Old-Timey Hockey Tales

Written by Rob Ullman and Jeffrey Brown
Illustrated by Rob Ullman and Jeffrey Brown
Wide Awake Press

While it may never be the most popular sport in America, hockey has a long-time history and stories that rival those of baseball for quirkiness, interest, and human interest.  Join Red Wings fan Jeffrey Brown and Penguins fan Rob Ullman as they share a few stories from the past of the greatest show on ice.

Roughly alternating between the two creators, Old-Timey Hockey Tales uses stories of players both familiar to anyone and those who might be harder to place in a lineup.  Regardless, each short story is sourced if anyone wants more information and shows that both Brown and Ullman are taking this work seriously.  Naturally, they are a bit biased towards their favorite teams, so the majority of the stories involve either the Red Wings or the Penguins.  In fact, all of Brown's contributions--and even one of Ullman's--center around the iconic team.

Ullman is a bit more varied in his choices, talking about everyone from the tragic loss of a star player for Pittsburgh to a man who played for the six original hockey teams to the short biography of a famous goalie.  His slick style still manages to capture the feel of rough and ready hockey players, though it's more in facial expressions than in grittiness.  On the other hand, Brown's artwork is perfect for players like Gordie Howe.  The imperfect, heavy lines give his stories a weight and touch of darkness that I think captures the feel of old-school hockey quite well.  Overall, the styles contrast nicely to each other, preventing the work from having a feel of sameness.

If you or someone you know is a hockey fan, this is a must-grab mini-comic.  Though the price is a bit higher than I'd usually recommend, it's well worth it.  There's a lot of storytelling packed into the 28 pages, and fans of either artist are bound to enjoy a work that is a departure for both of them but comes together as a complete package.

You can pick up Old-Timey Hockey Tales from Rob Ullman here.

Dust off the Panels: My Mommy is in America and She Met Buffalo Bill

Written by Jean Regnaud
Illustrated by Emile Bravo
Fanfare Ponent Mon

Jean is a five year old boy living in France.  He can't remember much about his mother, but that's okay, because she sends him postcards.  He lives with his brother and father and a companion who fills the role of mother for him.  This is the story of a year in his life, filled with fun, misunderstanding, and tragic reality.  Watch as Jean tells his story to you in pictures and words, as we learn all about him and his world.

What was it like to be five years old?  Hard to remember, right?  Regnaud and Bravo combine to tell this story of the innocence of a child and what happens when adults try to be kind by withholding the truth.  It's a touching story, well crafted and well illustrated that perfectly tells an arc of the character Jean's life, as he grows up over the course of a year and learns all too quickly that parents can lie.

What makes this book work so well is the fact that at ever turn, Regnaud shows just how often a child is faced with things they cannot understand and instead of trying to help them, we as adults pass the buck with clever lies or inventions.  It's all in the name of protecting them, but when the deceit is discovered, that child's world is changed forever.

I remember when I first figured out my parents could and did lie to me.  It changed my life.  Secretly, I stopped trusting everything they told me, and started questioning the world around me.  It's clear that little Jean's life is changed, too, once he comes to that same conclusion.  There's a lot of power and emotion charged up as the book progresses and if I have one minor complaint, it's that there's not a lot of space given to seeing that energy released.  Once we get to the big reveal, we only have a few pages left to deal with it.

The story itself, though, is excellent.  We never for a moment go outside the viewpoint of Jean.  We may sometimes be able to understand things better than he does, but we aren't showing things he can't see.  The flow of the book is perfect, going from adventure to adventure, weaving the main plot of the story in and out of Jean's adventures as naturally as Jean himself would perceive them.  Clever interludes are added that embellish a bit on Jean's ideas, but never take away from them.

Regnaud does a great job of making this story work, because it could easily devolve into childishness, nostalgia, or melodrama, but it never does.  I'm always wary of books with protagonists so young for those reasons, but here it was not a problem.  This is just a well crafted story of growing up far too early and dealing with circumstances that are tragic for a person of any age, let alone a kid barely out of potty training.

Part of what makes this book work so well is Bravo's art style.  The book's illustrations remind me of a children's book, like H.A. Ray or maybe Babar is a more relevant comparison, since the book is French in origin.  It fits the tone of the work perfectly, and there are plenty of little visual touches that enhance the text. I was particularly fond of the non-verbal word bubbles, where images would be crossed out or used in place of an actual word.  I don't know if that came from Regnaud or Bravo, but it's a great idea.

