Jane was an impulse borrow from the library. My partner and I are big fans of Jane Eyre so we were excited to see a modern AU comic adaptation. While the story had some hiccups, Ramón Pérez's flawless art more than made up for it, granting the comic a sense of graceful panache.

The broad strokes of the comic plot are recognizable. After her parents' death, Jane is sent to live with an abusive aunt and cousins. Determined to one day escape her hell, Jane endures tortuous school and grueling work until she saves enough to go to art school in NYC. To keep her scholarship, she must take a job and who is hiring but one Mr. Rochester, who is in need of a nanny for his daughter Adele. The mysteries of Rochester's strange home and life loom over Jane as she finds a sense of belonging and family for the first time. Until one night the secrets come out and everything comes crashing down.

The comic focuses on the Thornfield arc of Jane Eyre, with the Rivers family or an explicit Lowood school arc nowhere to be seen. Even with this intense focus on the bit where Jane & Rochester fall in love, the comic struggled to show their romance. The framing of the narrative suggested that Jane and Rochester were experiencing sweeping emotions, but their actual chemistry fizzled. I couldn't figure out what was appealing about Rochester besides (a)he's a man, (b)he won't tell people things, and (c)he possesses a jawline. Otherwise, he's a sort of absent-minded scowl to the side the action, leaning against panel walls or disappearing out of them altogether.

The real, heartfelt meat of the story was between Adele and Jane. Their mother-daughter relationship leapt off the page, quietly centering the comic on one former lonely kiddo helping another lonely child. Jane's empathy for Adele's loneliness leads to the stuff of nostalgic childhood montages, such as park picnics, museum walks, and cooking adventures. As time passes, Adele opens up, and Jane thrives. They both heal from their respective traumas. The happy art subtly suggests that it is not dating Rochester that brings this healing, but being a good mother to Adele. Even at the climax, when Jane comes to the rescue, it isn't Rochester's text that sends her running, but Adele's plea for help.

Even if it's inadvertent, the comic's focus on Jane & Adele is a new one for me. I found it refreshing. As other reviewers have noted, Jane doesn't feel like an adaptation of Jane Eyre. Major themes and plot points are missing. Jane's comic counterpart is conventionally pretty. The third floor twist is bizarre. Yet I enjoyed the experience nonetheless. I recommend Jane to Bronte fans who want a modern AU variation on canon. Those seeking a strict adaptation need not pick up.