King City

Brandon Graham’s “King City” is a rare example of an artist’s project that is perfectly suited to the artist’s strengths. Graham’s art is almost ludicrously detailed, a graffito Moebius, and so a comic about a bunch of 20-somethings in a far off future city where certain cats are a kind of magical Swiss Army Knives able to disable locks and dangerous enemies alike is the ultimate showcase for his work. As great of an artist as Graham is, he’s no slouch as a writer either. He has captured the voices of his characters extremely well and, as a cartoonist, is also adept at integrating the art and lettering to create a completely seamless exploration of their inner and outer worlds. His best moments are when all of his talents are integrated and it’s clear that he’s just enjoying the simple act of drawing. There’s a fake map of California in this issue that’s overflowing with wordplay and zany detail, and you can almost imagine him chuckling over his drawing board. The comic doesn’t neces