My Mommy is in America and She Met Buffalo Bill is a great book that was very popular among my friends when it came out, and I see why.  If you happen along this one in your travels and you like coming of age stories, definitely grab it.  It's well worth dusting off the panels for.

Single Minded: Near Death #4 and #5

Today on Single Minded, we return to one of my recent favorites, Near Death, as it finishes up its first storyline with issues four and five.  Let's see what I thought of these two issues, shall we?

Near Death #4 and Near Death #5.  Written by Jay Faerber.  Illustrated by Simone Guglielmini.  Image Comics

Markham's new lease on life is working out fairly well for him.  He's still trying to beat the devil--or whatever evil force it was that nearly claimed him--but his methods are strong and his motives are good, if a bit selfish.  But what happens when Markham's past starts to catch up with him, and wants revenge for his turn of heart?  What good is saving people only to see them die at the hands of an old colleague turned enemy?  It's a complex life that Markham leads and in the end, he may not be the only one...Near Death.

After three one-shot issues establishing Markham and his world, Faerber moves on to a longer story this time that extends across two issues with a very explosive cliffhanger in the middle, which I thought was an excellent use of the comic-as-single issue form.  It's weird transitioning from reading 99% in trade to reading anything interesting issue by issue again, but I do admit, there are some moments this this one that cannot really be appreciated except in installments.  I actually had the "aw man!" moment as I was reading.

As far as the plot itself, this was another solid one, deviating from the usual premise in order to keep the comic fresh.  We start off expecting it to be another job, with some kind of twist, as we saw previously.  However, as the fourth issue moves along, it's clear that we're going to get an exploration into the repercussions of Markham's decision to quit being a hitman.

I don't want to give too much away here, but suffice it to say that it's clear Markham didn't think everything through, not unlike Mark Waid's reformed criminal, Max Damage.  Our protagonist has a long history and powerful enemies on both sides of the law, and that isn't going to change just because he's decided to stop murdering targets for money.  Once the initial shock wears off, everyone is going to set up for the next round, and I think Faerber's decision not to tip Markham off to this until it is effectively too late was a great writing choice.

The fifth issue is a crisis of conscience for Markham.  He's dogged by his past but bound by his new rules.  He's asked if he will kill to stop a killer, and there's no easy answer for that.  Even by the end, I think that question is going to hang over Markham for the duration of the series, no matter how he delays it.  Of course, part of the fun of reading this series will be watching how Faerber revisits the issue.

This story marks the end of the first arc, and I think it did a good job of wrapping up some ideas while setting up new ones for the second storyline, whatever it may be.  The complex story of a man trying to change before it's too late moves into a new stage now, and I hope part of that stage is finding out just how he's going to beat that devil.  If I know anything about Faerber, it won't be easy.

Near Death has been a great surprise and is one of my favorite comics right now.  I highly recommend you grab the first five issues and read them or plan to pick up the inevitable trade.  Faerber has a solid crime story going on here, and fans of that genre should start reading now.  They'll be glad they did.

Single Minded: Boom! Studios Titles for February 1, 2012

It's another top of the month, and time for more single issues!  What's Boom! Studios up to that looks good to me?  Let's find out!

Betrayal of the Planet of the Apes #4.  Written by Corrina Bechko and Gabriel Hardman.  Illustrated by Gabriel Hardman.  Everything comes to a head as the prison riot, the rogue human, and the surviving counselors all collide with the apes who are running a shadow government within the military.  Just about everyone has a secret, but which one of the players in our drama holds one that can rock the entire Planet of the Apes to its foundations?

I'm really sorry to see this one go, but I couldn't have asked for a better ending.  We've been led all along to believe certain things are true, but as the name of the mini-series implies, some of the truths we've come to accept aren't valid at all.  Bechko and Hardman weave this deception into the story without the reader feeling cheated and along the way find time to move the world of the Apes just a bit closer to the situation we're familiar with from the movies.

Once again, Hardman's art is perfect here, giving us a dark world with a lot of shadows and creepy elements, without making it too hard to understand what is going on.  The layouts are dramatic and work well with the story, which makes sense, given he's the co-writer.

I came into this one with little hope, but left it not only eagerly awaiting the next chapter in the Apes saga from Bechko and Hardman (and new artist Marc Laming) but also seeking out the other comics tie-ins.  This was a cool comic that doesn't require much Apes knowledge beyond the basics and is highly recommended, either in single form or the upcoming trade.

