Fante Bukowski #3

Noah Van Sciver brings his sharp, understated wit to this third volume following the hapless aspiring literary figure Fante Bukowski, subtitled A Perfect Failure — a title that feels both painfully honest and darkly comic. The cover's muted greens and simple typography give the book a quietly self-aware quality, with the "Winner" badge adding a wonderfully ironic touch to a story built around a character who can't quite get out of his own way. Fantagraphics continues to be the right home for Van Sciver's brand of melancholy humor, and this 2018 collection looks like a satisfying next chapter for fans of the series.