Hobo Mom Review (Charles Forsman, Max de Radigues)

A homeless woman returns to the husband and daughter she abandoned in an attempt to make things work - will she succeed or has too much time passed? 

Charles Forsman is one of the most interesting cartoonists working today so anything by him is an immediate must-read for me. His collaboration with Max de Radigues, Hobo Mom, though is just ok. 

It’s a fine story, well told - I was never bored by what was happening - and I thought the characters were complex and convincing. The father in particular was very compelling in how we saw him dealing with his conflicting emotions - both hating his wife for leaving him alone to raise their daughter but also still obviously loving her. 

I really like the stripped-down aesthetic, both of the art and the writing. But this is also the book’s weakness, I think. Because we never really understand why the woman does what she does. Is she an alcoholic? Does she have a mental illness? Why can’t she settle down? I get that the book is asking us to question the concept of personal freedom but I would’ve liked stronger authorial intervention in providing an answer. As it is, we’re left with an unsatisfying and unimpressive ending. 

Hobo Mom is a decent comic but not among Charles Forsman’s better books. If you like slice-of-life, indie comics and you haven’t read any Forsman, check out TEOTFW or I Am Not Okay With This instead.