Outside of my childhood love for the Mighty Ducks films and animated series (Nosedive the duck was my boy) and cheering on the St. Louis Blues’ struggling efforts at a Stanley Cup, I haven’t been that much of a hockey fan over my lifetime the way I’ve gotten into baseball, basketball or other sports. Regardless, there’s a lot of aspects in Ngozi Ukazi’s hockey-themed webcomic Check, Please! that anyone could potentially relate to even if they’re not interested in the game per se.
That’s not to say that a die-hard hockey fan won’t find plenty to enjoy about the book and its adventures of protagonist Eric Bittle, a small-town freshman and former competitive figure skater who joins Samwell College’s hockey team. The creator is clearly a devotee with a vast knowledge of the sport that allows the reader to immerse themselves in her storylines.
Eric’s background in figure skating helps him a good deal on the ice in terms of his mobility, especially because he’s deathly afraid of getting checked (the technical term in hockey for a tackle, or physical contact in general). Unlike the introverted team captain, Jack Zimmerman, he’s not a top-tier player in terms of skill, but he manages to earn the respect of his teammates through his guts on the ice rink and through his affable personality. All the while, Eric serves as the book’s narrator through his online vlog, setting up the various situations and conflicts through each episode.
As much as the reader might enjoy Eric’s renditions of Beyonce songs while in the shower, his teammates don’t share any of that move for his talents. They are appreciative of his baking skills though, which only helps to boost his reputation during campus.
But lest you think things are going well for Bitty, the coaches threaten to pull him if he can’t develop a more physical style of play as the underdog Samwell team battles its way through the NCAA playoffs. And there’s still the lingering issue of his blossoming crush on Jack, unknown to his peers. And when Jack develops mutual affections himself, their growing bond takes its toll on their respective careers and home lives.
Check, Please!’s side characters contribute a fair amount of humor, warmth, and wit alongside Eric and Jack’s gradual evolution. This is most notable with teammates Holster and Ransom’s fourth-wall-breaking asides to the audiences about hockey culture, and the nicknamed Shitty’s admittance to law school conflicting with him not wanting to abandon his friends. As Eric moves to sophomore and then a junior, he becomes something of a mentor towards the younger students, almost serving as everyone’s helpful younger brother.
But the bulk of the character development understandably is given to Bittle and Zimmerman’s relationship. And thanks in part to Ukazu’s affectionate and believable writing style, they’re both very appealing even as they’re confused and scared about how the public might react. The still-too-rampant homophobia within the wider culture of sports is always subtly lurking in the background, and understandably remains at the forefront of the characters’ minds.
Her art direction’s nothing to sneeze at, either. The cartoonish models are stylized to where it’d ideally be well suited for an exciting animated series, and Ukazu is adept at balancing droll bro-comedy that never delves into seeming tasteless, some striking hockey play sequences that have some great kinetic energy to them, and effective drama that comes out like a punch to the gut. It’s impossible to not want to hug Eric at points as he navigates both his game and a newfound love life, while Jack’s professional career serves as another roller coaster for both of them.
If you’re in search of an intense sports drama that avoids the usual cliches of the genre, or if you want to read a coming-out story that feels honest in a variety of ways, you’ll find both in Check, Please!. As close-knit as the Samwell team is- and remains after some members graduate- it never feels like things truly stop moving. Not to mention that the humor is both intelligent and fun, serving as a nice counter so that the stories never feel excessively angst-ridden.
Add an appealing protagonist and some skilled artwork, and you have a comic that I’ll gladly recommend to fans of hockey or just general audiences. Click here if you’re interested in reading, and as always, skate down to @Official_FAN on Twitter and as N.W.A advised, express yourself!