Valen the Outcast #3.  Written by Michael Alan Nelson.  Illustrated by Matteo Scalera.  When you're an undead former king who struggles to maintain your own identity in the face of a powerful force that wants you dead, friends are hard to come by.  So when Zjanna looks to be turned to the side of evil, can a desire to spare her mean the end for Valen?  And if he can stop her murderous rage, will there be any help for him in the land of thieves?  Find out in this third issue!

This series is really growing on me, as Nelson finds his footing and is able to branch the idea of a warrior on a quest into some really cool and interesting directions.  I like the idea that Valen is so committed to the idea of his--or anyone else's--humanity that he refuses to believe all is lost for anyone, regardless of the circumstances.  Zjanna being the villain worked better than I thought it would, and I love the fact that not only was Valen pitted against her, he had to deal with Cordovan's lack of morals and a setting that could be as deadly as Zjanna.  The whole thing worked extremely well and let nicely to a betrayal of another kind that leads to further complications.

My only complaint here is Scalera's artwork struggled to keep up with Nelson's script.  Despite all the action and movement and drama, the characters felt very stiff to me and the depictions chosen for some of the key moments did not do their best to compliment the writing in my opinion.  However, even with some art issues, I like this one better with each passing issue.

Incorruptible #26.  Written by Mark Waid.  Illustrated by Marcio Takara.  I'm cheating a bit again, as this came out last week, but since it links to Irredeemable, I like to put the two together.  In this conclusion of the origin stories, we learn just how Max Damage came to be the metahuman he is today, showing that his penchant for thinking simply and linearly didn't start when he became a hero.  The final pieces of the Max Damage-Plutonian puzzle are revealed here in the last part of the crossover with Irredeemable.

Well, that was anti-climatic.  I really, really wanted a battle between Max and Tony, with the earth itself in the middle.  I kept wait and waiting for it to happen in this crossover, but no such luck.  Instead, we got two parallel origin stories which were excellent but could just as easily have existed without the expectations of a crossover.  I'm a little unsure of the marketing that went into this set of four issues, as I can't help but think I wasn't the only person who was disappointed by the lack of present-day fisticuffs between these two.  Maybe another time?

The story itself was quite good, especially if you divorce it from the pressure of a crossover.  Max, tired of losing to the Wolf Boy, tries everything and risks his very life to get power on the level of Plutonian.  It's cool to see Max's origin, but I think the thing I liked best was his earnest feeling that doing so would protect his fellow thieves from harm.  It shows Max's mindset is not quite so abrupt, after all.  I'll be curious to see where we go from here.  I like this series a lot--sometimes more than its counterpart--but I also wonder just how much mileage is left in the idea.  Only Mark Waid knows, and we all know he's not telling!  Next issue is a good jumping in point, as it has to start a new arc, if you want to give it a try.

Irredeemable #34.  Written by Mark Waid.  Illustrated by Diego Barreto and Damian Couceiro.  With the Plutonian seemingly facing impossible odds, his saviors are Qubit and Max Damage?   A strange alliance is formed with the long-term survival of the human race hanging in the balance.  What will Tony do for a chance at redemption and what will Qubit do to get him to help his plans?  As usual, the answers aren't pretty and if anything, everyone involved is even more irredeemable.

Picking up from the great reveal of last issue, Waid explains some things that have been festering for the past few issues and prepares us for the next round of good intentions that are almost certainly going to lead the characters down the road to hell.  Qubit's sequences are, as usual, the highlight of the issue, but I think Max Damage gets the best lines in his cameo.  His comments to Qubit will be, I think prophetic.  As with any Waid story, things are linking together and flowing naturally, piece by piece, as every action taken by characters in the book sets off a new chain of events, keeping the book fresh even as it starts moving towards year four.

This issue is a strong return after what I thought were some of the weaker moments in the book during the crossover.  Waid has a strong hand at the rudder of this crazy storyline and I can't wait to see where it goes next.  This is a good starting point for new readers, as we're moving into a new set of stories while others die down.  If you haven't read Irredeemable yet, give it a try now.  I think you'll be hooked off the opening sequence alone, which is worth the price of admission.

That's what looked good to me from Boom! this week.  Thanks as always to Boom! for giving me preview copies.  Look for me to get even more single minded as the week goes on!

