A pretty trippy graphic novel. A "professional" scientist who studies mind altering drugs of all kinds (chemical and organic) comes to a small town to discover some mind altering leaves. Disruption ensues in the personal affairs of the people in the town, and the ending is a mind bender. The drawings are great, and fit the story perfectly (more mind bending). ( )

BodyWorld is a pretty amazing achievement from Dash Shaw, one of the more interesting comics artists on the scene today. His narrative this time around has echoes of Philip K. Dick, featuring experiments with drugs, altered states, and a futuristic setting that has mild elements of science fiction, although (as with Dick's best works) the sci-fi angle is not a huge part of story.

The physical design of BodyWorld is rewarding by itself, with a vertical orientation to the pages and fold-out character guides and a scenario map tucked inside the book cover. This unique layout makes the act of reading BodyWorld surprisingly fun, and the kooky, colorful story lives up to the standard set by the attractive packaging.

Shaw has given us a complex but easily readable twister of a plot, sprinkled with an interesting array of characters with alliterative names (Jem Jewel, Paulie Panther, etc). Whatever else he may be doing, Shaw is creating challenging comics that are well worth the reader's time, and BodyWorld is sure to shake out as one of the most interesting books of 2010. ( )