King City

Although the first half of this hilarious, touching romp was published a few years ago, the rest of the story has lingered in a rights limbo until now. Set in a lushly detailed city of the far future, catmaster Joe, assisted by his marvelously mutable drug-fueled cat Earthling J. Catingsworth the Third, faces an assortment of conflicts, from a mysterious and ominous cult to a friend’s desire to rescue an alien woman from a futuristic mob. Joe is in his element against mere eldritch horrors, mysterious femme fatales and the seedy criminal underworld, but finds himself less able to handle the lingering presence of his former lover Anna, now romantically entangled with a troubled but amiable war veteran. In lesser hands, this would be a mere collection of Kirbyesque occult confrontations; although he can rock the cosmic with the best of them and has a grand talent for the absurd, Graham has a keen appreciation for the personal, but his talent shines brightest when cast on the mundane moments in his characters’ lives. With the complete King City finally available, Graham takes his place as one of the most inventive action cartoonists working. (Mar.)