Moms

June 8, 2020
While billed as a comedic tribute to Ma’s mother, sometimes it’s hard to tell if Ma’s English-language debut is laughing with or at his deluded cast. Drawn in a bare-bones style reminiscent of a manhwa-ized Chester Brown, this deadpan ensemble dramedy follows a group of middle-aged Korean women who toil at menial jobs while texting, trysting, and fussing over their shiftless lovers with the energetic abandon normally associated with people their own grown children’s age. Lee Soyeon has survived a bad marriage to a gambling addict and raising three kids, only to be saddled with bad boyfriend Jongseok, a philandering waiter with a drinking problem. Jongseok doesn’t hide for long that he’s also dating a wealthier woman, a revelation which leads to endless dithering from Soyeon about breaking up with him, and even a street fight. Soyeon’s BFFs are little better off: Yeonsun throws herself at a series of abusive men; Yeonjeong meets a hottie at the gym but he turns out to be gay; and so on. A subplot about starting a workplace union sparks some light in the grubbiness. But, while the moms’ constant reversals on their declarations they’re done with the dating game may be recognizable for readers, at over 300 pages, things tend to drag on, and the narrative feels as repetitive as Soyeon’s declaration that her “standards are high.”

September 4, 2020

In his first full-length, English-language comic, Korean cartoonist Ma explores the daily lives of middle-aged Korean moms as they work, date, eat, brawl, and stay up too late scrolling through social media. Taking inspiration from his own mother's account of her and her friends' mundane exploits, Ma paints an unflattering portrait of divorced janitor Soyeon and her circle of acquaintances. They are often jealous and petty, they obsess over extra fat and sweat profusely, they cheat and gossip, and they go back time and again to unworthy boyfriends. While most of the moms aren't particularly likable, their foibles are relatable. When the characters show occasional glimpses of depth--such as when Soyeon and a friend attempt to unionize their fellow janitors--readers will root for them. Ma is a master of drawing faces, expressing subtle mood shifts and unspoken thoughts with a single, well-placed pen line. Even the secondary characters are distinct. VERDICT Offering a unique account of contemporary Korea and the world from the perspective of women who might otherwise be overlooked, this is a fresh entry that would be a solid addition to any adult collection.--Ingrid Bohnenkamp, Springfield-Greene Cty. Lib. Dist., Springfield, MO

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from July 1, 2020
Experiencing the tedious difficulty of household chores, Ma writes in his must-not-skip author's note, is what made him think more deeply about [his mother] and her life. That empathic appreciation inspired him to present her with an expensive notebook, requesting, If you want your son to find success, write honestly about you and your friends, about your love life and theirs. Ma transformed that notebook, filled in less than a month by his mother, into Moms, his first title to appear in English, adroitly translated by award-winning Korean Canadian Hong. Long divorced from her gambling husband, Soyeon lives in a small apartment with her musician son. Her on-and-off-again boyfriend visits in the wee hours when he's drunk?he's a financial and emotional sinkhole, but she can't let him go. Her corporate cleaning job is tedious, but she has good (enough) friends with whom she regularly gossips, complains, drinks, laughs, and cries. Presented in stark black-and-white panels, these aging moms have nothing to hide: they're raucous, demanding, and sexual middle-aged women finding enjoyment despite useless partners, disappointing careers, unfulfilled dreams. They text at all hours, use dating apps, swear indiscriminately, steal other women's boyfriends, occasionally pummel one another with bare fists. Their greatest challenge, like people everywhere at every age, is loneliness?but even that can't stop Ma's fearsome mothers from living their best possible lives.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)