cover image Ur

Ur

Eric Haven. AdHouse (Diamond, dist.), $14.95 trade paper (48p) ISBN 978-1935233-30-5

In one of Haven’s sinister short comics, a creepy-looking man-cat breaks into a house to raid the refrigerator and later morphs into a creature that destroys the world. Most of these stories by TV producer Haven (Mythbusters), who moonlights as a cartoonist, end in apocalyptic destruction—and in most of those that don’t, some hapless person is torn to shreds. Despite this havoc, the tone is lighthearted, thanks to a deliberately stiff, mannered style reminiscent of both Michael Kupperman and outsider cartoonist Fletcher Hanks. The latter is specifically referenced in “Bedman, Dream-Lord of the Night Sky,” an amusing throwback story about a man in a bed who chases comets and volcanoes. Though brief, the stories here make an unforgettable impact thanks to Haven’s strong, inky visuals—as with the death rider in a polo outfit, Equestria—and unrelenting fascinating with death and doom. It’s a haunting combo. (Feb.)