The Show Must Go On

Written by Roger Langridge (with Gordon Rennie)
Illustrated by Roger Langridge
Boom! Studios

Long before he was the brains behind two great Boom! properties, The Muppet Show and Snarked!, Roger Langridge was an indie cartoonist with a whole host of ideas and concepts.  Some of those find their way between the covers of this collection from Boom! Studios, which is a grouping of "orphans" (as described by Langridge) ranging from everything from a vaudeville act haunted by their past to a skewering of superhero comics to over-the-top samurai fighting.  The action is a mile a minute, because regardless of the cartoon, The Show Must Go On!

It doesn't take long to see just how Langridge got the job writing the Muppet Show, as the highlight of this collection is the open set of stories featuring Mugwhump the Great and his partner, a talking ventriloquist's dummy named Billy Woodentop.  They're part of a show that has all sorts of misfits and acts that go horribly, comically wrong.  But the jokes are just the window dressing on a more sinister plot that involves a classic theatrical relationship gone horribly wrong, with poor Bill caught in the middle.  Filled with tons of action, sarcastic remarks, and bad jokes (along with vehicular homicide in the name of humanity), this part of the book was the highlight of the collection for me.  Langridge said in his introduction that there are more Mugwhump stories in his head, and I certainly hope that's true.

From start to finish, this was an excellent story that is both comic and tragic at the same time.  For every time we laugh at the antics of Billy and Mugwhump, we can also feel an emotional pull, as the two friends struggle with their changed reality.  The plot is actually remarkably complex for what appears to be a romp, showing that even in the silly, there can be significant craft (a concept that is strongly present in Snarked! as well.)

Next up and scattered throughout are the philosophical adventures of Frankenstein and Shirley Temple, an odd pairing if there ever was one.  Walking through a series of different worlds, they talk about world views that range from the serene to the cynical.  It's quite a change of pace for Langridge, and reminds me more of someone like James Kochalka.

Also mixed in are a scientist (Dr. Sputnik) and his companion (Spud), who is designed to look like an animated potato.  They have neo-1950s science adventures, with as much trademark skewering as Langridge can manage.  I think my favorite is when Dr. Sputnik is faced with the danger of Queen Zelda, in a great nod to the fear of women found in "boys adventure" stories.  These are more lighthearted romps than Mugwhump, but were also a highlight of the book for me.

A third recurring character, Jack Shit, the devil, did not do a lot for me.  I found his adventures less interesting than any of the others in the book, with the jokes falling flat, at least for me.  It was by far worst sections of the book, save for the one-shot Rave of the Livid Dead, which I did not care for at all.  I think these stories, which seem to be going after particular culture points, are a bit dated in time.  They also seem to veer off randomly down tangents.  Not all comedic comics are going to work for all people, however, so it's entirely possible what were weak spots for me might end up being favorites for you.

Gordon  Rennie helps out with two features that take up most of the center of the book, The Kabuki Kid and Dr. Spin.  The former is about a murderous samurai whose companion is a radical Maoist.  They cleave a path through everything from corporate culture to consumerism to the entertainment industry, in a manner that reminds me quite a bit of Groo.  The jokes are a bit less subtle, but Langridge can match Aragones step for step in visual gags and satire, as we see everything up to and including a Godzilla robot.  The panels have an insane amount of detail that takes time to work your way through, and by the end, regardless of the amount of destruction, it's a fun time to be had by all--except those killed, of course.  Also, did I mention the whole thing is tied in to Spaghetti Westerns, linking them back to their story roots?  This was another enjoyable part of the collection, and I think most people will find it to be their highlight, because of easy access into the material being ridiculed.

Dr. Spin was my second favorite storyline, but I am a special case since the topic on the skewer are superhero comic books, a part of my life for over thirty years now.  It was easy for me to pick up every single reference Rennie and Langridge come up with here, which might not be true for most readers.  If you are a fan of comics, everything from Silver Age covers to the insanity of alternate realities to the Batcave to extreme character makeovers (a popular topic when making fun of capes comics) are featured here.  Once again, Langridge's art bobs and weaves its way across the frantic pages, with countless details that you can spend hours scanning for little details.  (See if you can spot Tin Tin in a cameo role.)  Rennie's script shows his understanding of comics complexities and is filled with nods, winks, and barbs at just about anyone who's ever put together a superhero script.  I absolutely love the plot of this one, as Dr. Spin must find out why all of comic reality is going wrong (with a visual aid from Langridge that is a credit to his genius as a storyteller) and solve the problem in the most convoluted way possible.  From continuity limbo to an ending that is elegant in its simplicity, Dr. Spin should be a joy to read for anyone who ever wanted to travel the multiverse.

