J.O. 2012 #[nn]

Martin Vidberg's J.O. 2012 from Danger Public is a delightfully offbeat entry in French alternative comics. The cover sets a wonderfully absurd tone: a wide-eyed, potato-shaped figure perches on a stool, nervously holding a lit flame above a pedestal bowl, while a startled child crouches nearby and a framed skull drawing watches from the wall. Vidberg's loose, expressive linework and muted palette make this 2006 release an immediately charming specimen of his singular cartooning sensibility.