Thoroughly engaging and loaded with charm to burn, this latest work from Brown (Clumsy
) is a perfect example of how to do autobiographical comics right. The appealingly simple “cartoony” art serves to draw the reader into Brown's world, taking its ordinary protagonist from the daily tribulations of childhood to the self-discoveries of adolescence and college, and on through encounters with a number of girlfriends, eventually resulting in unexpected parenthood. Brown's journey is initially told in snippets that perfectly capture the sometimes disjointed flashbacks one has to one's own formative years, but the narrative's stories soon expand to lengthier pieces that wholly invest the reader in the “now.”. In turns wistful, frank, embarrassing, and funny, some highlights include the cautionary recounting of “David Lynch's Dune
Drinking Game,” run-ins with local bums and winos, and an account of his future wife's pregnancy from a confused and somewhat on edge male perspective. An unexpected and very pleasant surprise, this is good stuff that solidly resonates with a palpable and universal humanity and bears repeated readings. (June)
