"Heavy Liquid" - Ryan Stevens

1. Analyze: Idea - Secondary
In "Heavy Liquid" I believe that the idea is secondary in the narrative to the character. The main idea of the book is Illegal drugs. The entire novel revolves around Paul Pope's character yes, but the character is always involved with illegal drugs in one way or another. I mean even the title of the story comes from a new illegal drug on the streets. I think this is a pretty interesting take on a narrative, because that is how people really are who have fallen into drug use. If you have ever been around a person that has a drug addiction problem you know that their whole world revolves around the drugs of their choice. Whether it be using it, they are getting it, getting more of it, getting enough money to be able to get more of the drug. It is what is constantly on their minds. It swallows up their entire life and being. it is a very sad situation to watch or to be in. It can also many times lead to an increase in violence in oneself and their life and also tends to lead to a life of criminal activity as well.

2. Rating: R
Because illegal drugs and the use of illegal drugs are a major theme. There are more than a few F-bombs in the book. Also there is quite a bit of violence throughout, I think this graphic novel deserves an R rating.

3. Springboard:
For this graphic novel the author would need to know about the world of illegal drugs. He would have to research the different drugs available, how they are made, how they are sold, and what the drug business and lifestyle is all about. I was curious to know what the top used illegal drugs are worldwide. So I dug around a bit and this is what I came up with. These are the top 5 most used illegal drugs worldwide right now. #5 Amphetamines #4 Ecstasy #3 Cocaine #2 Heroin #1 Marijuana or Cannabis. I found these pretty interesting.

4. Apply:
I learned from this novel that it can be a really good thing to give your characters trials, struggles or personal problems and addictions. It helps to round out the character and make them more believable. It helps the reader relate to the character and care about them. If the reader doesn't care about your characters he or she is far more likely to become bored or even leave the story. Characters that have no flaws are fun for a while, but they become boring and predictable. We all as human beings have trials and struggles, it makes us real. They can also help make your characters more real.