Eric Reynolds

I think it's amusing that two of the better stories I ever read in this anthology of nonsensical alternative comics gibberish are about athletic events.

Kudos to Jacob Weinstein for his piece on table tennis in India -- which I truly hope is the opening chapter of a longer work -- and to M.S. Harkness for her peek behind the scenes at a powerlifting competition in the early days of COVID shutdowns.

The rest of the book consists of the disposable gobbledygook that edgy cartoonists are constantly trying to pass off as art.

FOR REFERENCE:

Contents: Feminist Mountain Man [Front Cover] / Rebecca Morgan -- The Counterweight / Julia Gfrörer -- Steve McQueen in The Mobbing Birds / Tim Lane -- T.D. Ramanujan / Jacob Weinstein -- No More Or Less Alive / Steven Weissman -- Go Big, Then Stay Home / M. S. Harkness -- I'm Trying to Sleep / Walt Holcombe -- You Wouldn't Think So But It Happens All the Time / Theo Ellsworth -- Miserable Mildrid / Joakim Drescher -- I Hate Parties / Silvia Rocchi -- Real Witches / Alex Nall, writer; Hartley Lin, artist -- Taffy / Chris Wright -- Mellow Mutt / Noah Van Sciver -- Free Cone Day! / Celia Vårhed -- Five Shorts [Blue Fear -- Magic Circle -- Mister Mystery -- Scenic Route -- Taking a Walk] / Richard Sala -- In This Short Life / Karl Stevens -- Then . . . But . . . NOW [Back Cover] / Nick Thornburn… (meer)

Faint praise time: This is probably the issue of Now: The New Comics Anthology that I have disliked the least.

Sure, the first 44 pages are given over to a scribbly, icky autobiographical story about an age-gap sexual relationship with barely legible lettering that almost made me give up on reading this book, and yeah, the next 16 pages are more legible but barely any more readable.

But then Noah Van Sciver delivers a dumb but loving little tribute to Basil Wolverton's Spacehawk, Emil Friis Ernst contributes a bizarrely enthralling bit of nonsense about a mysterious motorcyclist, Ben Nadler delves into a sci-fi take on a family trauma that spans decades, Ethel Wolfe offers up a skeevy YouTuber with a face you just want to punch, and finally John Ohannesian prods the limits of freedom of expression in just three panels on the back cover. I'm not in love with any of these stories, but after the wasted first half of the book, they were certainly a welcome relief.

FOR REFERENCE:

Contents: Nine [Front Cover] / Raquelle Jac -- The Real Me / Theo Ellsworth -- Misguided Love / Raquelle Jac -- The 'Raindrop' Prelude / Keren Katz -- Spacehawk / Noah Van Sciver -- Zoom / Emil Friis Ernst -- Quarryhouse / Ben Nadler -- How Mums Annoy You / Ethel Wolfe -- Art [Back Cover] / John Ohannesian… (meer)

I'm always on the lookout for something new and interesting. This anthology of short stories has the new, but not so much with the interesting.

FOR REFERENCE:

Contents: Isle of Enchantment [front cover] / Al Columbia -- Psychic Bug Spy / Theo Ellsworth -- The Misfortunes of Virtue / Sami Alwani -- The Gigs / E.S. Glenn -- I, Keira / Veronika Muchitsch -- Garden Boys / Henry McCausland -- Red / Zuzu -- Saint Cole / Noah Van Sciver -- Cheminant Avec Emily / Walt Holcombe -- The Intoxicated / Maggie Umber -- Binge Eating / Tara Booth -- Now / Nick Thorburn… (meer)

An anthology of alternative comix filled mostly with doodles, meanders, and other bits of pointlessness.

The stand-out stories:

• LOL, just kidding. Nothing stands out in this pile of junk. Maybe next time.

FOR REFERENCE:

Contents: Untitled / Theo Ellsworth -- A Day / Mariana Pita -- Bromeliads / M. Dean & C.J. Aguilera -- Shivering Story / Amandine Meyer -- Orbs / Aseyn -- B-Girl / Tim Lane -- A Given Day on the Sofa / José Quintanar -- They Who Eat Alone / Veronika Muchitsch -- Untitled / Disa Wallander -- Museum Story / Julian Glander -- Cat-a-Tonic / Jesse Reklaw -- Oof! / Zohar Lazar -- The Bastard Princess / Steven Weissman -- Now / Nick Thorburn… (meer)