of It’s Lonely at the Centre Of The Earth.

I would recommend this book to both a young adult audience and anyone older. It is a story about identity and relationships and how these aspects of our lives shift and change as we grow. The narrative embraces this change as a positive, not frightening process, reminding us that we are always at the center of it. The chaotic, fantastical world never clutters our focus on the characters, just as our overwhelming lives shouldn’t cloud the vision we have of ourselves. The book does not include any depictions of violence or graphic sexual scenes, aside from a few subtle references.

Young adult audiences may especially resonate with the subtle, yet difficult themes of identity, belonging, and family. They may also find solace in the illustrations, which capture the vastness of adventure and possibility, reflecting on the feeling of being both excited and overwhelmed by the ‘oyster of the world’ when we are young. The book captures the emotions of being lost in the journey to finding one’s place, making it especially relatable to those navigating the awkward, transitional years between adolescence and adulthood. Older audiences also may find the introspective and visually driven narratives compelling, in the perspective they provide on life.

Mia’s story is full of reckless moments when she fails and loses herself. In parallel scenes from different stages of her life, we see powerful visual imagery of her falling — both literally and figuratively — as she loses herself in her own desire for adventure, before being helped up by her family. In this inventive world, Walden emphasizes that it is okay to make mistakes and fail. She also highlights the crucial role our loved ones play in picking us back up when we do fall. On a Sunbeam makes it clear that the journey towards outgrowing our younger selves and discovering our identity can only happen through adventure and failure.

On a Sunbeam is also a story about embracing your older self after the excitement of your younger years fades. Char and Alma’s relationship highlights this theme as they embrace ‘steady paychecks and legal jobs’ while also reflecting on the danger and thrill their lives once carried. It serves as a reminder that stability does not need to diminish the potential for change and the excitement of life. Alma and Char manage the ship’s crew and eventually pass this responsibility to the younger couple, allowing the reader to contrast the younger, reckless love story with the mature, stable relationship that often comes with age. Both couples demonstrate that maturity doesn’t mean you can’t have adventure.

The illustrations by Tillie Walden perfectly capture the aesthetic of a fantastical coming-of-age story. Her artwork visually communicates the narrative to her audience while embracing a minimal color palette that effectively conveys the emotions and expressions of each character. Blue tones illustrate the stories of the past, while purple represents the present. Grace’s world, The Staircase, is drawn in vibrant pink, and as Mia’s world merges with Grace’s, her colors shift to magenta and pink in a beautiful show of love. Each character is drawn in a very simplistic style compared to the detailed backgrounds, allowing Walden to highlight their unique expressions and personalities.

In this nostalgic and well-crafted coming-of-age sci-fi story, filled with introspective questions about identity and relationships, On a Sunbeam is easily a five-star read. The plot is simple, while the characters are complex and crafted with incredible depth. This book is hard to put down and encourages readers to reflect on their own relationships and personal journeys to find their place in the world. Walden designs the narrative to embrace failure and loneliness as natural parts of growing up. Through On a Sunbeam, she immerses us in Mia’s dreamlike world as she searches for answers about herself, encouraging us to reflect on the importance of giving and receiving love in our own journey to find ourselves.