By Daniel Clowes
Publisher: D&Q
ISBN: 987-1-77046-007-2
Wilson thinks he's a great guy. He's in tune, he's incisive, he's curious and he's thoughtful. He's also arrogant, rude, patronising, self-centred and narrow-minded. He's more than a caricature or a stereotype but at the same time he's so shallow you wouldn't get your feet wet if you paddled in him. Not the kind of guy you'd go out of your to befriend (if he'd let you) but nonetheless a strangely refreshing creation.
The book is a series of six panel pages, each titled at the top to suggest a vignette of his troubled existence. Clowes has illustrated each page in a slightly different way, from his more familiar style as found in the likes of Ghost World to a grotesque cartoon exaggeration and on to a more simplistic rendering more familiar with early Peanuts strips. There are others too, and at first they disarm you into thinking that you're reading a collection of unconnected snippets with hit-and-miss sixth panel punchlines, but slowly, as you progress through the book, you realise that there's a narrative here weaving its way through the pages as events catch up with him, characters re-appear, and themes develop, ultimately leading to a large revelation in Wilson's life.
This is definitely a book to read in one sitting if you're going to get the most out of the subtle build-up. The differing styles are quite disarming at first, but end up working in his favour as they directly contrast with the tone of the proceedings. This is an edgy, well-observed and quite brilliant piece of work that revels in its sharp but dark humour.
And if you liked that: Try Clowes's Like A Velvet Glove Cast In Iron.
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