Kinski

After his success with licensed comics, Hardman (Planet of the Apes) has created an original story—a fast-paced thriller about a man who falls in love with a little black Labrador puppy that he names Kinski. Joe, a traveling salesman, finds the puppy and decides to keep him, but soon the dogcatcher takes Kinski away. Joe is supposed to wait a few days for the owners to have a chance to reclaim their pet, but instead he shows up at the pound in disguise and pretends that the dog is his. When he finds out the true owner has already picked up Kinski, he gets the address and steals the dog from a child. In a tense race across the bleak western landscape, Joe chases the dog through trailer parks and battles violent men. He has to make interesting moral decisions, sacrificing much for his seemingly loony love of the animal. The ending is somewhat predictable but satisfying nonetheless. The art is standard action-comic fare, though more retro and expressive then usual, with great, nuanced character design. Kinski comes across vividly, with his floppy, heavy body and swinging tongue, making this a lightweight romp for comics-reading dog lovers. (Nov.)