The Show Must Go On inevitably comes to an end, but as Langridge notes in the introduction, these characters are his (and Rennie's) and therefore, may have future lives.  The beauty of self-creation lies in the freedom to do whatever you want, and it shows here, again and again.  Not everything is a winner, but so much of it is so excellent that this is a must-read for any humor comic fan.  You want there to be a curtain call as soon as possible.

Single Minded: Rex Zombie Killer #1

Break out your shotgun shells, because today, Single Minded is wandering into to zombie territory!

Rex, Zombie Killer #1
Written by Rob Anderson
Illustrated by Dafu Yu
Big Dog Ink


Five animals band together to try and survive in this world of the walking dead.  Rex, "a hyper-intelligent golden retriever", leads the group and plans strategy.  Brutus is a brawling pit bull who won't give up.  Buttercup, the corgi, doesn't quite understand what's happening.  Snowball, a cat, would rather take a nap, but helps in a pinch.  Finally, there's Kenji, a very large gorilla with a baseball bat and the heart of a pacifist.

Together, they must make their way across the zombie-torn land, hoping that a human doctor can save them and keep them safe.  But with danger around every corner, from both the living and the dead, do these five creatures stand a chance?  Find out in Rex Zombie Killer!

We always look at how a zombie apocalypse might affect humans, but rarely do we consider the plight of the poor animals of the world.  They have brains, too, you know, and I cannot think of a single instance where the outbreak of the walking dead came as the result of an animal's actions.  Effectively, they're screwed and it's all humanity's fault.  The hurt and confusion and almost certain death for the rest of the mammals in the area would seem to make for a good story, but I'm not sure I've ever encountered it--until now.

Rob Anderson, who was one of the writers involved in the innovative Great Zombies in History, does a great job again of making the legion of the undead interesting to me despite their saturation in comics by pitting a band of creatures together in a story of hope, fear, and survival.  The idea is brilliant, and I don't know why it's not been used before.*  It would be extremely frustrating, for example, to be a dog surrounded by canned dog food and know you can't eat it.  There's new horror to be mined in the idea of your best friend (humans) being turned into your enemy without warning.  You can show what happens to human kindness in a crisis, as it relates to the creatures we are supposed to be caring for.  A story like this has all kinds of potential, and I'm happy to report that Anderson is already mining that potential from the first issue.

A good zombie movie has a varied group of people who must work together to survive, and there's often a fair amount of conflict and doubt that goes into that process.  In this case, Anderson uses different species of dog and the addition of a lazy but goodhearted cat and a gorilla to create his tension.  Kenji, while not being the focal character, is perhaps the most interesting.  He's a gentle giant, and really does not seem to be able to process what is going on.  Without him, the others are almost surely lost, as they cannot wield the bat or open doors or do any of the things needed to survive in this world.  If Anderson chooses to go down that road, a story where Kenji is out of the picture and the rest must fend for themselves would have a lot of high drama.

But even if he doesn't, a pacifist great ape doing his Mickey Mantle impression as the need arises is still pretty great, especially when drawn by a talented artist such as Yu.  Yu was also a part of the Great Zombies in History project, and I praised his work there.  His art here is top notch again, with several innovative panel designs (such as the one that opens the comic, set in an abandoned supermarket) and zombies that are terrifying without being needlessly gory.  I like that Yu is able to show the terror and violence of the situation without splattering blood all over the page.  I've complained in the past that horror too often equals blood and gore, when sometimes what you don't see is just as terrifying.  Anderson and Yu get this, such as when a man is about to beat Brutus.  We don't need to be shown the bloody dog to get the point.  Our minds can do it for us.

The only weakness in the art are the faces of the animals.  Yu is working hard to give them emotions, which is cool, because they are our focal characters.  The problem is that sometimes the heads of the dogs, Buttercup in particular, look a bit off, as though they don't quite fit the rest of the body.  It only bothered me in a few places, mostly towards the beginning of the story.  The level of detail and ability to tell the story visually more than make up for this defect, however.

