Tough Love: High School Confidential

An old favorite 'zine - I collected the original run of this series in the 1990s - I was very happy to see it collected into this nice single volume. Re-reading through - it's just as fresh today as it was then - Denson is a great, straightforward storyteller, and though you can see at least some of the influences (yaoi), she really has a style of here own; reality is dealt with with a nice directness, though the sense of romance is sweet enough to give the entire series a nice, fable-like charm. Anyone not already familiar would do well to check this very charming and creative work out. -David Alston

I don't generally read comic books; I bought this to donate to my local gay youth center. But then I read it myself and loved it so I bought my own copy. Despite the fact that it's centered around teens, it's got universal appeal (I am in my mid-forties and had no trouble relating). Looking forward to a sequel!

When I first picked up "Tough Love", I was curious about the title and cover art. But after thumbing through some pages I couldn't put the book down. It was like watching a well-crafted soap opera. I had to find out what happened next. The high-school romance (which had me laughing out loud and in tears) is expressed by deceptively simple black and white illustrations. At first glance, the drawings look like a student's handiwork made during a lecture and Ms. Denson's easy, honest style fits the book's subject perfectly - it is playful, engaging and powerful. (Where else do you get to see a Kung Fu jump kick stop a gay-bashing?) But as you continue reading, you realize the illustrations are more like a well-crafted storyboard for a Hitchcock movie: each picture tells exactly what needs to be said. Anything more would look contrived and anything less would leave you wanting. Kudos to Denson for being able to strike that balance. It takes skill to trust your story, your drawings and your readers. I was also impressed by the integrity of putting in a resource section for teenagers who need help. Abby Denson's "Tough Love" not only illustrates the problem, but offers some solutions. If only all comic book "heroes" were as brave.

TOUGH LOVE is the best! best! best! Graphic Novel I have ever read in my entire life. Such a great story,great characters, and the artwork is FABOO!!! Ever since the comic was published in strip form in XY magazine in the 1990s, the characters of TOUGH LOVE have touched my heart, and I myself have lived vicariously through their gay high school dramas. Abby Denson is a GODDESS!!! TOUGH LOVE forever!!!!!!!!!