Elvis Road

This long, speechless comic is read as one 20-foot foldout page; it's half Saul Steinberg on drugs, half insane doodle. Porn shops, playgrounds and sports arenas mix in the crowded urban scene, where everyone seems to be going somewhere, really desperate, or about to do something wicked and fun. Strange vehicles crowd the road, which serves up race cars, tanks and a huge “parfum” tanker truck in one long traffic jam. The simple line drawings use images from World War II, as well as from underground comics of the late '60s through to the present (any references to superheroes and Disney-like characters are purely ironic). The depictions of Klansmen and Nazis seem part of the social critique, perhaps reinforcing the underlying idea that life stuffed to the gills with items that fulfill our every need is itself a form of fascism. There's always something new to see, and much occurs in the cramped spaces, such as when a happy cop ushers small creatures into a theme park called “Cuteland,” or when fascist worshipers are hit by a flaming asteroid that leaves a trail of yogurt, in which people drown. A strong art book that's actually a lot of fun. (May)