Review: Blue Sky Through the Window of a Moving Car - Jordan Bolton

Review: Blue Sky Through The Window of a Moving Car - Jordan Bolton - November 2024

Jordan Bolton’s debut comic collection, *Blue Sky Through the Window of a Moving Car,* is a vibrant mosaic of everyday life that captures the beauty and messiness of human experiences. Through his art and poetic language, Bolton brings seemingly small moments into sharp focus, revealing the shared, universal emotions that make up the essence of our daily lives. This collection is a warm, relatable reminder to savor those fleeting moments and to notice the quiet, unassuming magic in our lives.

Bolton divides the collection into three sections—In Public, In Transit, and At Home—which collectively cover the spaces where we spend most of our lives. Each section is packed with scenes that are likely familiar to anyone who has navigated through crowded city streets, traveled on a bus or train, or cherished quiet evenings at home. The situations he chooses to depict are often mundane: waiting for a bus, sharing a fleeting glance with a stranger, or witnessing a couple’s argument. But it’s in these ordinary scenes that Bolton finds the extraordinary, revealing the threads of connection, vulnerability, and emotion that bind us all.

The comics themselves are minimalistic yet impactful, with Bolton’s art style conveying a deep emotional resonance. His drawings pair perfectly with short, introspective lines of poetry, striking a balance between heart-wrenching and heart-warming. Through simple yet poignant phrases, he captures a range of emotions—love, heartbreak, shame, hope, and everything in between. Each page draws readers into a world that is achingly familiar, like catching snippets of our own memories.

What makes this collection especially compelling is how it encourages readers to be present in their own lives. Bolton reminds us that, while life often seems fleeting, each moment is worth noticing. The passing sky through a car window, a smile exchanged with a stranger, the comfort of solitude at home—all are invitations to slow down and appreciate the world around us. His comics serve as both a reflection and a gentle nudge to find joy and meaning in the small details of our daily existence.

With previously unreleased comics included, *Blue Sky Through the Window of a Moving Car* is a refreshing, heartfelt look at what it means to be human. Bolton’s work speaks directly to the heart, evoking laughter, sadness, and nostalgia. Readers will likely come away from this collection with a renewed appreciation for the beauty in the mundane and a reminder that, in our shared experiences, we are never truly alone. This is a perfect read for anyone who enjoys reflective, slice-of-life stories told through the unique medium of comics.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/48nXMCh