The Oven

The Oven has the weirdly unreal feel of a modern fable, in part due to its science fiction approach. Sophie Goldstein’s story tells of a couple who leave urban civilization so they can reproduce outside of society’s rules. They head out to a broken-down trailer camp where babies are possible, but they haven’t realized what living on one’s own really means and how much they’d have to sacrifice for their hope of a family. The art is deceptively simple, but […]

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Russian Olive to Red King

Beautiful and heartbreaking, as the horror of separation slowly makes itself known to the characters and the reader. Russian Olive to Red King is the latest joint work by Kathryn Immonen and Stuart Immonen (Moving Pictures). It’s billed as a romance, but as the artists post, that’s misleading. Olive is leaving on a work trip, and Red, left behind, has his own work to do. However, on a research trip in a small plan into the Russian wilderness, there’s an […]

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Pope Hats #3

Although people like to say that there are comics out there for everyone, some types are much more common than others. If you are looking for a horror title featuring a big-busted fighter, for example, there are plenty of comics to choose from. If you’re looking for a comic that relates more directly to many people’s daily lives, though, particularly one with serious depth, it’s not so easy. That’s one of the big reasons I love Ethan Rilly’s Pope Hats. […]

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Pope Hats #2

If you’ve been attracted by this gorgeous cover, reminiscent of some of the great creators of indy comics such as Jaime Hernandez and Adrian Tomine, feel free to jump in — you don’t need to have read the first issue to appreciate this detailed exploration of the malaise of young urban life by Ethan Rilly. (Although if you have, you’ll be impressed by how much the artist has refined his style since then.) Francis is a legal assistant with insomnia […]

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Johnny Hiro

Imaginative adventure is best when underlined by caring young love. Johnny Hiro is a busboy whose girlfriend Mayumi is kidnapped by Godzilla in the first story in this book. While racing to her rescue, Johnny’s mind flashes back to previous times he’d faced great injury. It’s that playful awareness that makes this more than just another slacker-starring action tale. Nothing happens as expected, but even in the weirdest event, there’s a sense of reality that stems from the core of […]

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Salamander Dream

Hope Larson’s Salamander Dream is a dream of childhood told in lime green and black ink on cream-colored paper. The book begins with a map of woods and creek that looks like a crayon drawing, reminiscent of the sketch of the 100-Acre Wood that opened the Winnie the Pooh stories. Hailey lives at the edge of the woods, and that’s where she spends her summer, amongst the trees and the birds. She’s exploring the wonders of the world and her […]

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