The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch

More graphic novels from Neil Gaiman, the creator of Sandman. Mr. Punch is even better than Sandman, maybe because it's just more adult. The core of the story revolves around the narrator remembering his childhood, trying to understand things now he didn't comprehend then. The Punch & Judy puppet show serves as a disturbing backdrop for the frightening machinations of the adults in his childhood world. I wish I knew more about Punch & Judy shows.

The story itself is wonderful, and once again the graphic novel format make all the difference as the illustrations augment the narrative. The pen and ink drawings aren't that interesting, but about half the panels are photographs, creepily lit still lifes of Mr. Punch puppets, wire stick figures, and random detritus. The look is really great.