Citizen Jack, Vol. 1

Jack Northworthy is an open-carrying, pink bathrobe%E2%80%93wearing abrasive sad sack with a go-nowhere history, but he's got an ace up his fluffy sleeve as he embarks on an unlikely presidential run. Pulling the strings on the campaign trail is his personal demon, Marlinspike, a Satanic nightmare monster. With Marlinspike hissing in his ear, there's no dirty deed too dark or campaign promise too shocking to stop his rise. The script by Humphries (Uncanny X-Force) intricately layers progressive levels of horror and shock with each chapter, upping the stakes and the story's pace until it's a runaway train. He pumps his characters with the worst traits of humanity and tosses in a tiny glimmer of hope that's all the more ruinous each time it's snatched away. The story is laugh-out-loud hilarious, perfectly matched with Patterson's gift for realistic characters with grotesque expressions. Originally serialized a year ago, this frighteningly effective satire feels only one demon away for our own reality. (Aug.)