Killing and Dying

The idea of "literary" comic books covers almost as wide a territory as "literature" itself, but there may be no comics artist who hits the traditional qualities of literary fiction—complex characters, subtle epiphanies, control of style—as precisely as Adrian Tomine. And "precisely" is just the word for Tomine's finely drawn stories, which reveal, behind their exquisite style, a thrilling range of observation and empathy. If you love the stories of Carver and Munro, you'll feel right at home among his failed horticultural artists, off-the-grid alcoholics, and amateur stand-up comedians (the last of which gives the title story its name).