Stardust Nation

A convoluted story that is hindered by awkward artwork and lettering, this shoots for the stars but doesn’t make it past the ozone. A young man, Tom Banbury, finds that his boss, Nick, has absorbed Tom’s own memories of an abusive father, and acts them out. This interesting premise from novelist Levy—her words are evocative and the best part of this graphic novel—is bogged down by the stilted pseudoexpressionist art by fine artist Klimowski and the jarringly incongruous lettering by Kate McLaughlin. Tom and Nick’s shared histories remain touching at points, but as a package, this graphic novel fails to deliver the enrapturing experience it sometimes hints at. (Nov.)