Octopus pie is one of the best humour comics available. It tells frank and compassionate truths about love, friendship, life, love and heartache, and this serious tone is wondorously balanced by a quirky and highly idiosyncratic surreal sense of humour that strikes a perfect balance between pop culture references, slapstick, sarcasm, and straight goofiness. It's amazing how Meredith Gran handles it all so smoothly.

In addition, the drawings are gorgeous, with expressive and distinguished characters and simple but highly effective environments that really captures the spirit of Brooklyn, where most of the stories take place.

The second volume of the collected comics shows significant progress in art as well as storytelling, pacing and character development. OC was always good, but it keeps even getting better.

This is a treat, don't miss it. ( )