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Reset #1 – Advance Comic Book Review

 

Reset 1Before we begin this review, I should discuss my qualifications. I am aware of both Harvey Pekar and R. Crumb, but I have not read anything by either of them. My idea of a small indie comic is Scott Pilgrim. I say this to dodge the inevitable internet furor that my next sentence might generate.

Reset, by Peter Bagge, struck me as Total Recall as told by R. Crumb. This isn’t a huge surprise (the Crumby part), as Bagge took over editing Crumb’s Weirdo magazine for a time. The story follows Guy Krause, washed up comedian. Throughout the issue, we explore his neuroses through the power of science fiction. The best part is the way that the art and dialogue play up the humor, while the characters and plot play up the tragedy of this guy’s life. The sci-fi is the plot device, and I don’t want to spoil the actual nature of it.

The art style is interesting, with characters’ limbs stretching and bending like a Jell-O™-filled sock. This is reminiscent of old Loony Tunes cartoons where there are almost never elbows or knees. This makes everything funny, in the same way that a banana peel on the floor does. It is just impossible to take a scene too seriously.

One of the neat tricks that Bagge pulls off is making this truly repellant character and then peeling a layer off to reveal a likable, shy Guy Krause.  The interesting thing for me is the blend of comic-tragic-sci-fi-weirdness with a tasty nougat center. At the end of the book, I had no idea where the story was going, and I didn’t care. I just want to see what happens next.

Four Pekar-Verhoevens out of five.

 

 

Ben Rhodes, Fanbase Press Senior Contributor

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Favorite Book:  Cryptonomicon Favorite Movie:  Young Frankenstein Favorite Absolutely Everything:  Monty Python

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