What do you do when you go to a rave and your girl is kidnapped? You go and rescue her.
- Review by Sean Allen Clement

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Song of Songs is a fun book. That's the first thing that came to mind when I sat down to write this review. There's a genuine, laid back sense of adventure to the book. We've all had that day which started off relaxed, just having a good time with our friends, and had it end in a completely different place. Song of Songs captures that feeling and mixes it with hip hop, good friends and the occasional burly brawl.

While the book is definitely geared towards those down with the hip hop culture it's still extremely accessible. It would of been easy to fall into clichéd "street talk" but it's wisely kept grounded. The dialogue feels realistic throughout, never awkward or forced. The best evidence of this is the scenes of characters just hanging out. Anyone who has spent time just hanging out with his friends is bound to recognize the banter laced with insults and jabs.

Characterization is one of the high points of the book and while it's obvious that Isaiah is the lead, it's his friends that really caught my attention. The cocky and fun "Dirty Dave," who's attitude and slick moves help him hold his own in a fight, and Richard, who comes across as the big brother and protector everyone would like to have. There's a strong sense of friendship, fun and comradery which shines through. They're real people and the bonds of friendship they share are just as authentic.

Dialogue and characterization are rock solid but Song of Songs's illustrations is where the book really excels, though. The panels burst from the page in splashes of colour and style. Characters are unique and come to life in the reader's eyes with masterful ease. There are a lot of books on the market, especially independent, which really struggles to define one character from the other; Song of Songs is a rare exception and each has a life, and personality, of their own; it's reflected in their dialogue, expressions and personal sense of style.

The fantastic artwork is not just limited to characters but in the city they inhabit. Song of Songs is set in Toronto, Canada and all the locales, flavours of the city are captured with perfection. The city itself acts as a character within the story. As someone who lives in T.O. I instantly recognized the landmarks and feeling they brought to the title. Isaiah and company ride the subway and panels in these pages capture the diversity and spirit of the city; it's a quiet, slow and subtle way of immersing the reader into the book, and it works.

The bottom line is that Song of Songs is worth checking out. It's overall solid and impressive for the first two issues and a series dripping with style, flavour and definitely worth the time.

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Special thanks to DivergingComics.com for the shine.