I really liked two things about the plot of this first issue.  First, Anderson does not try to give us huge tracts of information in the opening pages.  We get a good feel for the characters based on the supermarket scene, replacing the need to talk about their differences.  There's no overlong explanation of why zombies exist.  Anyone picking this book up is going to have a familiarity with the genre, and doesn't need yet another "alien artifact/experiment gone wrong/terrorist bomb/etc." set piece.  He can do it later, if he likes, but I don't think this story would be hurt at all if we never knew why there were undead at the door.  We see that some humans are alive in a way that drives the narrative, and the set piece that gives our pack a purpose is short and sweet.  Anderson is not wasting time.  This is an action-packed zombie story, which is my preference.  Giving the reader time to think and logic things out is a bad idea in speculative fiction, at least in my opinion.

The second thing I like is that despite being a first issue, we get a really complete story.  This is helped by having a fifty page start, but even if you split this book in two, the first issue would end with a dramatic decision of the animals to fight for the life of their friend.  If you are going to write a serial comic, then it should be able to be read issue by issue, without feeling like it's a 100 (or 120) page story broken up arbitrarily.  Anderson gets this, and it shows.  While I am really looking forward to seeing how the animals deal with the big reveal that comes after the climactic battle with both humans and zombies, I still left this issue feeling like I got a narrative that works within its page count.

As we leave the pack, there's a lot of ground to cover, a map that's laughable in its vagueness, and danger behind every tree.  Can these creatures survive?  I don't know, but I certainly want to find out.  I think anyone who reads this comic will want to find out, too.

Rex Zombie Killer is $3.50 for just over 50 pages of comics.  You can order it now in the February Previews catalog, with order code FEB12 0806.  Thanks to Rob Anderson for the review copy!

*Obviously, there's a good chance that it has and I just haven't seen it.  However, given that I am inclined to horror fiction, you'd think I'd have at least heard about a book or comic or movie that used animals as the protagonist in a zombie story.  Feel free to point me in the direction of something in that vein, as I'd be happy to read it.

Dust off the Panels: 3 More Matt Wiegle Minis

Head to Head
Wiegle for Tarzan
The Ghosts
Written and Illustrated by Matt Wiegle
Self-Published

I thought I'd actually read all of my Matt Wiegle mini-comics, when I found this stash in one of our Ikea magazine holders that we use to keep all of our mini-comics and zines.  I am a big fan of Wiegle's storytelling, so I was actually quite pleased to find these.

Wiegle is one of those creators who makes good use of the format in which he works.  The stories play out well in quarter-page format, with each page being roughly a panel.  The story (or joke, depending on the comic) turns on the idea of the reader seeing it one image at a time.  I really like how these truly are mini-comics, not just stories cut down in order to offer them to the public in this format.  So what did I think of these three "lost comics?"  Find out below!

Head to Head is one of Wiegle's joke comics, featuring two characters who have a link in some way (angel and devil, whale and plankton, and so on) saying or doing something funny.  For example, the biblical pair are playing Scrabble, with the angel coming up with Jesuits and the demon playing Vibrator across it.  Others are paired due to their names, and one is just a funny picture set piece you might find in Reader's Digest.  The ideas are clever at times, but I don't think this is Wiegle's best work.

Wiegle for Tarzan is far more like it.  Matt Wiegle, in a comical self-portrait that shows he is by no means qualified for the job, is applying to be New York's State Tarzan, a job he maintains is held by a man who is resting on his laurels.  What follows is a well-drawn and extremely funny sequence where Wiegle explains the role of the State Tarzan and why he would make a better choice.  The whole this is done entirely deadpan, as though it made complete and logical sense, which is why it works so well.  This is one of my favorite Wiegle comics.

The Ghosts  is an Inuit tale, adapted by Wiegle into a modern setting.  It's the story of a man haunted by the mental ghost of his wife, so he decides to leave everything behind him.  Before he can do so, however, a more substantial ghost appears, and causes a most unusual jealousy.  As I noted above, Wiegle uses the pacing inherent in a story you can only see two panels at a time to weave the reader further and further into the madness of the main character, until he inevitably snaps.  The drawings also appear to alternate between black on white and white on black, which adds to the creepiness and gives the art a dimension it might otherwise have lacked.  In addition, Wiegle's scratchy lines really highlight that there is something unearthly about the whole proceedings.  It's great workmanship from a strong storyteller.

I am lucky enough to usually be able to get more Wiegle comics at SPX every year.  If you aren't so fortunate, you can pick up copies of these and other Wiegle titles by clicking here.