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The Deal: It's the second issue of Image Comics' surreal slice-of-life comic, starring the doll-looking Li'l Depressed Boy. This month, LDB is still pursuing his dream girl — even though he can't remember her name.
The Good: LDB is an oddity in the world of "mainstream" monthly comics; even at a creator-centric company like Image, this book features a mellow pacing and everyday subject matter that makes it totally different from titles like Green Lantern or The Walking Dead. Sure, the comic book world is littered with slice-of-life comics — but not from one of the industry's bigger publishers. That said, reading LDB feels like taking a vacation from the violence and blood-soaked stuff that fills the stands these days. Sure, some may find the script rather mundane (with this issue's biggest action scene taking place at a bowling alley), but it's the mundane nature of the tale that makes it so engrossing and enjoyable. And when it comes to the art, Sina Grace turns out a great crop of pages; her work is stylized and sparse, but it still packs an emotional punch.
The Bad: I guess my only complaint about LDB is that for such a depressed boy, he seems rather happy. Melancholy? Yes. Depressed? Not so much. Of course, disaster could be on the way next issue. We shall see what happens.
The Verdict: Take an escape from action-packed comics and check out this breezy, easy series.
Quick Hits
Witchfinder: Lost and Gone Forever No. 2: British horror-hunter Sir Edward Grey's adventure in the American West continues this issue. I'm digging the story, but I'm really loving the art by comic legend John Severin.
The New Avengers No. 10: Would someone wake up writer Brian Michael Bendis? The guy really seems to be sleeping through his scripts these days. This month, not much happens ... and that's sort of what happened last issue. Moreover, the unnecessary ret-con that he's spinning — in a sad attempt to mimic the movie continuity — is laughingly awful.
Reviewed materials provided by Heroes Aren't Hard to Find: www.heroesonline.com.
The Li'l Depressed Boy No. 2
Published by Image Comics. Written by S. Steven Struble. Art by Sina Grace.
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