This is another of Mack's lavish painted comics. To call it 'painted', though, is faint praise. Drawing, lettering in a few different hands, collage, painting - the visual layering and intensity are incredible. The story itself is stark, physically static the with dynamics all in Kabuki's mind. Somehow, Mack conveys and sustains that moment when even desperation fails.

Mack's images are filled with deconstructed text. My eye instinctively tries to read it all, but that would defeat the purpose of the imagery. On the other hand, ignoring it defeats the purpose of the writing. This is a book I'll come back to, to give it all the different readings it deserves.


weak dream   July 6, 2006
 1 out of 2 found this review helpful

Not one of Mack's greater accomplishments. I love the artistry of his hand. The curves, the movement, the violence he displays with drawings. Real ink and paper. Towards the end of 'Dreams' he resorts to pictures of live blurry women and children's plastic dolls with Kabuki masks on black backgrounds. WHERE IS THE INK!? The real expression, not the highschool photography class. I pray his future expression is a little more from the heart and a little less from the lense.