Neptune

An ex-con must come to terms with his past before it destroys him in this haunting graphic novel from Conrad (the Nightwing series) and newcomer Ooten. After nearly two decades in prison, Corey Harrison reflects upon his lost years, the result of a convenience store holdup he committed alongside his brother, James, and his friend, Shawn, that left two people dead and multiple families shattered. His return to society is bittersweet; Shawn’s ghost is already talking to him (Corey doesn’t mind, it’s “less lonely that way”) when he learns that his brother has died under mysterious circumstances while working at Neptune Farms. The nightmarish, Kafkaesque slaughterhouse is also the only employer willing to take a chance on Corey. At the bleak farm, a tortured journey through reflection, self-discovery, and questioning the brutal capitalist motives of his employer leads Corey to uncover an intricate plot surrounding his brother’s demise. Conrad scripts a brooding saga of a man caught up in a maelstrom of conspiracy, but it’s the inspired, hallucinatory artwork of Ooten, which mixes a cut-paper look in punky character designs with brash graffiti vibes in the background, that makes this stand out. It’s a gripping tale of regrets, revenge, and redemption. (Mar.)