They say fate has a weird way of bringing people together. Some people even believe that there is some kind of magic involved in these encounters. Mike Richardson decided to use magic making people come together in “Best Wishes†with art by Paul Chadwick and it’s a total bore.
Two complete strangers, Mary and Cal, make a wish in a “magical†fountain that’s been installed in New York City from Italy. Their lives cross and they eventually end up working with each other for the same company. Not to mention there’s a love triangle brewing between them since Mary already has a boyfriend, star quarterback for the “New York Jets,†Josh.
This comic is a generic, by the numbers romance that’s been done to death. We all know how each characters’ lives will end up, even when there is a hint of any kind of tension, it’s easily resolved. It’s not even a romantic comedy or even manga romantic comedy which at least we would’ve had a group of women pounding Josh because they mistake him for a pervert. In fact, the whole magical fountain angle is barely used and even that idea is insipid.
The artwork, as with the comic, is OK. The characters are decently drawn, New York looks nice, but nothing about the entire comic stands out. While making it black and white is a design choice, and a smart choice because this doesn’t need anything flashy, it still looks OK. There are, however, some panels that do pop out, like one where we see Mary and Josh’s reflections in a puddle do show off Chadwick’s skill. It’s a shame that the rest of the comic doesn’t have anything that shows off his skill.
“Best Wishes†may have an audience with people already fans of the romance genre, but it’s mostly a generic, boring read for others. While the art may have a few panels that are great, the majority of the comic just doesn’t have that same impact and makes the comic look boring.
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