Anti-Gone

Pleasure and desolation intertwine in this dizzying travelogue from experimental cartoonist Willumsen, whose previous work was mostly online or available from micropresses. A couple named Spyda and Lynxa explore the open ocean, a ruined metropolis, and a sparkling, if dystopian, future from the comfortable confines of their upholstered boat. But from boutiques to movie theaters, darkness follows in their wake—and comes to an explosive, hallucinatory climax. Willumsen’s visuals are hypnotic: the lines of a straining plastic bag are as finely captured as the psychedelic excess of a drug trip meant to evoke near-death experiences. His knowledge of the human body is particularly essential–many of the book’s most powerful moments come from subtle facial tics or changes in posture. It’s also key to the book’s structure, which is centered around quiet, if potent, intimacy between Spyda and Lynxa. Readers who enjoy the boundary-pushing work of cartoonists such as Dash Shaw and Olivier Schrauwen will freely surrender to Willumsen’s equally dreamlike world. (Sept.)