The Wonderful World of Perfecto

Fans of trance deejay Oakenfold will flock to his graphic autobiography, which hits the high points of his career, including his musical awakening while visiting Ibiza in the 1980s, his collaboration with gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson (imagined as a psychedelic scarecrow), and a concert at the Mount Everest base camp. Oakenfold comes across as both wide-eyed—“Each time I step to the turn-table, it’s something magical”—and self-congratulatory, as his constant rise is unhindered by challenges, and his supporting cast constantly reminds him of how much he’s achieved. Certainly, there’s some drama: a friend dies in a cycling accident, and another becomes a drug dealer and has bleach poured into his eyes by rivals. The narrative perfunctorily records these moments and forgets them, moving episodically to the next without introspection or revelation. A visit to the assaulted friend in the hospital ends awkwardly, with Oakenfold proclaiming that he’s about to become the biggest deejay in America. Four different illustrators take on sections of his story, their art ranging from competent to dynamic, but that variety doesn’t make up for a mostly staid talking heads layout or the occasional typos and other technical errors. This disappointing hagiography won’t win over any readers who aren’t already diehard devotees of its subject. (Dec.)