Cherubs!

Heaven, it turns out, is boring. Perfection without sex, war, crime, wine, or vomit leads to five stupefied cherubim, who are shaken up when they witness the first murder in paradise. When they’re wrongly accused of it, they flee to New York City to pursue the real villain, an archangel. There, they hook up with an exotic dancer named Mary, dodge angelic bounty hunters, and fight a vampire bar owner. Clearly, this is not a graphic novel for those already offended by the description. It’s got that “aren’t we being bad?” feel, of artists pushing the boundaries just because they can, taking easy potshots at played-out media subjects. The result resembles an eternal life filled with frat boys, all with the same voice. Suitable for the subject, the art has a modernized underground feel, with busy panels, a smudgy look, and everything caricatured. The first half was published five years ago, as can be guessed from the old-school cellphones shown and the way they use vampires as though they aren’t already overused. This volume includes a previously unpublished follow-up featuring more cheeky humor in the vein of Dogma. (Jan.)