Alec: The Years Have Pants #[nn]

Eddie Campbell's sprawling "life-sized omnibus" collects decades of his beloved autobiographical Alec stories into one substantial volume — a rare chance to absorb the full arc of this quietly celebrated series in a single sitting. The cover sets the tone perfectly: a lone figure in sunglasses tumbles or reclines amid a starburst of shattered lines against a warm, weathered cream background, conveying both freewheeling energy and reflective calm. At $35.00 in 2009, this is an uncommonly generous package for readers ready to spend real time with one of comics' most personal and literary voices.