Vacancy

Simon's a dog with a home but no owners. He learns that the outside world is far more dangerous than it seems from his knothole in the fence in this promising debut by an artist best known for her gif-filled webcomics. Leaving the people's disappearance a mystery, Lee focuses on what happens when creatures take on human roles, emotions, and tropes. (A deer with an attitude wears a hunting cap; naive Simon sports big glasses and short pants.) The animals don human garb yet still default to their base natures when pushed, a transformation made clear by a shift in depiction. Changing colors evoke mood, and tight, small panels feature fluid, moving characters, showing the influence of modern animation and a feeling similar to the work of Kazu Kibuishi. More than just a cute animal comic, this is a parable about establishing comfort zones and the dangers of breaking them. (June)