February
9 Overdue Review Roundup

If you can’t tell by the quote on the back, I’ve already read and enjoyed The Lone and Level Sands (Archaia Studios Press, $17.95) by A. David Lewis with art by mpMann and colors from Jennifer Rodgers. The book tells the tale of Moses and the book of Exodus in straightforward, dramatic fashion. What I like the most is that Lewis et al. just tell the story and let its time-tested drama carry the weight of entertaining. There’s no sense of being preached to and the color (which I’m seeing for the first time) really gives the book a nice visual depth. Grade: A-

Conversation #2 (Top Shelf, $4.95) continues the ongoing dialogue about life, art and comics between Jeffrey Brown and James Kochalka. Interesting in its own, strange way, but only die-hard fans and art students are likely to get excited. Grade: C

Will You Still Love Me if I Wet the Bed? (Top Shelf, $7), by Liz Prince, is a collection of little cartoons about relationships and love. They vary from strange to clever, managing to capture those odd little relationship moments that make you go “aww.” Grade: B-

Super F*ckers #273 (Top Shelf, $5) is another installment in the lives of James Kochalka’s selfish and stupid teenage superheroes. This could be really annoying and cynical — and at times it really is — but it has enough humor in it to make the tone more like “Napoleon Dynamite.” Grade: B-

Mouse Guard: Belly of the Beast (Archaia Press Studios, $3), by David Petersen, is a fun book about warrior mice in a fantasy vein that reads like a mix of “Lord of the Rings and “Stuart Little.” Petersen’s art is wonderfully textured and the story is a good one, suitable for kids. Grade: B+

Owly: Flying Lessons (Top Shelf, $10) is the newest volume in the series about the silent owl and his friends. If you’ve already read Owly, you probably already have this. If not, it’s another great title for kids and cute enough to charm adults. Grade: A