Critters #18

Fantagraphics' beloved anthropomorphic anthology returns with issue #18, and the cover — penciled and inked by Jim Engel and Don Toht — captures the series' warm, playful spirit perfectly: a cheerful crowd of cartoon animal characters lounges on and around a charming brick stoop, nearly every one of them happily absorbed in reading comics and books. From the red cat sprawled on the steps to the blue dog perched above and the mysterious cloaked figure approaching from the corner, it's a delightfully busy scene that feels like a celebration of the very act of reading. Inside, Jim Engel handles all creative duties on "What Are Friends For?," making this a wonderfully personal entry in Critters' run of funny-animal fun.