She’s Not into Poetry: Mini Comics 1991–1996

Hart’s evolving style is on display in this collection of his early mini-comics work. Reprinting 10 minis, right down to the old addresses on the indicias, Hart (Rosalie Lightning) takes readers back, revealing the good and the bad of his first comics. Starting with pages that feature up to 18 panels, characters that are barely more than stick figures, and large dialogue balloons, it’s an example of learning how to make comics on the fly. By the time the volume reaches more polished tales such as “New Hat,” Hart’s familiar style of short, squat figures, extensive gray tones, and larger, wider panels tells a story of a poet and the president of an unnamed, out-of-time country searching for life’s meaning, a common theme in Hart’s work. While there’s pleasure in watching an artist grow, Hart’s more finished work (Hutch Owen) displays his talent as a storyteller and social critic. (Nov.)