Faceless and the Family

“Ten years of isolation. Because of what I did,” muses the protagonist—known only as Faceless—of Lesniewski’s brilliantly drawn, genre-bending latest (after Mind MGMT). The anonymous voyager, whose past never comes into sharper focus and whose head has been covered by a broken-off piece of machinery, languishes in self-imposed exile in the wastelands—until he encounters other wanderers, including Giant Jerry and a mechanical genius known as Carp, short for Carpenter (“They made me fix things,” she explains, and “now I’m just trying to fix myself”). As they tag along on an epic quest to restore Faceless’s visage and identity, the motley crew explore the hidden alleyways, bustling main streets, and towering architecture of the Finger Cities. Upstart challengers, alien technology, and the bizarre, almost sentient terrain are among the uncanny obstacles that threaten this found family’s bond, as they face physical and metaphysical trials. The plot takes a back seat to the visual delights of Lesniewski’s surreal, fantastical planetscape, rendered in remarkably innovative brushwork and distorted perspectives. It’s a true visual feast. (July)